Former LSU Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron has been linked with the Arkansas Razorbacks head coaching position for some time. The Arkansas job became available when they fired head coach Sam Pittman earlier this year.
Besides Orgeron, another potential candidate for the role was rumored to be James Franklin, who was fired from the Penn State Nittany Lions in October.
Ed Orgeron and James Franklin Are out of the Running for the Arkansas Vacancy
On3’s Pete Nakos has linked Orgeron to Arkansas, saying that the coach has “been in communication” with the Razorbacks. Larry Brown Sports also reported that Orgeron has been in contact with Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek.
LSU won a national title with Orgeron in charge in 2019, but he was dismissed two years later. Orgeron has not coached since 2021, but some already view him as a strong possibility for Arkansas. He previously worked as an assistant strength coach at Arkansas in 1986-87.
However, Hawg Sports’ Trey Biddy reported no indications of a move.
“Arkansas has zero interest in Ed Orgeron as HC. Not sure where that started and why I keep getting asked about it. UA did have early contact with James Franklin, and he reached out to ppl about the inner workings at Arkansas, but he also will not be the Arkansas head coach. #wps,” Biddy tweeted on Sunday.
While Orgeron is said to be out of consideration for the Arkansas position, he is also being evaluated for the Oregon State job. The program dismissed Trent Bray after a 0-7 start this season.
As for Franklin’s potential with Arkansas, it did not appear particularly strong from the beginning, as multiple sources indicate Virginia Tech is the frontrunner for his services. Franklin holds the final decision on whether to accept the Hokies’ job, while he has also been tied to other programs such as Auburn.
With Franklin and Orgeron reportedly removed from Arkansas’ list, other names to monitor for the role include head coaches such as Memphis’ Ryan Silverfield, Tulane’s Jon Sumrall, and South Florida’s Alex Golesh. The Razorbacks have not shown improvement under interim head coach Bobby Petrino, but some have still pointed to him as a possible choice for the full-time role.
Arkansas sits at 2-8 this season, including being winless in the Southeastern Conference at 0-6. The Razorbacks hold the No. 50 spot in the PFSN College Football Playoff Ranking and are preparing to face the 7-3 Texas Longhorns next week.