FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) - Just more than a week after ending the 2017 season with a 4-8 record and firing their head coach, Arkansas has found their new leader of the football program.
Arkansas named current Southern Methodist coach Chad Morris to the same position with the Razorbacks, according to the university.
Morris signed a 6-year $3.5 million deal to be the head coach of the Razorbacks, according to the university.
Morris, 49, spent the past three seasons as the head coach at SMU in Dallas and gained notoriety for his Texas only recruiting philosophy. His first two recruiting classes were comprised of players only from the state of Texas.
SMU went 7-5 in the 2017 regular season and finished eighth in the country while averaging 40.2 points per game and more than 300 yards passing per contest, ranked 16th in the nation. The Mustangs defense wasn't quite as good as they allowed 30 points or more eight times in 2017.
The Mustangs qualified for a bowl game this season for the first time since 2012 when June Jones was the head coach for SMU. Before Morris took over the program, SMU went 3-21 in the two season prior to his arrival.
Morris has been considered an offensive guru in the coaching industry after he was the offensive coordinator at Clemson (2011-14) and was making $1.3 million a season with the Tigers. Before getting to the collegiate level, Morris compiled a 169-38 career record as a high school coach in the state of Texas. He led Lake Travis High School to back-to-back undefeated seasons and state championship in Texas' highest level of competition.
Bret Bielema was fired after a 4-8 season in 2017 and went just 29-34 in his five seasons with the Razorbacks. Arkansas did reach three bowl games under Bielema but his tenure with the Hogs ended after losing 10 of his final 14 games as head coach.