Could Houston Nutt return to Arkansas and be the school’s next head coach? Well, the former Razorbacks leader hasn’t ruled it out.
During an appearance on 103.7 The Buzz on Wednesday, Nutt was asked if he’d take the job if he was offered the position. And he indicated that he might under the right circumstances.
“I can go on and on about the players who have reached out and said ‘Come on coach, come back and let’s get this thing going again,'” Nutt said on the show. “I’d like to, I would, but I’d only want to come back if they want me, if the athletic director [Hunter Yurachek], and the state wants me. It’d have to be that togetherness.”
Nutt was the head coach at Arkansas from 1998-2007. During that time, he led the Razorbacks to a 75-48 record. He then coached at Ole Miss from 2008-11, but he’s been out of college football since then.
Nutt’s tenure at Arkansas was much longer than that of Chad Morris, who was fired on Sunday after going 4-18 in two seasons with the Razorbacks.
However, Nutt also said that he doesn’t think Morris should be entirely blamed for Arkansas’ recent struggles. He knows how difficult recruiting against top SEC programs can be, although he also could be up for the challenge again.
“This is a crossroads. This is a big time decision for the University of Arkansas,” Nutt said. “This has got to be the right fit. You can’t just say, ‘Oh, this is Chad Morris’ fault,’ because I saw it back in 2010, 2011, 2012. I saw recruiting going down. I saw it getting slower, and recruiting is the lifeline as you all know. …
“So yeah, I’d love to come back, but again, it has to be right and everybody has to be together, and it’s not easy. Because you are in the toughest conference in America.”
It will be interesting to see if Nutt actually emerges as a candidate for the Arkansas job, or if the former Razorbacks head coach won’t be considered for the position.
Jake Rill contributes to news coverage for Saturday Down South. He has covered the SEC since 2016.
