WATCH: New Arkansas AD talks about trying to hire Chad Morris at Houston
By Keith Farner
Published:
This isn’t the first time Hunter Yurachek has looked at Chad Morris for a potential coaching hire.
The new Arkansas athletics director spoke to reporters, and in a video posted by Bart Pohlman, Yurachek outlined the Houston search process before the 2014 season when Morris was a Clemson offensive coordinator. But when a reporter told Yurachek that Morris had told his SMU players that he was leaving, Yurachek jokingly asked what job he was taking.
ESPN’s SEC insider Chris Low earlier reported that Arkansas and Morris have agreed to a deal. It’s been a busy week of hiring for Arkansas after Yurachek, who was introduced this morning, was officially hired Monday.
“We may have hired him at the University of Houston if SMU wasn’t ahead in the search,” Yurachek said, referring to Tom Herman ultimately getting the job. “They were able to gobble him up before we had the chance to do so at the University of Houston. Now obviously, it worked out well for us at the University of Houston. Tom Herman did an amazing job, came in there and led us to the Peach Bowl, 13-1 and now is at the University of Texas.”
Morris had a 14-22 record in three seasons at SMU but improved the program’s record every single season.
New Arkansas AD Hunter Yurachek says he looked at hiring Chad Morris when he was at Houston & reacts to news Morris told his players he’s leaving SMU. pic.twitter.com/STkbtw7lrv
— Bart Pohlman (@SportsTalkBart) December 6, 2017
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
