New Receivers Coach Dreamed of Coaching Razorbacks

Ronnie Fouch shares how he got job with Razorbacks, starting with Missouri State game

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — While looking at Ronnie Fouch's coaching biography on the Arkansas football site, there was a lack of concern with the extent of experience he might have coaching at the Power Four level. Familiarity, hard work and determination has made Fouch's career path interesting but bringing him further than could imagine.

A humid September evening with a near upset was so unforgettable making an impression on a coach always wanting to get back. The Razorbacks had to claw back from a 17-0 hole to win 38-27 in week two of the 2022 season. The rabid atmosphere with Bobby Petrino’s return to Fayetteville made the game must-see TV.   

Receiving the opportunity to coach on the home sideline of Razorback Stadium is something Fouch set as a goal. He now gets to live out that dream sooner than later. He was glad to see his career finally come full circle to Fayetteville.

"The crazy thing about is after that game I told everybody I know that this is the best stadium that I've been to,” Fouch said. “It's just crazy out comes full circle and I'm actually coaching here now. So playing in the Pac 12 and coaching other spots. You know, I thought I'd been to some big stadiums, you know, Alabama, places like that. Just the size of this thing is amazing and just the press boxes and the suites that they have and just really the whole all the facilities around here top notch."

With new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino taking the lead, having an opening on staff was his first opportunity to get a guy he wanted to fill out the staff. History and rumors abroad had Arkansas targeting former assistants Garrett McGee and Michael Smith to join the coaching staff. However, an unlikely name surfaced out of nowhere, at least to those outside the football department walls.

"As soon as I got the call of Coach [Bobby] Petrino, I was ecstatic," Fouch said during his interview with the Razorback Daily with Matt Zimmerman and Quinn Grovey. "I mean, working for him for so many years, he's just the best that I've been around.”

While Fouch and Petrino were together at Missouri State, they developed one of the top offenses at the FCS level. The Tigers made it to their first playoff appearance in 30 seasons. He believes the same type of dynamic offense can be implemented with the current crop of receivers already in the room.

"He knows how to attack defenses and really put the right players on offense in the right position to make plays,” Fouch said. 

One of the greatest things about Petrino is not being afraid to take chances on fourth-and-one and that's when some of our biggest plays come in short yardage situations.

The only obstacle to rushing the offensive install is Fouch hasn’t met with returning receivers yet. That isn’t keeping him from relaying information to 

“That's what I'm fired up about with these receivers and getting them on the phone and explaining kind of the little nuances in the offense just over the phone is kind of hard right now,” Fouch said. “I'm excited to get them here and get them practicing and see how they fit in the scheme.”

History suggests Petrino can design plenty of formations and mismatches to work pass catchers open. Now all they seem to be needing are the guys who can make all of that work.

“Whether it be on their weakest cover guy on defense or getting a bigger guy on a little guy, we just do a great job throughout the film process of getting those guys plugged in,” Fouch said.

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