When Virginia Tech fired head coach Brent Pry two weeks ago, the writing was on the wall. The Hokies were listless in their first three games against South Carolina, Vanderbilt, and Old Dominion, and it left the school with no choice but to part ways with the fourth-year coach.
On Saturday, Arkansas hosted Notre Dame, and if you thought the Hokies' performance the day before Pry was fired was brutal, you should have seen what the Razorbacks did. They one-upped Virginia Tech with a dismal performance, trailing 42-13 at halftime on their way to a 56-13 loss. On Sunday, Sam Pittman was fired after his team's performance, creating an opening that is an interesting job.
As is the case with every opening, there were a slew of names that are linked to the job, and Will Backus of CBS Sports linked a current ACC head coach to the opening, and it makes total sense.
CBS Sports links SMU coach Rhett Lashley to Arkansas opening
Backus listed some current head coaches and assistant coaches to the Arkansas opening and linked SMU head coach Rhett Lashley to the job. In the overall big picture, it makes total sense.
"Lashlee, a former Arkansas quarterback, came to SMU in 2022 after the Mustangs lost previous coach Sonny Dykes to TCU. One year later, he won 11 games and delivered SMU its first conference title since 1984 by winning the American. The Mustangs didn't lose a step under Lashlee as they transitioned to the Power Four level in 2024. SMU went undefeated in its first season with the ACC, came a field goal short of winning the ACC title, and snagged an at-large spot in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. He's 22-8 over his last 30 games with the Mustangs. SMU has considerable resources and, thanks in large part to Lashlee's success, has reinvested heavily into its football program, so it wouldn't be easy to draw him away. It'd be worth the effort to see if he would come home, though."
Lashlee played at Arkansas from 2002-04, and if a former player gets the chance to be in the mix to coach at his school that he played for, he will listen. He has done a tremendous job at SMU and has the Mustangs in the upper echelon of the ACC in their second season. They have yet to kick off conference play, but you have to think that Lashlee will be asked about it this week, and he'll likely deflect the question with usual coach talk.
It's an SEC job, and nearly all SEC jobs are considered good jobs, so expect Arkansas to go after a well-established head coach to fill the opening, and yes, expect Lashlee to get a call.