Arkansas extends contracts of six assistant football coaches

Arkansas has agreed to contract extensions with six of its assistant football coaches, per Whole Hog Sports. That includes both offensive coordinator Kendal Briles and defensive coordinator Barry Odom.

Briles received a series of pay raises that will increase his salary from $1 million to $1.2 million, while Odom goes from $1.75 million to $1.85 million. That number makes him the highest paid Razorbacks coordinator ever. It is also his third pay raise since being hired in 2019.

Third-year Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said keeping both coordinators on his staff was a huge priority this offseason, especially after it was rumored Briles could leave for Miami.

“I think it was very publicized that Kendal had the opportunity to leave and Barry does every single year,” Pittman said Thursday. “To maintain those guys I think is a big, big deal that talks about they can’t leave something.”

In the two-year period since Odom took over the Razorbacks defense, Arkansas went from last to seventh in the SEC. Similarly, the offense went from 13th to sixth in two years under Briles. The Razorbacks went from 3-7 in Pittman’s inaugural season to 9-4 and an Outback Bowl victory the next year.

The future in Fayetteville is bright, and a lot of is has to do with the Arkansas assistant football coaches.

That isn’t limited to Odom and Briles, as several other coaches also received extensions Thursday. They are: special teams coordinator Scott Fountain, receivers coach Kenny Guiton, linebackers coach Michael Scherer and running backs coach Jimmy Smith.

Fountain’s salary was increased by $65,000 to $515,000; Smith’s salary was increased by $60,000 to $360,000; Guiton’s salary was increased by $40,000 to $340,000; Scherer’s salary was increased by $150,000 to $325,000.

“It’s a big deal to me that we were able to maintain the people that are in front of the most players,” Pittman said.

The pay raises bring the total pay for Arkansas’ 10 on-field assistant coaches to a scheduled $6.14 million in 2022. That is a 15.3% increase over last season. Pittman is also said to be in talks to sign a new contract, though nothing has been finalized.

The Razorbacks open the 2022 season on Sept. 3 against the Cincinnati Bearcats.