Coordinator and Assistant Coach Rumors Surround Bielema

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 12:18 a.m. ET

Fansided, Jake Mueller/FanSided via Razorbackers

The off-season rumor mill is extremely busy and the National Championship is still 24 hours away from being played. Many outlets had proclaimed over the weekend that Robb Smith is out and other coaches will be leaving. No such reports have been confirmed.

Not long after the report of Robb Smith leaving Arkansas to be the Defensive Coordinator at Wake Forest. Bo Mattingly reported he had spoken with Smith and those reports are false. So where does Bret Bielema stand?

While no specific names have been thrown around, there are a few candidates that have some fans optimistic while others remain skeptical. However, if Bielema has proven anything in his tenure it is that there is no inside information as to who he may be hiring, whereas Houston Nutt, for example, was a treasure trove of information.

I for one, refuse to throw any names out there. I tend to be cautious when it comes to things like this. Bielema keeps everything under wraps and close to the vest. He has a process and that process is not anything that happens quickly.

He is likely looking for two things. A job for Smith and then Smith’s replacement. He will not have one until he has the other. I wouldn’t be surprised to see other defensive coaches go with Smith, where ever he ends up. I don’t know about our readers but I wonder how all of this goes down.

We all understand that Bielema is a good dude, but in a business as cutthroat as College Football, why does he need to find jobs for the guys he fires. Not only does he find them jobs, but he has gone as far as to say they have left on their own terms. Not sure anyone bought that with Chaney and I surely won’t buy that with Smith.

Bielema doesn’t operate like other coaches. The standard operating procedure usually goes as follows, fire coordinator, conduct search, interview some guys, pick one, and hire him. It’s been like that since before I was born. Bielema doesn’t fire them, he covertly or not so covertly finds them another job while he searches, then depending on which happens first, he makes his move.

I hope you are as confused as I am. We will find out very soon which direction we are headed but it is highly unlikely anyone can “guess” what is going to happen. Expect the unexpected. He may not hire or fire a damn soul.