Ryan Silverfield Begins Arkansas Rebuild with Key Memphis Hires

The 2025 Arkansas football season ended in disappointment, marked by defensive struggles and unmet expectations on the field. Despite offensive talent, the Razorbacks’ porous defense led to the dismissal of head coach Sam Pittman. Bobby Petrino served as interim coach for the postseason, but no significant turnaround occurred.

Arkansas has now turned to Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield to lead the program’s rebuild. Silverfield inherits a team in need of structure, identity, and experienced leadership, with expectations high in a competitive SEC West.

According to CBS Sports college football insider Matt Zenitz, Silverfield is bringing several key staff members from his Memphis tenure. This includes offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey and wide receivers coach Larry Smith, as well as former Florida defensive coordinator Ron Roberts. Each brings experience and a track record of success to bolster Arkansas’ staff.

Silverfield’s approach emphasizes continuity and proven systems. By importing coaches familiar with his style, he hopes to implement a fast, cohesive transition while addressing the major gaps that contributed to last season’s struggles.

1. Offense: Proven Talent Joins Arkansas

Silverfield’s offensive success at Memphis has been notable. Under offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey, Memphis consistently ranked in the top 25 nationally in scoring over the past four seasons. Cramsey’s familiarity with Silverfield’s system ensures a seamless continuation of an attack capable of producing elite statistics. Larry Smith, Arkansas’ new wide receivers coach, adds additional firepower to the offensive staff. A former Vanderbilt quarterback, Smith has a decade of coaching experience, including stops at Jacksonville State, UAB, and Memphis. He has developed first-team all-conference receivers for three consecutive years at Memphis, demonstrating a clear ability to maximize talent. Both Cramsey and Smith provide Arkansas with proven schematics and developmental expertise that could help stabilize a program that struggled to reach its potential offensively in 2025. Their familiarity with Silverfield’s philosophy should ease the transition for returning players. Silverfield’s plan highlights the importance of establishing offensive continuity early. By pairing a productive system with experienced coaches, he aims to put the Razorbacks in position for immediate competitiveness in the SEC.

2. Silverfield’s offensive success at Memphis has been notable. Under offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey, Memphis consistently ranked in the top 25 nationally in scoring over the past four seasons. Cramsey’s familiarity with Silverfield’s system ensures a sea

On the defensive side, Silverfield has targeted Ron Roberts to lead the unit. Roberts brings SEC experience from three seasons with Florida and one season at Auburn under Hugh Freeze. His defenses at Florida allowed 24 points per game and 276.8 yards per game in 2025, showing room for improvement but also the ability to develop talent in a challenging conference. Roberts’ track record includes three seasons as Baylor’s defensive coordinator from 2020-22, where he gained experience leading high-level defensive schemes. He also served under Dave Aranda and Hugh Freeze, absorbing knowledge from established coaching minds in college football. While Roberts’ numbers in the SEC were middling, his experience in managing defenses at multiple programs positions him to rebuild Arkansas’ struggling unit. His presence should bring structure and leadership to a defense that struggled across all facets last season. Hiring Roberts represents Silverfield’s commitment to improving the defense, recognizing that Arkansas’ SEC competitiveness depends on a more balanced team. Paired with Silverfield’s offensive strategy, the Razorbacks could see rapid improvement on both sides of the ball.

3. Staff Expansion and Program Vision

Silverfield is still in the process of assembling his full staff. Senior offensive analyst Nick Mathews is joining the program, and there are ongoing efforts to hire Florida State’s David Johnson as the next running backs coach. This strategy demonstrates Silverfield’s approach as a program builder. By combining trusted assistants with additional specialists, he aims to establish both culture and capability in a program that has struggled in recent years. Silverfield’s Memphis tenure is often cited as evidence of his ability to revitalize programs. Bringing in familiar and competent staff creates a foundation for success and signals that Arkansas intends to compete at a high level in the SEC. If the staff additions come together as planned, Silverfield’s hire could be transformative, providing Arkansas with stability, experience, and strategic vision—an important step after a season of upheaval and coaching changes.