Arkansas Razorbacks

Bret Bielema Announces Paul Rhoads As Defensive Coordinator

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:27 p.m. ET

Fansided, Chris Jackson/FanSided via Razorbackers

Bielema makes a late announcement with the promotion of Paul Rhoads to defensive coordinator for the Razorbacks.

Late on Monday night, I wrote an article stating that it looked like Paul Rhoads would be the defensive coordinator. Now, even later, I am getting to confirm that story.

At 10:07 pm on Monday night, after I had written the rumored promotion, Bret Bielema tweeted that it had become official. Paul Rhoads is now for sure going to be leading the defense in the 2017 season.

It was our first team meeting tonight & awesome reaction as I waited to tell our crew that @CoachRhoadsUA is our new DC. #WoooPig #CountOnMe

— Bret Bielema (@BretBielema) January 17, 2017

As with anything, the reactions so far have been mixed. There are obviously fans that are really happy with the hire and there are obviously some that aren’t. The issue here was the timing of Robb Smith “leaving for another job.”

Smith didn’t get another job until way too late, to be honest. Had he just “found another job” after the end of the regular season and Bielema promoted Paul Rhoads to interim before the Belk Bowl, I think a lot of the negativity wouldn’t be there.

The main reason I think that fans would have been more open to this is the simple fact that they would have gotten to see the guy coach. We have seen what he did with the secondary and to be fair, he did pretty well with very little. One has to remember it was Smith who told them where to be and what do, not Rhoads.

I personally am ok with the hire and said that Smith should have “found another job” after the Auburn game and Rhoads should have been the interim then but what’s done is done. Now we look for who will replace Rhoads as the secondary coach and then look forward to recruiting. Woo pig.