Former Auburn Tigers football coach and current Florida State Seminoles offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn is back on the general SEC radar after FSU upset the Alabama Crimson Tide, 31-17, in Week 1.
Could the Arkansas Razorbacks be a fit for the former Hogs offensive coordinator and Arkansas State Red Wolves football coach? Best of Arkansas Sports' Evin Demirel mentioned it, but didn't speak in any sense of urgency -- instead, reserving judgment until the eventual 56-14 Razorbacks win over the Red Wolves in Little Rock.
"It appears that Arkansas’ offensive coordinator is pretty happy avoiding the headache of head coaching at this point of his career," Demirel wrote.
"Petrino, though, is five years older than the 59-year-old Malzahn and has been out of the Power 4 head coaching game since 2018.
"Malzahn, meanwhile, just spent four seasons at the helm of UCF in the Big 12. He may decide to rehabilitate his reputation as an offensive genius in one season at Florida State and ride that back up the ranks.
"Whether (SMU Mustangs football coach Rhett Lashee) or Malzahn would really want to return to northwest Arkansas, and not just use the Razorbacks as negotiating leverage, is a question to launch later."
Arkansas has been hesitant to part with Sam Pittman since his debut season in 2020. His 2021 season was the program's best in a while, but the school isn't in a position to remain a competitive spender in the SEC with a buyout on the hook.
Bringing on Malzahn, even for cheap, since Auburn has been paying him handsomely not to coach, isn't something the Razorbacks can afford right now. And AD Hunter Yurachek doesn't even blame Pittman for being in that spot.
Arkansas visits the Ole Miss Rebels next Saturday.
Malzahn and the Seminoles, meanwhile, have their bye week, followed by the Kent State Golden Flashes on September 20.