FAYETTEVILLE -- Ryan Silverfield and Hunter Yurachek met with the media Thursday afternoon and discussed various aspects of the hiring process, financial plans for football and much more.
Yurachek, Arkansas' athletic director and vice-chancellor, admitted that Silverfield was always very high on his list.
"But for me this was not a race," Yurachek said. "But it was important that I took the time to find a great coach and to identify a coach who truly wanted to be here, a coach who clearly understand this state and the importance of our football program to this state, and a coach who shares my expectations and the expectations that we all share for the Razorback football program to compete for and win championships.
"Ryan was the first coach I spoke to in October and he was the last coach I spoke to in November. And from our first conversation through the last, he made it clear to me that he and his family wanted to be at the University of Arkansas and they wanted to be a part of the winning tradition and history of Razorback football. He has a life-long passion for football and for coaching. He began his coaching career at the age of 18 as a student assistant at Hampden-Sydney College and over the course of the next 25-plus years, he worked his way from those DIII roots to be a high school head coach, a college assistant coach, an NFL assistant coach, an offensive coordinator and head coach at the University of Memphis, and now the head coach of our Arkansas Razorbacks."
Silverfield, who was 50-25 at Memphis, met with the football team on Sunday evening. Three of his future players were in attendance Thursday including edge Quincy Rhodes, quarterback KJ Jackson and wide receiver CJ Brown.
"I told the team when I met with them this Sunday that we will have to earn everything we get," Silverfield said. "Every win, every championship, every ounce of respect, we will have to earn it. Nothing is going to be given to us here, and that is how we earn it. So how do we earn it? How do we win an SEC championship, or championships? How do we win a national title? We have to earn it. We have to empty the tank. We have to attack the work. We will respond to everything with toughness. We will never back down. We will guard our integrity, and we will do it together. If you listen carefully, that spells out, earning. That is our standard that we are setting today. We are all in and we will earn it every day, because this is Arkansas.
"This is a state not built on shortcuts or flash. It is built on early mornings, people that don't make excuses and communities that fight for each other. From Frank Broyles’ national championship team to the 1964 squad that set the standard, from Darren McFadden electrifying fans to Woo Pig Sooie throughout the Ozarks. This program is built on pride, resilience and toughness, and it's time to bring it all back. Here's my promise. We will be relentless. We will play tough and smart, we will do things the right way, and we will earn it. To our friends from Fayetteville to Fort Smith to Little Rock to Texarkana, Fort Smith, Pine Bluff and all the towns in between, we need you with us. We need you to be all in. We want you to look at this team and say they fight like Arkansas. Being all in together, we will rebuild it, we will earn it, and we will make this state proud."
Yurachek was asked if he could share any details on the new improved financial commitment he has for football?
"I think it’s our competitive advantage not to give details of what that is other than to tell you that it is a significant investment in all aspects of our football program that will move us to the top half of spending in all of those categories I mentioned in the Southeastern Conference," Yurachek said. "I don’t believe we need to be at the top of spending, we need to be somewhere where we’re really competitive and Ryan and I are on the same page with where we are. It allows him to go out and hire the assistant coaches that he believes he needs to hire to build a championship program and to invest in our revenue sharing and legitimate NIL to make sure that we acquire the best talent for our roster."
Silverfield was asked how important it was for him as far as the financial commitment?
"Well, one of the things, and me and Hunter had these discussions early on, is listen, give us a chance," Silverfield said. "Give us a fighting chance, and I promise you we’re going to win a lot of football games, and do it the right way. And I think I appreciated that, because it’s like you said, we don’t have to be at the top. You give us a fighting chance, we are. But this day and age, we also understand how important it is doing the right things, the right way. Being able to build the right staff, being able to provide for our players in this new age of college football.
"I always look at those, a lot of head coaches look at other things as challenges. I look at them as opportunities for us moving forward. But we know, and that’s part of it, and part of my job is to assist Hunter and the rest of the athletic department to see what else we can go and do out there. And I’ll just say this, over the last 48 hours, there’s been a lot of excitement about what’s going on, and that’s going to allow us to continue to build this program from every infrastructure. Whether it’s resources, whether it’s just the excitement, the belief, season tickets, we’re going to keep pushing that right direction."
Yurachek did recognize Nate Allen who passed away Wednesday afternoon.
"I think it’s appropriate at an event like this that we take a moment you to recognize a person who I know was a colleague and a friend to so many in this room," Yurachek said. "Nate Allen, who passed away earlier this week. This would have been a special event for Nate for sure and his presence here today is surely missed. I know you all will join me in keeping Nate’s family in our thoughts and prayers today and during the course of this week."
