The Godfather of Soul has Left the Building

As most of you Hogs fans know, J. Frank Broyles formally announced his retirement on Saturday. This is both a happy and sad day in Hogland.

Throughout the years, JFB has been the face of Arkansas Athletics. One article I read today summed a few things up nicely:

1. JFB is to Arkansas Athletics what Sam Walton was to Arkansas Business
2. JFB's primary flaw is that every coach that worked for him wasn't Frank Broyles.

Sidenote: It's sad that it takes a columnist from AL to write a good article on Broyles. Our sorry excuse for a sports editor at the ADG is just that.

JFB's retirement is sad b/c it marks the turning of a page. JFB came to AR in 1957 as a John Barnhill hire. Since that time, his tenure was marked by great success (shared national championship in 1964, 22 game win streak, the hire of several great coaches including Lou Holtz, Ken Hatfield, Eddie Sutton, Nolan Richardson, and John McDonnel, the construction of arguably the finest collection of facilities in the nation) and several great failures (running off many of these coaches by meddling). At the ripe young age of 30, there has been no time in my life where JFB wasn't the Head Hog. Change, even if it is for the better, is often sad. I'm sad to see JFB go b/c it does mark a turning of the page.

However, I'm happy to see JFB go for many reasons as well. AR has a lot of potential, but with JFB at the helm we will never be able to hire a top notch football coach. Why? Top notch football coaches want to run their program the way they see fit. You can't hire a "run-first" coach and then force him to hire a "pass-first" offensive coordinator (i.e. Danny Ford/Kay Stephenson and Houston Nutt/Gus Malzahn) at the first sign of trouble. JFB tried to do the same thing to Hatfield but Hatfield left for Clemson instead.

You see, JFB's management style was his greatest shortcoming. When you hire someone to do a job, you let them do that job as they see fit. JFB has every right to make suggestions but does not have the right to force these suggestions down the head coach's throat. If the coach does not take the suggestions, and consequently doesn't win enough games, that coach gets fired. If the coach takes the suggestions, and consequently doesn't win enough games, that coach gets fired. Whether the coach takes the suggestions or not, if he wins enough games, he should be retained.

It's all about winning games. Nothing more. Nothing less.

In my opinion the role of an AD is to make it easy for a coach to succeed by providing resources that are conducinve to success.

Another reason we would never be able to hire a top notch coach with JFB at the helm is because JFB was highly reluctant to spend the money required to hire an established coach. While JFB holds the view that you should hire a coach with head coaching experience, he also holds the view that you should hire an up and comer. That's fine, but that is also a more risky path.

I think Houston Nutt has turned out well given the hurdles he has had to overcome and, make no mistake, these hurdles have been substantial (i.e. poor facilities at the beginning, NCAA investiagation, etc...). We now get to see how HDN runs his team without interference from above, although HDN is a "pleaser" (by his own words) and seemed more amenable to JFB's interference than most would be.

Another cause for concern with regard to JFB's departure is that it leaves a substantial power void at the top of Razorback Athletics (and the State for that matter). I hope that John White's power was diminished enough via his last attempt to oust JFB that there will be checks and balances as to who he hires as the next AD. It is widely known that White previously wanted Bev Louis, the current womens AD, to take over for Broyles. The women's program is not exactly in top notch shape.

In sum, we should all appreciate what JFB has done. We should all be concerned over what his departure means for the Razorbacks. We should also be hopeful that this change is for the better. If we can hire someone with JFB's good qualities, without his bad qualities, many good years are ahead for the Razorback Nation.

This change is for the better.