Spurned Again! The Razorback's Search for a Football Coach Continues

Completely unbelievable. That's the only way in which you can begin to describe the University of Arkansas's search for a new head football coach. Tommy Tuberville, Tommy Bowden and now Jim Grobe have all in the span of a week publicly turned down the opportunity to coach the Natural State's Finest. All three will go back to their universities (Auburn, Clemson and Wake Forest, respectively) with a lot of additional cash money to show for it. With multiple media outlets declaring in previous days that Tuberville and Bowden were each already signed, sealed and delivered, only to have the whole thing dissipate within hours both times, it's been easy to stay skeptical of any rumored hiring announcements. But clearly, Grobe's about face this morning proved to be the most stunning of all. What exactly transpired in the hours between 11 PM last night (when the local newspapers went to press with "Grobe is hired" as their front page headlines!) and 8 AM this morning (when Grobe told UA Athletic Director Jeff Long that he was having doubts) may never be revealed. But it's certainly a juicy thought for speculation . . . Was it a guilty conscience that jumped up when he had to address his team? Did his family say it would miss the smell of the spruce pines of North Carolina too much? Or maybe, and most likely, the whole thing was just another man's ploy for a pay raise? To me, there are several huge ironies in this whole thing. The first is the obvious one: the similarity to the Dana Altman situation back in April is downright scary. At that time it was Creighton's Altman, like a delirious deer, stumbling into the flashlights of a packed Bud Walton Arena to be introduced as the new men's basketball coach. Altman got himself near run over when they asked him to Call the Hogs too. Remember how strange he looked? Like a bride making up her mind to run away. Well at least with Grobe you can say he had the foresight not to come to Fayetteville for an introductory press conference. Still, what's with the Razorbacks and wanting to hire people who aren't sure if they want to be here? Surely, you would think you'd be able to read some of the signs of uncertainty in a person while you were interviewing him for the job right? The second irony has got fall on the label of "integrity." As in the saying, he's a man with great integrity. That's all we heard about Grobe (Altman too, for that matter). How he had such belief in what he was doing with his football program. Which begs the question, if this man was so filled with integrity, how come he seemed so close to casting aside his life's work at Wake Forest? An ACC Championship and BCS appearance last year was undoubtedly a strong feat with the Demon Deacons, but Grobe himself must've known how tough it was going to be to do it again there. Wow, that integrity and belief sure did seem to waver in the face of a 1.1 million dollar raise, huh? And yet the biggest irony of them all may be the poetic justice of the whole thing. I won't kill Jeff Long yet because he hasn't publicly said anything his search process. But you have to have questions about how this whole thing is being conducted. There have been far too many leaks from far too many moles on the Board of Trustees and in the Razorback athletic hierarchy who have publicized Long's moves darn nearly every step of the way. How can you expect a guy to do a legitimate, full-fledged search for the right person when he's surrounded by people who feel the need to approve his every move. I don't want to name names here. This isn't about that. But Long is unconsciously setting himself up for a really hard first year on the job. Replacing Frank Broyles was hard enough. Now he likely has to reprove himself all over again in front of a fan base that has demonstrated it will fly planes over stadiums with protest banners flying behind them if it doesn't like you. Real easy environment to work in right? No wonder they pay him the big bucks. -JAB