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Paul Haynes didn't need much time to decide about leaving Ohio State to become Arkansas' defensive coordinator.
Following a phone call from Razorbacks coach Bobby Petrino, a simple conversation with his family was all Haynes needed to affirm his desire to coach in the Southeastern Conference and reunite with Petrino, whom he coached alongside in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Haynes was hired at Arkansas on Friday night and introduced Monday. He replaces former defensive coordinator Willy Robinson, who resigned last week.
''You kind of go through this college football thing, and you see where college football has gone ... That this is the best conference in college football,'' Haynes said. ''So I think when you have the opportunity to coach in it, and the opportunity to coach with someone you know, and that opportunity comes, you jump on it.''
Haynes spent the last seven seasons with the Buckeyes, serving as the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach last season. That included Ohio State's 31-26 win over Arkansas in last season's Sugar Bowl - a game in which the Buckeyes sacked former Razorbacks quarterback Ryan Mallett four times and pressured him throughout.
Haynes promised to bring that same kind of pressure from his defensive fronts while at Arkansas, and he said the Razorbacks could ''definitely'' have one of the top defenses in the country despite Petrino's focus on offense.
Arkansas (10-2) led the SEC in total and passing offense this season, while its defense was ninth in the league. The No. 6 Razorbacks were 36th nationally in total defense last season under Robinson but fell to 51st this year.
Haynes said Petrino's quick-strike offense can make it difficult for defenses to stay fresh at times, which will make it important for Arkansas' defense to force as many short drives as possible.
''We know that they start fast, we know that they score a lot of points,'' Haynes said. ''But we've got to focus on having a lot of three-and-outs so we're not on the field to give them opportunities to score more.''
Haynes began looking at video and learning Arkansas' players over the weekend, and he will coach the Razorbacks over the next month as they prepare to face Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 6. Arkansas will continue to use its current terminology during that time, and the current defensive staff is expected to call plays against the Wildcats (10-2).
After that, it's Haynes' show to run - an opportunity he relishes after serving as part of an Ohio State system of calling plays rather than being completely in charge.
''The opportunity to become a defensive coordinator in this conference was huge for me,'' Haynes said. ''When I got the call from coach Petrino, it was just a matter of talking to my wife, my daughter. ... It was fast, it was quick, and I'm all-in.''
