Dan Enos was let go by the University of Arkansas’ football program on Sunday afternoon after a disastrous showing on Saturday and a 2-6 record overall.
Arkansas will have someone else calling plays for the final four games of the season.
Sunday at 2 p.m., the Arkansas Razorback football Twitter/X account posted that Dan Enos was being relieved of his duties effective immediately.
Coach Pittman has relieved Dan Enos of his duties effective immediately.
Kenny Guiton will takeover play calling duties for the remainder of the season. https://t.co/gKhAKAsrnX
Guiton, who is the receivers coach, will handle the play calling responsiblities for Arkansas’ remaining games.
He has never been a coordinator or called plays at any level, but he was a quarterback at Ohio State and in the Arena League, along with a brief stint with the Buffalo Bills.
The Razorbacks are off this weekend, then travel to Florida on November 4 before hosting the final three games in Fayetteville against Auburn, Florida International and Missouri, respectively.
Kinda feels like something is going to happen soon at Arkansas, doesn’t it?
Sam Pittman and Dan Enos go back a way. When they worked together at Arkansas under head coach Bret Bielema, the Razorbacks had one of the best offenses in the country.
Arkansas fans were hoping the reunification would allow the Razorbacks to take the next step in 2023.
That doesn’t mean Dan Enos, in his first year back at Arkansas as offensive coordinator since the Bielema regime, will be let go. But the Razorbacks entered the MSU game 118th in total offense. After logging just 200 yards against the Bulldogs, that number is all but certain to fall further.
And the Hogs’ faithful were out in full force, accordingly.
Here are some of the best social-media reactions after Arkansas’ loss.
It’s confirmed that Dan Enos replied to emails from an angry student following the loss to Texas A&M. So, why does this situation matter?
Through five games, there’s no arguing that this season has gotten off to a disappointing start for [autotag]Arkansas football[/autotag]. The hopes of seeing the program take that next step into competing for an SEC West title have quickly changed to hopes that they can just make a bowl game.
Following last Saturday’s loss to Texas A&M, where the Arkansas offense was only able to score a single touchdown, it became apparent that fans aren’t the only ones frustrated with how this season is going.
Shortly after the game, Rob Mason, a student at the University of Arkansas, shared screenshots of what appeared to be an email exchange between himself and offensive coordinator [autotag]Dan Enos[/autotag]. The screenshots show that the exchange took place at 3:50 p.m. on Saturday – just a little over one hour from the end of Arkansas’ loss to Texas A&M in Arlington. The content of the emails wasn’t anywhere close to being illegal or scandalous, but the optics weren’t great – if they were actually sent by Enos.
Dan Enos immediately responding to students via email. This program is so cooked pic.twitter.com/SoiHaw5AHu
Earlier this week, many were skeptical that Enos actually sent the emails because either the grammar was too unprofessional or he wouldn’t have been near a computer immediately following the game – despite the screenshots showing the emails were sent from an iPhone.
Then, on Thursday afternoon Mason Choate of Arkansas’ Rivals.com affiliate was able to confirm, through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, that the emails were indeed sent by Enos.
Again, the nature of the exchange wasn’t anything bad and Enos didn’t inherently do anything wrong.
So, why does it matter?
In the grand scheme of things it really doesn’t matter. However, as I mentioned earlier, the optics of the situation are awful. When you’re an offensive coordinator at the SEC level, messaging an upset 19-year old student about plays that you called in a game less than two hours ago is a bad look.
It’s an especially bad look when the team is in the midst of a three-game losing streak, where the majority of the problems in those three games came from the offensive side of the ball. It’s a bad look and reflects poorly on the university and [autotag]Sam Pittman[/autotag]’s staff. Not to mention, all of this comes just weeks after Pittman was scrutinized for deactivating his own Twitter (X) account following the loss to BYU.
Look, I get it. Enos is a human being and has every right to be frustrated with fan criticism – no matter if it’s warranted or not. But Enos took over an offense that was one of the best in the SEC last season and they’ve failed to even come close to that success nearly halfway through the year. Criticism from fans should be expected. It’s not like it’s his first rodeo in Fayetteville, either.
Instead of focusing on the issues that were plaguing his offense against the Aggies, Enos was more concerned about what a student’s play call would be on 4th and 1. Instead of focusing solely on an important road game against Ole Miss, Enos’ antics have become the type of “noise” that coaches love to tell their players they need to “block out.”
If the Arkansas offense continues to struggle, the criticism is only going to continue to grow. If the Hogs aren’t able to get this season turned around, then tough conversations are going to have to happen for everyone involved. Now, instead of being judged solely on the on-field product, Enos will have to answer for this blunder as well.
Do I believe he should be fired or, at least, disciplined for this incident? Definitely not. But if the on-field results from Enos’ offense continue to disappoint, this will almost certainly be factored in and rightfully so.
Arkansas was not expected to struggle on offense. Not with second-team All-SEC quarterback KJ Jefferson. Not with second-team All-American Rocket Sanders. Not with two All-SEC types on the offensive line.
But for whatever reason, none of those individual items have coalesced with one another. Sanders has been hurt. The offensive line has lacked consistency. Jefferson has been banged up and a bit tentative.
Last year, Arkansas finished with 73 plays go for 20 yards or more. This year’s they’re on pace for 44, a number that would have ranked them 107th in the then-131-team FBS. Right now, the 11 rank the Hogs 93rd.
In plays that have gone for 10 yards or more, it’s just as bad. Arkansas is 89th with just 37 such plays. So it isn’t only that the big plays aren’t happening, the ‘good’ ones aren’t with enough regularity, either.
If one wants to blame the offensive line for that, they could. But the offensive line isn’t throwing or catching the ball.
If one wants to blame Jefferson for that, they’re crazy considering he, barring devastation, leave as the most productive quarterback in school history.
If one wants to blame Sanders for that, well, injuries happen.
If one wants to blame offensive coordinator Dan Enos for that, head to 2015, when the Razorbacks, with arguable less overall offensive talent, ranked 35th plays of 20 yards or greater.
Something weird is happening. Something unusual. And until Arkansas gets it fixed, the Hogs will be relying too much on a defense that’s good, but can’t be asked to carry the load all year long.
Upset fans took to Twitter and Facebook this weekend to voice their anger over Arkansas’ loss to BYU.
Talk about one of life’s greatest tragedies. After perusing social media Saturday night, following the BYU loss, I’m guessing suicide hotlines across the state of Arkansas were ringing off the hook — as we would say it, back in the day.
Apparently, some immediate therapy came in the form of Twitter and Facebook, where upset fans flooded the Internet with their complaints, suggestions, and even a list of Razorback football employees and players who need to be fired or booted, immediately.
I will be the first to admit that I am a Hog homer, have my name engraved in the sidewalk, and bleed the deepest shade of Razorback red. But as my son and I glumly walked out of Razorback Stadium after Arkansas squandered a two-possession lead in the first half, then again in the second half, it was hardly a time to converse. Just a lot of head-shaking and rock-kicking.
It felt eerily similar to our stroll out of Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium on January 2, 2016, having just watched the Hogs blow a 24-0 halftime lead to Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl.
Unfortunately, as Razorback fans — or as fans of any sports team, for that matter — it’s the heartbreaks we remember most. But in the scope of life, the outcome of that game had no more bearing on my health or livelihood than the field-storming win over Texas two years ago. You win some, you lose some. It’s still just a game. We are still just fans. If a team that you happen to root for is the top priority in your life, maybe it’s time to re-evaluate how you’re living.
The pain of Saturday’s loss will linger for a while … unless we beat LSU this weekend. Amazingly, wounds can heal as quickly as they are inflicted.
And losing to a pretty good Power 5 team isn’t as bad as getting fleeced by an outmanned Toledo or Citadel team, but nonetheless, Arkansas should have beaten the Cougars going away. The crowd was electric, the early 14-0 lead felt like a blowout in the making, and this team was said to be different than recent years.
BYU did make some miraculous plays along the way, like Isaac Rex’s one-handed catch early in the second quarter to set up a touchdown, and Chase Roberts’ single-handed snag for the game-winning score in the fourth. But the Hogs simply could not get out of their own way. For every step forward there were often two steps in reverse.
Sep 16, 2023; Fayetteville, Arkansas; BYU wide receiver Chase Roberts (2) catches a pass for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against Arkansas at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. BYU won 38-31. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
And, of course, we all witnessed some “questionable” calls that did not go in favor of the Hogs. I generally do not buy into “the refs are against us” theory, but when a call can completely change the trajectory of the game, it’s a little more magnified. Especially when it is an opposing Big 12 officiating crew.
Case in point, a flag that created a drastic change in the flow of the game, even as early as the first quarter. Freshman tight end Luke Hasz caught a pass from Jefferson for a first down, and it looked like the Razorbacks were nearing a commanding 21-7 lead. But despite replays appearing to show Hasz getting hit by the defender, he was penalized for offensive pass interference. That thwarted a promising drive and BYU quickly took advantage, scoring on the second play after a shanked Arkansas punt. So, instead of 21-7, it was suddenly 14-14. And that early momentum had left the building.
The Razorbacks had plenty of opportunities to respond all night long, but continued to shoot themselves in the hooves, until the disappointing end. It was mainly with undisciplined mistakes and 14 costly penalties, many of the pre-snap variety. But those things can be corrected.
And yes, I too wondered why we ran out of the shotgun on 4th-and-short with a tank at quarterback. But I will leave those decisions up to the guys making the big bucks to do so.
Other than a smattering of Enos bashing, the two biggest lightning rods for fans, following the game, were Head Coach Sam Pittman and quarterback KJ Jefferson. Many fans apparently want them gone now.
Not to make excuses, nor dispute those who feel that way, but let’s at least put things into perspective. I read that “Pittman is barely over .500 since he got here three years ago.” When you realize he took over a dumpster fire that had gone 4-20 (0-18 in the SEC) the two previous years, that “barely over .500” ain’t too bad. He has yet to lose to an unranked, non-Power 5 opponent, which the previous staff did on a regular basis. And he has a chance to be the first Razorback coach to ever win three straight bowl games. Yes, I’m saying there’s still a chance.
And okay, KJ threw a costly pick in the second half, but that was the first interception he has thrown in 77 passes this season. He completed 24 of his 35 passes in the game for 247 yards and finished with a 131.6 passer rating. Yet, he threw one bad ball, so he needs to go? Talk about perfect expectations. I can promise you, about every other SEC team out there would take him in a heartbeat. I know Saint Saban would.
So, keep pounding the keyboard and ranting if that’s what makes you feel better. It’s your prerogative. I won’t blame you.
But I think I’ll just continue to be a loyal Razorback fan and root them on any time I have the opportunity, whether it’s football, tennis or ice hockey. I have discovered that being bitter over a game only makes me more miserable. And while the outcome of the game, itself, has absolutely no bearing on my life as a husband or a father, treating a game like a life or death situation, can certainly disrupt my well-being and demeanor in a much greater way.
Former Razorback wide receiver Drew Morgan played under Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos for two seasons.
Although it has been seven years since he took the field at Arkansas, former All-SEC wide receiver Drew Morgan is very familiar with the current Razorback coaching regime and has offered his insight and expectations.
Morgan played his final two seasons as a starter in offensive coordinator Dan Enos’ system, and was thrilled to see his former coach return to the same position for the Hogs this season.
“We really started clicking when Enos came in,” Morgan said of the new hire in 2015. “Enos figured it out. We might have been down at offensive line, or we might have been down at receiver, but Enos figured out how to work with the puzzle pieces that he had, and made it work.
“I think through the first two games this season, they are still trying to figure out their identity, but I think that goes for a lot of teams through the first two weeks. The fact that we don’t have Rocket (Sanders) right now just makes it a little tougher.”
Morgan also spent three years with now-head coach Sam Pittman as the offensive line coach, and remembers how much energy and leadership Pittman brought to the entire team.
“He always had a smile on his face and he always enjoyed Arkansas,” said Morgan, who is beginning his third season as an assistant coach at Elkins High School. “He would always say, ‘Arkansas is the best damn job in the world.’ And I would have to second that.”
A 2013 graduate of Greenwood, Morgan continues to have a special place in his heart for the state and for the Razorback faithful.
“The state of Arkansas has shown me nothing but love,” he said. “We really do have the best fan base. And I have been able to attend games at a lot of other schools. I always like seeing the atmosphere at other places, but there is none like Arkansas.”
Although Pittman was not his position coach, Morgan was roommates with offensive linemen Dan Skipper and Reeve Koehler, and closely witnessed the impact the coach had on his players.
“The players are a direct reflection of their coach, and those linemen were tough, gritty and mean — which is what you want out of your offensive line,” he said. “And from the period that he left (in 2016), until the period that he came back (in 2020), I just didn’t feel like we had that anymore. Now, to see him back, it’s a night-and-day difference. And he’s just going to keep recruiting those hosses up front.”
Morgan thrived under Enos as a junior and senior, hauling in 128 passes over those two seasons, for 1,582 yards and 13 touchdowns. In his first SEC start in 2015, he tallied eight catches for 155 yards and a touchdown against Texas A&M. He then had two TDs, including the game-winner, in a four-overtime win against Auburn that same season.
He admits that he is not too familiar with the current Arkansas receiving corps, with the exception of freshman Isaiah Sategna, who he coached for one season at Fayetteville High in 2019.
“We all kind of know what Isaiah is capable of doing, and after watching him in the spring game earlier this year, I don’t think there is a single person who can run with him on a football field. But that’s just me and my confidence in him,” Morgan said. “I can see him physically developing more during his sophomore, junior, seniors years, and being able to run just as fast with a little more size. I think he has the ability to develop into a phenomenal route-runner and become that next Tyreek Hill-type player. If he can really just buy into that.”
Morgan, who spent two seasons on the Miami Dolphins practice squad, has liked what little he has seen from the other new Razorback receivers, thus far, but will hold true judgement until he sees them compete against stiffer SEC competition.
“I’ve got full trust in Enos, because if he can do something with a guy like me, then he can surely do something with those guys,” Morgan said, with a laugh. “He is going to make the most with what he has, I can tell you that.”
“But it will show me a lot if those guys can put up numbers and help their team win, by catching the big balls against the big opponents.”
Morgan earned his reputation as a hard-working, no-nonsense baller on the field. He now offers some words advice for today’s players, in the modern world of social media.
“The biggest thing that I would tell a lot of those SEC receivers is that, if you are going to Instagram, Tik-Tok all your footwork stuff, you better show me a few clips on actual game film, too,” he said. “I don’t care how quick you’re feet are. I want to see you catch a ball.”
There’s plenty of reasons why Arkansas should beat Western Carolina convincingly, but for Sam Pittman, one reason stands above the rest.
Entering the Saturday’s game against Western Carolina, there’s some pressure on Arkansas head football coach [autotag]Sam Pittman[/autotag].
A lot of that stems from last season’s extremely disappointing results on the heels of a 9-win 2021. But a lot of that pressure isn’t really dominating the talk around Arkansas football entering this year.
Instead, there’s plenty of optimism about the team’s two new coordinators, [autotag]Travis Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Dan Enos[/autotag], and the collection of talent up and down the Razorback roster. As for this writer, I’ve actually gone on record as saying this is the most talented roster Pittman’s had since taking becoming head coach.
However, while that is all great, games aren’t played on paper and a majority of the fanbase won’t be satisfied if there aren’t results to back up some of the preseason optimism. The elephant in the room over the summer has been the pressure on Pittman to turn things around and remain in the good graces of Arkansas fans.
That elephant has largely been ignored, but it won’t be for long if things start to go south this season. The best way for Pittman to kickstart this important 2023 campaign is with an extremely convincing win and no theatrics.
Pittman himself admitted earlier this week that the Hogs have struggled with “non-logo” schools of late, and he’s not the only one that’s noticed. The Rice, Missouri State and Liberty games transported fans back to the dark ages of 2018 and 2019 – times they thought were long gone.
So, not only do the Razorbacks need to win on Saturday, but they need to leave absolutely zero doubt. Western Carolina is an inferior opponent, who should receive an extremely lopsided defeat to go along with their six-figure game check.
If that doesn’t happen and Arkansas stumbles out of the gates, the temperature on Pittman’s seat will begin to rise. Not by much but ever so slightly. That elephant in the room? It begins to draw a little more attention.
It’s just one game in an extremely long season, but it could represent a lot more later down the road.
As we near opening kickoff against Western Carolina, here’s where the Arkansas quarterback depth chart stands following fall camp.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
At least, that’s the case with Arkansas football in 2023 as [autotag]KJ Jefferson[/autotag] returns to lead the offense for a third season.
However, Jefferson won’t have a ton of familiarity surrounding him like in years past. He will have to adjust to a new offense under [autotag]Dan Enos[/autotag], who takes the reins as Arkansas offensive coordinator for the second time.
He also has a lot of new targets in the passing game and new faces protecting him at the tackle spots. Right behind him is another new, somewhat familiar to some Arkansas fans, face in junior transfer [autotag]Jacolby Criswell[/autotag].
As we grow ever closer to opening kickoff against Western Carolina, here’s a closer look at the updated depth chart for the Arkansas quarterback room.
The stout junior ran for 1,426 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.
The preseason hype continues to build for Arkansas junior running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders, who was named a second-team preseason All-American by the Associated Press on Monday,
Sanders is the first Razorback offensive player to be named to the AP Preseason All-American team since current Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnow in 2017. Former safety Jalen Catalon earned the honor in 2021.
Sanders ran had 219 carries as a sophomore for 1,426 yards and 10 touchdowns. While making the SEC All-Freshman team two years ago, he played in all 13 games, finishing with 578 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground — averaging 5.2 yards per carry — while also hauling in 11 passes for 109 yards and a score.
“You would think that he’s a freshman that just got here,” offensive coordinator Enos said during a Thursday press conference. “When I say that, I mean his attitude and his demeanor and the way he practices. He doesn’t practice like a guy who rushed for 1,500 yards last year and has all these accolades. He runs the ball in practice like a guy who is very hungry and has something to prove.”
Sanders is the leader of a stacked running back room for the Hogs, which also includes AJ Green, Rashod Dubinion and Dominque Johnson.
The Razorbacks will travel to Little Rock on Nov. 2 to begin the season against Western Carolina.
Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos says that the offense is close to being completely installed ahead of this season.
One of the most important things [autotag]Arkansas football[/autotag] needed to accomplish during this this year’s fall camp was to get new offensive coordinator [autotag]Dan Enos[/autotag]’ offense completely installed.
Last Thursday, [autotag]Sam Pittman[/autotag] told the media that they had about “75-80%” of the offense installed. One week later and Enos says that the Hogs are nearing completion on that.
“We’re still doing that a little bit, but the majority of the install is all through,” Enos said. “We’ve got the foundation in of what we’re going to do from a run game protection and pass game standpoint. We feel really good about it.”
Enos says that the team’s focus now is on adding plays that are outside of the playbook and new wrinkles to things already established. He says that through the process of fall camp, they’ve discovered ways to build off of the best plays.
“We’re now going into kind of like miscellaneous things, if you will. Wrinkles from different things that you want to do,” said Enos. “During camp, things always come up as well. If you start doing something well and you go ‘oh, we might be able to do this off of that.’ You know, have complimentary plays to your best plays.”
Hearing that the Arkansas offense is completely installed may comfort some fans. Some may recall that during the 2018 season, head coach Chad Morris admitted that his staff was only able to install about 30-35% of the Razorback offense. We all know how that ended.
With Dan Enos’ offense completely installed, the Hogs will be able to focus attention to opponent-specific schemes and game planning. Arkansas kicks off their season on Sept. 2 against Western Carolina at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
A 2013 graduate of Greenwood, Morgan continues to have a special place in his heart for the state and for the Razorback faithful.
