Coming off a rough season-ending 31–17 loss to border rival Missouri on Saturday, Arkansas has decided to hire Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield, Sports Illustrated’s Bryan Fischer confirmed on Sunday morning.
The Razorbacks fired coach Sam Pittman back on Sept. 28 after a rough start to his sixth season in Fayetteville. Bobby Petrino acted as interim coach for the remainder of the season. Arkansas finished last in the SEC with a 2–10 overall record and an 0–8 conference record.
Silverfield took over as interim coach at Memphis at the end of the 2019 season following Mike Norvell’s departure to Florida State. Since then, Silverfield has posted a 50–25 head coaching record. This past season, the Tigers went 8–4. He notably led Memphis to an 11–2 record last season and captured his fourth bowl game win at the Frisco Bowl over West Virginia.
One of the standout candidates for the Arkansas job was South Florida’s Alex Golesh, who was recently reported to be taking the Razorbacks job. He is now being reported to become the new coach at Auburn, SI’s Pat Forde reported on Sunday.
Memphis confirms Silverfield’s departure to Arkansas
Memphis’ athletic director Ed Scott released a statement shortly after the news of Silverfield’s departure to Arkansas was announced. Assistant coach Reggie Howard will take over as interim coach.
Scott noted that the program will begin a search for their new coach immediately.
“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."
A statement from Dr. Ed Scott. pic.twitter.com/ELPaOMC5GJ
— Memphis Tigers (@TigersAthletics) November 30, 2025
More College Football on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arkansas Set to Hire Memphis Coach Ryan Silverfield.
