Report: Arkansas to hire Kolby Smith as new running backs coach

Arkansas is reportedly turning to the NFL to fill its running backs coach opening. The Razorbacks are set to hire Kolby Smith as their new running backs coach, according to a report from Brandon Marcello.

Kolby Smith was most recently an offensive assistant with the Miami Dolphins last season. He has also served as the running backs coach at Western Kentucky, Louisville and Rutgers.

Smith is replacing Jimmy Smith, who is reportedly leaving to be the running backs coach at TCU. News surfaced on Friday that Smith was leaving the Arkansas program.

As for Kolby Smith, he will be reunited with a familiar face in Fayetteville.

Smith played at Louisville from 2003-06 when Bobby Petrino was the head coach of the Cardinals. Petrino was hired as the Arkansas offensive coordinator this offseason.

Smith also coached under Petrino at Louisville from 2014-18 when he was the school’s running backs coach. Now they will be on staff once again, this time as assistants together under Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman.

Arkansas is coming off of a disappointing 4-8 season in 2023. Pittman has experienced mixed results in Fayetteville. He went 3-7 in Year 1 in 2020, before taking a big step forward and winning nine games in 2021.

However, the last two seasons have been disappointing as Arkansas has gone a combined 11-14. The Razorbacks will open the 2024 season on Aug. 31 against Arkansas Pine Bluff.

Sam Pittman addresses how he’s handled pressure to win at Arkansas, outside negativity

Sam Pittman brought the Arkansas program from the pits of the Chad Morris era. Even so, there is still some pressure on the head coach to win this season. Last year’s 4-8 record was considered a step back in his fourth season. There were even rumors of Arkansas moving on from Pittman.

If the speculation was there last season, it will certainly be there in 2024 if Arkansas cannot win. Pittman might be facing some pressure but he’s handled it well. He explained how so during a recent appearance on the Paul Finebaum Show, saying he wants nothing but success.

“It’s never been about me,” Pittman said. “It’s been about the kids in the locker room, the state of Arkansas, and the University. So, the pressure of the job comes from we want to make the state, the University, and the kids proud of the football team. We want them to embrace the Hog, we want them to embrace who we are.

“It’s never been about me, even with all the things swirling around last year. ‘Can he do this, can he do that?’ It doesn’t affect me because the pressure comes from winning for the state. So, all the decisions I’m making are trying to get the right people both on the field and off the field in the right places so we can have success.”