Malzahn leaves Hogs to join Tulsa staff
Jamie Barnhill
Issue date: 1/17/07 Section: Sports
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Less than three weeks ago, Head Coach Houston Nutt addressed the media at his annual end-of-the-season press conference. He stated that he hoped to keep this year's staff intact, although he understood that some schools would attempt to sway an assistant from the staff.
It was known that quarterbacks coach Alex Wood, offensive line coach Mike Markuson and defensive line Tracy Rocker had been interviewed, offered or applied for positions at different universities. All of them had either not been chosen or declined to accept the new jobs.
Then the news came Sunday night that fresh off of his first year of being Arkansas' first ever offensive coordinator under Nutt, Gus Malzahn had opted to take the position of co-offensive coordinator and assistant head coach under newly-hired Tulsa University head coach Todd Graham.
Malzahn helped guide the Razorback offense to a 10-win season that featured a Heisman Trophy runner-up in Darren McFadden and an offense that ranked in the top 35 nationally in total offense and scoring offense. He was recently named as Rivals.com 2006 Offensive Coordinator of the Year.
Prior to coming to Arkansas as offensive coordinator, Malzahn was head coach at Hughes High School, Shiloh Christian High School, and most recently Springdale High School, where he coached three current Razorbacks, Mitch Mustain, Ben Cleveland and Andrew Norman.
In total he led his teams to five state championship games and won three state titles, the most recent being in 2005 with Springdale.
Nutt is out recruiting and was not available for comment on the recent departure, but he did release a statement concerning Malzahn's departure.
"Gus Malzahn has resigned his position at the University of Arkansas to become the assistant head coach and co-offensive coordinator at the University of Tulsa," Nutt said. "We are very appreciative of the many contributions Gus made to our staff and to our program during his tenure with the Razorbacks. In his first season as a coach at the collegiate level, he was an integral part of a team that won 10 games and won an SEC Western Division championship. I wish him nothing but the best both personally and professionally as he takes on his new role."
It was known that quarterbacks coach Alex Wood, offensive line coach Mike Markuson and defensive line Tracy Rocker had been interviewed, offered or applied for positions at different universities. All of them had either not been chosen or declined to accept the new jobs.
Then the news came Sunday night that fresh off of his first year of being Arkansas' first ever offensive coordinator under Nutt, Gus Malzahn had opted to take the position of co-offensive coordinator and assistant head coach under newly-hired Tulsa University head coach Todd Graham.
Malzahn helped guide the Razorback offense to a 10-win season that featured a Heisman Trophy runner-up in Darren McFadden and an offense that ranked in the top 35 nationally in total offense and scoring offense. He was recently named as Rivals.com 2006 Offensive Coordinator of the Year.
Prior to coming to Arkansas as offensive coordinator, Malzahn was head coach at Hughes High School, Shiloh Christian High School, and most recently Springdale High School, where he coached three current Razorbacks, Mitch Mustain, Ben Cleveland and Andrew Norman.
In total he led his teams to five state championship games and won three state titles, the most recent being in 2005 with Springdale.
Nutt is out recruiting and was not available for comment on the recent departure, but he did release a statement concerning Malzahn's departure.
"Gus Malzahn has resigned his position at the University of Arkansas to become the assistant head coach and co-offensive coordinator at the University of Tulsa," Nutt said. "We are very appreciative of the many contributions Gus made to our staff and to our program during his tenure with the Razorbacks. In his first season as a coach at the collegiate level, he was an integral part of a team that won 10 games and won an SEC Western Division championship. I wish him nothing but the best both personally and professionally as he takes on his new role."
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