On Sunday morning, On3's Brett McMurphy first reported that Memphis football head coach Ryan Silverfield has accepted the same position at Arkansas. This comes after the Tigers' season ended in disappointment with an 8-4 record.
Arkansas' Athletic Director, Hunter Yurachek, made the following statement on the hire:
"Throughout the search process, Coach Silverfield’s proven ability to win games over a sustained period separated him from the pack and make him the right choice to be our next head football coach."
Silverfield started his coaching career in the Bluff City in 2016, working as the Tigers' offensive line coach before making his way up the ladder to being the head coach after Mike Norvell left in 2020. Since then, Memphis has positioned itself as a premier force in the Group of Six but has been unable to reach either the American Conference championship or the College Football Playoff under Silverfield.
The buyout of Silverfield's contract is $1.5 million, which the Razorbacks will need to pay Memphis. It is unclear as of now who Memphis athletic director Ed Scott has in mind to replace Silverfield, but this will be the first big hire of Scott's tenure and will be crucial to determining the future of Memphis athletics as far as conference realignment goes.
The University of Memphis sent out the following statement from Athletic Director Ed Scott:
“We thank Coach Silverfield for his leadership over the past six seasons and wish him and his family the best in their next chapter. Reggie Howard will serve as the interim head coach.
We are excited about the future of Memphis Football and the momentum of our program. A national search for our next head coach is underway, and we are committed to finding a leader who reflects our values, prioritizes student-athlete development, and shares our vision for elevating the program nationally.”
