When the Arkansas football head-coaching job came open in 2017 on Thanksgiving weekend, Chad Morris was in the process of taking his third SMU team to its lone bowl appearance as an American Athletic Conference member.
Bret Bielema’s five-year run that once showed promise with the Razorbacks had ended with a 4-8 thud, and Morris quickly developed a theme in his mind.
“I’ll walk backwards to Fayetteville,” Morris kept thinking.
Morris got his wish and was named the Arkansas coach, but his first season wound up with a 2-10 record that included humbling losses to Auburn (34-3), Alabama (65-31), Mississippi State (52-6) and Missouri (38-0). It was the first 10-loss season in the program’s proud history, and there was even a 44-17 home debacle against North Texas.
Still willing to make that backward walk? Absolutely.