The 2025 season witnessed the firings of multiple head coaches. This trend will continue in 2026, with multiple head coaches already mentioned in hot-seat discussions, including one first-year head coach.
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Mike Bratton and Cousin Shane appeared on “That SEC Podcast” to discuss SEC football, where Bratton made a bold prediction regarding Arkansas’ new head coach, Ryan Silverfield.
“The last coach Arkansas had that came in and talked like Silverfield has been was an absolute disaster,” Bratton said (42:38). “I think we know who that is. I refuse to say his name… I personally just see us getting a new head coach in two to three years.”
Silverfield took over for Sam Pittman, who was fired on Sept. 28 after a 2-3 start, becoming the 35th head coach in Razorbacks history. He signed a five-year, $33.5 million contract through 2030, earning $6.5 million in his first year with a $100,000 increase each subsequent season.
Despite having several options during the coaching carousel, Silverfield chose Arkansas after going 50-25 at Memphis, including a win over the Razorbacks in September. Some questioned why he would pick Arkansas over other programs, and he addressed those doubters at the Little Rock Rotary Club on Tuesday.
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“They said, ‘You can’t win there. Should’ve taken UCLA, Auburn,” Silverfield said. “I said no, I like that we can set the standard at Arkansas. We have one power four win at home the last few years, we will change that standard.”
Arkansas finished the 2025 season as the No. 103 team nationally in the PFSN’s CFB Defense Impact Metric with a 69.7 score. In comparison, the Razorbacks’ offense was good, as it finished No. 5Â in PFSN’s CFB Offense Impact Metric with a 90.0 score.
Arkansas’ front office believes Silverfield can rebuild a winning culture after a 2-10 season in 2025.
“It became clear during our conversations that Coach Silverfield shares our vision of making the College Football Playoffs and competing for a national championship,” Vice Chancellor and Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek said in a statement following Silverfield’s hire.
“With our new and significant financial investment in the football program, we are confident we now have the coach and resources to make that happen.
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“Throughout the search process, Coach Silverfield’s proven ability to win games over a sustained period separated him from the pack and made him the right choice to be our next head football coach. The knowledge of our state and region he brings along with the ability to build and maintain a program will provide a great foundation for our program moving forward.”
Arkansas will start Spring football on March 15. The Razorbacks will open next season at home against North Alabama on Sept. 5Â to kick off the Silverfield era.
