Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
RAZORBACKS AD
showing faith in old staff members.
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas Razorbacks Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek isn’t cleaning house.
Far from it. Yurachek, hired Dec. 4 from the University of Houston after Jeff Long was fired, announced some restructuring of duties within the athletic department Thursday, but he has not dismissed or demoted any administrators.
“I’ve taken my time first and foremost, and one of the things that I noticed early on is that my predecessor did a great job hiring great people,” Yurachek said. “I think they’ve bought into the direction that the department is heading now.”
Long, recently hired as the athletic director at Kansas, had the same role at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville for 10 years.
“I want to be clear that I don’t think the department was broken when I got here,” Yurachek said. “I think Jeff had done some really, really good things in his leadership of this athletic department during his tenure.
“What I’m looking to do now is take this department to the next level. I think we have the people in place here that can help us do that.”
Yurachek promoted Julie Cromer Peoples, Jon Fagg and Clayton Hamilton to his director’s cabinet and the title of deputy athletic directors.
Peoples, who served as interim athletic director between Long’s firing and Yurachek’s hiring, is deputy AD for external engagement and administration. She will oversee communications, broadcast services, ticket sales, revenue generation, marketing and licensing. She is the football and women’s golf administrator.
Fagg is deputy AD for student-athlete experience and will oversee academic services, student-athlete development, compliance, sports medicine, sports nutrition, strength and conditioning, and sports psychology. He is the administrator for men’s basketball and soccer.
Hamilton is deputy AD for internal engagement, finance and capital projects. He will continue to serve as the department’s chief financial officer and oversee finance, business operations, human resources, ticket operations, event operations, facilities and maintenance. He is the administrator for men’s and women’s tennis.
Chris Pohl and Kevin Trainor were elevated to senior associate athletic directors.
Pohl will oversee a new unit focused on enhancing guest experiences at all Razorbacks events and will continue in her roles in event management and as administrator for gymnastics and softball.
Trainor will continue to lead the department’s public relations and be the baseball administrator.
Joining Pohl and Trainor on the senior staff are senior associate ADs Chris Freet (revenue generation and communications), Derita Ratcliffe (student-athlete experience) and Matt Trantham (capital projects, facility maintenance, grounds and equipment).
Freet added oversight of volleyball; Ratcliffe will continue to oversee women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, and track and field; and Trantham will be the administrator for men’s golf.
“I wanted to restructure the department a little bit more to my liking,” Yurachek said. “I think it’s a little bit more efficient in the way I want an athletic department run.”
Yurachek said in his previous athletic director jobs at Coastal Carolina and Houston, he never felt the need to make immediate changes and took the same approach at Arkansas.
“I really come in with a blank canvas and give everyone a chance to prove themselves and understand how the department is going to be set up,” he said. “It’s never really been my style to come in and say, ‘Hey, I’ve got to have this person from my past in this role.’
“I’ve been privileged and honored to work with a number of great people at each of our stops, and there’s some people I’ve worked with in the past that would fit in really well here at the University of Arkansas if we had any natural attrition in those positions. But I haven’t seen the need yet to make any changes.
“The quality of the people here, the quality of their professionalism, the quality of what they do in their personal lives just really fits in well with what I’m trying to create leading this program.”
Yurachek said he has leaned on the administrators at Arkansas to learn about his new job as well as the UA and the state.
“There hasn’t been anyone that’s walked into my office and said, ‘I’m not on board. I’m not on the bus. I don’t believe in the direction we’re heading now,’ ” he said. “So I felt really good about the people that were here and trying to maintain some continuity. I think it’s been very beneficial for me, it’s beneficial for our coaches and beneficial for our student-athletes.”