It's Not Really Hard to Figure Out Razorback Coach's Worst Off-Season

Nearly all Hogs' coaches had disappointing seasons that ended early, but one really stood out with problems

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Mike Neighbors during a game with UCLA on Dec. 3, 2023, at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. / Andy Hodges-allHOGS Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — On the heels of the Arkansas baseball's disappointing collapse in a home regional for the second straight year, talk has turned to bad off-seasons.

Obviously, it's not going to include certain programs that win at a high level, or ones few have any idea about. Focus is currently centered on returning coaches, so Eric Musselman's doesn't count either.

We don't know what will happen with baseball coach Dave Van Horn, who's just getting started and track won't even enter the conversation. Considering their national ranking and SEC titles this year, there's not really a reason to bring them into this.

Football coach Sam Pittman's biggest headlines since a disappointing 4-8 season was bringing back former coach Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator. Even though there are a lot of barriers, a lot of fans still expect him to be the next head coach and nobody is predicting any sort of big year ahead.

There are more questions than answers after a spring practice that really only produced more questions. About the only thing Razorbacks fans have left at this point is hope.

Even new men's basketball coach John Calipari, who arrived with a blank slate for his roster, has had a better off-season than the coach who has faced the most difficult off-season. Granted, he's getting the resources he needs to build a contender, but he's also going to fill up Bud Walton Arena for a lot of games. Razorback fans will turn out just to see a spectacle and hang around until there's no chance of a big postseason run.

Even though Courtney Deiffel had a pretty good season, softball wasn't able to carry it far, falling in a home regional like baseball. There hasn't been enough to time to really see what her off-season is going to be like either.

No, the coach with the most rough off-season is women's basketball coach Mike Neighbors. I really like him and, more importantly, respect him. Still, for whatever reasons, he's had a nightmare of an off-season after enduring a regular season that probably aged him a couple of years.

There were a ton of Razorbacks who left the program, including key players most expected to return like Samara Spencer and Saylor Poffenbarger. Highly-touted (and talented) freshman Tahlia Scott started struggled with various issues and left before the end of the season after playing just five SEC games. Even Marayam Dauda left for unclear reasons.

There were even players openly feuding on social media. When that happens, something serious is going on within the programs. Neighbors knew about it, but there wasn't much he could do at that point other than ride it out.

Neighbors is probably coming into a year where his seat is warmer than any other coach. He's not only trying to overcome roster instability, but also a staff change.

There's reason to believe new blood at assistant will spark things in addition to hope for talented players Neighbors has recruited and brought in through the transfer portal. On top of all that he even lost his sports information director for the past few years with Kylie Magar leaving for North Carolina State. Talk about changes everywhere, he's got them.

A phrase fans hear so often these days — culture — that was the ultimate culprit. It fell apart as the season progressed last year leading to the worst off-season for any coach that's returning from a campus-wide disappointment in athletics with the exception of more championships by track and field. How these new players re-build that culture may determine what we're talking about in March.

HOGS FEED:

• How games turn out doesn't affect appeal of sports for many Hogs' fans

• Calipari's roster to feature returner from Musselman Era after all

• Calipari, Arkansas ready for Madison Square Garden

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