Ad Disclosure
Chad Morris’ offensive staff finalized as Arkansas announces official hiring of four coaches
Published:
Arkansas has finalized Chad Morris’ first offensive staff in Fayetteville by announcing the hires of four more coaches. Earlier in the day, Arkansas announced the hirings of defensive coordinator John Chavis and offensive coordinator Joe Craddock.
Jeff Traylor (running backs), Dustin Fry (offensive line), Barry Lunney Jr (tight ends) and Justin Stepp (wide receivers) were all announced Tuesday by the school. In addition to naming these coaches, the school also provided information on each coach as well as a statement on them each from Coach Morris.
Here’s that information, as well as specific titles for each for the 2018 season:
Jeff Traylor – Associate Head Coach/Running Backs
A high school coaching legend in Texas who comes to Fayetteville after recent stints at SMU (2017) as associate head coach/running backs and Texas (2015-16) as an assistant coach.
“Jeff was a phenomenal high school football coach who had a great career in the state of Texas. He has great knowledge of the game, and his development of his players has been special. He’s a phenomenal recruiter and great at creating relationships. His ability to recruit the state of Texas and Arkansas is exciting to us. I’m looking forward to seeing his players develop.”
Dustin Fry – Offensive Line/Run-Game Coordinator
A former NFL center who played at Clemson and coached the offensive line at SMU the past three seasons.
“Dustin is a guy who had a very successful playing career and was instrumental in our success at Clemson. He brings a lot to the table with his offensive line knowledge and his ability to teach the techniques and intricate details of what it takes to be a great offensive lineman. The success our offense has had over the last three years was a reflection of the growth and development of our offensive line.”
Barry Lunney Jr. – Tight Ends
Played quarterback for the Razorbacks from 1992-95 and has served as tight ends coach at Arkansas since 2013.
“Barry has had a great career here and has a valuable reputation around the state of Arkansas. He’s built and maintained exceptional relationships with Razorbacks of the past, present and future. I’m excited to have his knowledge of the game, his recruiting ability, and his familiarity with our program.”
Justin Stepp – Wide Receivers
Mentored projected first-round 2018 NFL Draft pick Courtland Sutton as wide receivers coach at SMU from 2015-17 and was selected last December to participate in the 2018 AFCA 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute.
“Justin is a very engaging person and I’m excited to have him and what he brings to our receiving group. He has a great knack for recruiting and developing his players. Justin has had the honor and privilege of developing many players in his career, most notably All-Americans Courtland Sutton and Trey Quinn.”
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
