Fansided

3 replacements for Bret Bielema at Arkansas

By John Buhler

OXFORD, MS - OCTOBER 28: Head Coach Bret Bielema of the Arkansas Razorbacks on the sidelines during a game against the Ole Miss Rebels at Hemingway Stadium on October 28, 2017 in Oxford, Mississippi. The Razorbacks defeated the Rebels 38-37. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
OXFORD, MS - OCTOBER 28: Head Coach Bret Bielema of the Arkansas Razorbacks on the sidelines during a game against the Ole Miss Rebels at Hemingway Stadium on October 28, 2017 in Oxford, Mississippi. The Razorbacks defeated the Rebels 38-37. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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COLLEGE STATION, TX – NOVEMBER 04: Head coach Gus Malzahn of the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field on November 4, 2017 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
COLLEGE STATION, TX – NOVEMBER 04: Head coach Gus Malzahn of the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field on November 4, 2017 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /
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Gus Malzahn

Head Coach, Auburn Tigers

The dream hire for the Razorbacks is an obvious one, as the leading candidate is one of their own. Auburn Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn has had an up-and-down four-year tenure down on The Plains. He took Auburn to the final BCS National Championship in his first year at Auburn, losing to the Florida State Seminoles.

Malzahn is an instant offensive threat with his uptempo spread. His teams can run the football down the throat of elite SEC teams. About once every three years, Malzahn will have a championship-caliber team at Auburn. That’s more than you can ever ask for in Arkansas.

So, why would Malzahn leave what looks like a pretty good gig in Auburn? Well, he did play wide receiver at Arkansas back in the day. Also, Auburn loves to put him on the hot seat at least twice annually. He has a big contract with the school, but athletic director Jay Jacobs is calling it a career in a couple of months.

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By leaving Auburn, Malzahn would get to reset his coaching clock much like Sumlin would by leaving Texas A&M. No, Auburn is not going to fire Malzahn if he doesn’t win the Iron Bowl over the arch-rival Alabama Crimson Tide. However, he could exit stage left and take an interesting gig with less expectations by coaching his alma mater Razorbacks beginning in 2018.

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