Arkansas Turns to Ryan Silverfield to Lead Its Football Rebuild

The Hogs finally landed their new head coach, bringing a two month search to an end the day after a disastrous season concluded. On the afternoon of Nov. 30, the University of Arkansas announced that Ryan Silverfield, the head coach at the University of Memphis, had been selected as the newest leader of the Razorbacks.

The decision came after weeks of speculation, and a lingering sense of uncertainty around a program eager to reclaim its footing. Silverfield, long regarded as a steady hand and a builder, steps into the role with a reputation shaped by years of navigating both college football’s ambitions and its pressures.

He became the 35th head coach in program history after Arkansas paid a 1.5 million dollar buyout to Memphis. His total contract is rumored to be worth 33.5 million dollars, a figure that reflects both the stakes and expectations surrounding the Razorbacks future.

Early Remarks from the New Coach

Ryan Silverfield addressed fans and his new team, promising the program a level of success he said was deserved. Silverfield later met with his new team during a Sunday evening meeting, again promising a fresh start after a difficult season.

“We are going to build something very very special, and today is the start of that. So, when I talk about being all in, boys, we are gonna be freaking all in. We are gonna get after it, we are gonna kick people's a** and we are gonna do it the right way,” Silverfield told the players. “We are gonna have success in every single thing we do.”

“I am just telling you, I am so damn fired up to get to work with you guys,” he added.

A Coaching Career Built Across High School, College, and the NFL

Ryan Silverfield’s journey in coaching began where it all started, at The Bolles School, his alma mater, in 1999. Over the next several years, he steadily climbed the ranks, holding multiple positions at Hampden–Sydney College from 2000 to 2003 before moving to Memorial Day High School in 2004, shaping young athletes and refining his approach to leadership.

He returned to the college game in 2005 at Jacksonville University, followed by a stint at Central Florida in 2006 and 2007, gaining experience that would later serve him at higher levels of the sport.

In 2008, Silverfield made the leap to the NFL, joining the Minnesota Vikings coaching staff, where he remained for six seasons, absorbing the pressures and pace of professional football. He returned briefly to the college ranks in 2014 at Toledo, then to Arizona State in 2015, before rejoining the NFL later that year with the Detroit Lions.

It was in Memphis, beginning in 2016 as an offensive line coach, that Silverfield’s career found long-term footing. In 2019, he was promoted to head coach, a role he held through 2025. 

Success at Memphis and a Reputation for Consistent Winning

Ryan Silverfield’s rise at Memphis was steady, deliberate, and historic. His first season as head coach in 2020 ended with an 8-3 record, a .727 winning percentage that set a school record and matched the eight-win mark for a first-year head coach previously held by Mike Norvell. It was a signal that a new era had arrived in Memphis football.

By 2022, Silverfield had already made history again. The Tigers captured their second consecutive bowl victory, making him the first Memphis head coach to win back-to-back bowl games. Along the way, freshman quarterback Seth Henigan earned Freshman All-America honors in 2021, shattering the school’s freshman passing record with 3,322 yards and 25 touchdowns, a total that tied for seventh most in program history.

In 2023, Silverfield became the first Memphis coach ever to win the Tennessee Sports Writers Association Coach of the Year award twice. That season, the Tigers went 10-2 and capped the year with a 36-26 victory over Iowa State in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, a landmark moment in the program’s history.

The Tigers closed with an 11-2 record in 2024. It was the first time the program had ever put together back to back ten win seasons. Their success carried them back into the national rankings for the first time since 2019, and it helped them finish at No. 23 and No. 24 in the Coaches Poll and the AP Poll respectively. For a program that had spent years searching for steady footing, the season felt like proof that Memphis had finally begun to hold its ground.

A defining moment came in December, when Memphis ended Tulane’s 17-game conference winning streak and secured No. 25 in the College Football Playoff Top 25. For 10 straight weeks, the Tigers were ranked or received votes in the AP Poll, achieving a consistency that had long eluded the program and signaling the start of a new chapter in Memphis football.

At 46, Silverfield departs Memphis with a 50-25 record over seven seasons. His 2025 squad went 8-4, including a dramatic 32-31 victory over Sam Pittman’s Razorbacks in Memphis. Across all seven seasons, he went undefeated in bowl games, winning all four appearances and leaving a legacy of consistent, high-level performance that now brings him to Fayetteville.

A Natural Fit for the Razorbacks

Offense has long been Silverfield’s hallmark, and Memphis thrived under his guidance. In 2025, the Tigers averaged 34.6 points per game, ranking No. 19 nationally and marking the fourth consecutive year Memphis finished inside the Top 25 in scoring. Across all six of his seasons at Memphis, Silverfield’s teams averaged at least 30 points per game, a level of consistency achieved by only a handful of programs. Nationally, Memphis was one of just five schools to rank in the Top 20 in scoring over each of the past three seasons, alongside Notre Dame, Oregon, Ole Miss, and Texas State.

Defensively, the Tigers showed steady improvement. In 2025, they allowed just 22.5 points per game, the best mark of the Silverfield era and the third best in the American Conference. Memphis also ranked third in the conference in yards allowed, giving up 361.1 per game, a number that has steadily dropped over the past two seasons. With 19 forced turnovers, the Tigers finished No. 13 nationally in turnover margin at plus 9, balancing a high-powered offense with a disciplined, opportunistic defense.

Arkansas Athletics praised Silverfield as one of the winningest coaches of the past three seasons, highlighting Memphis’ 29 victories in that span and the program’s position among the nation’s Top 15 in wins. His track record of consistent, high-level performance suggested a natural fit for a Razorbacks program eager to rebuild.

Arkansas Leadership Praises Silverfield's Vision

Hunter Yurachek, Arkansas’ VC and Director of Athletics, highlighted the shared vision between Silverfield and the Razorbacks program. “During our conversations, it became clear that Coach Silverfield shares our goal of reaching the College Football Playoffs and competing for a national championship,” Yurachek said.

He highlighted the university’s renewed investment in football. “With our new and significant financial investment in the football program, we are confident we now have the coach and resources to make that happen. Throughout the search process, Coach Silverfield’s proven ability to win games over a sustained period separated him from the pack and made him the right choice to be our next head football coach.”

Yurachek also praised Silverfield’s understanding of Arkansas and the surrounding region. He said that this local knowledge, combined with Silverfield’s experience building and maintaining programs, will provide a strong foundation for the Razorbacks moving forward. He welcomed Silverfield’s family, including his wife Katie and their daughters Adeline and Celicia, to Fayetteville, underscoring the sense of a fresh start for both coach and program.

The Uncertain Future of Bobby Petrino

Attention now turns to the coaching staff, and particularly the future of Bobby Petrino. Petrino, who served as offensive coordinator and later stepped in as interim head coach after Sam Pittman was fired, did not lead the Razorbacks to a win during his tenure. Still, some fans advocated for hiring him permanently because of his longstanding ties to the program.

On November 30, during protests at the University of Arkansas, some fans carried signs reading “Keep Bobby,” signaling their support for Petrino. He has not publicly commented on Silverfield’s hiring, though the day before Thanksgiving he expressed gratitude for the chance to lead the team again. “Whatever the future holds, I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity to lead this team again and to be a part of the Arkansas community once more,” Petrino said.

Hunter Yurachek previously noted that Petrino was included in the national search for a head coach and had expressed interest in being considered for the role. However, with Silverfield now in charge, the likelihood of retaining Petrino appears low, and other positions on the staff may shift in the direction preferred by the new head coach.

Looking Ahead to 2026

Arkansas will face a demanding slate of SEC opponents in 2026, including Georgia, LSU, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Auburn, Texas, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt. Silverfield may not have a honeymoon period and will face pressure to demonstrate progress quickly following a difficult season that tested fans’ patience.

An introductory press conference with Ryan Silverfield and Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek is set for Thursday, Dec. 4, at 1 p.m. at the University of Arkansas, followed by a public celebration at 5 p.m. in the Walker Pavilion. Expectations are high for Silverfield, and fans are eager for a turnaround.