UA football assistants ‘living the dream’

FAYETTEVILLE — Former four-years Missouri head coach Barry Odom isn’t the only one on new Arkansas coach Sam Pittman’s football staff readjusting to life as an assistant.

Linebackers coach Rion Rhoades head coached longer than any on this Razorback staff. He alone on it can claim knowing how Pittman coaches.

In the second of Pittman’s two years head coaching Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, Rhoades said. “It’s been a great relationship ever since.” Apparently so.

“The great thing about this move is, No. 1, I get to work for a guy that’s been a mentor to me for over 20 years,” Rhoades said.

The mentoring withstands paths diverted. Pittman left Hutchinson in 1994 starting 25 years of coaching major college offensive lines.

Rhoades starred as a 1994 Hutchinson sophomore, became and All-NAIA linebacker at Northwestern Oklahoma State, then started coaching. He’s head coached junior college the last 14 years. One at Fort Scott (Kan.) and the last 13 years at Hutchinson, going 99-50.

They kept in touch, especially those 2013 to 2015 years when Pittman coached Arkansas’ offensive line.

“When coach was here before my wife (Darcy) and I would come down a lot and see him and Jamie (Pittman’s wife),” Rhoades said. “So

I had a good feel for the University of Arkansas and Northwest Arkansas and obviously fell in love with both of those.”

There’s no doubting his love for Pittman as coach.

“A guy that I believe in,” Rhoades said.

The guy that could recruit Rhoades to Hutchinson and away from Hutchinson.

“Ive had some opportunities (to be a major college assistant) in the past but for whatever reason didn’t feel comfortable,” Rhoades said. “This is a dream come true.”

A dream answering not just to Pittman. After 18 years coordinated defenses, the last 14 while headcoaching, Rhoades now answers to defensive coordinator Odom, regarded highly among the game’s most respected defensive minds.

“Sometimes when you are doing our own thing you don’t grow,” Rhoades said. “It can be hard to think outside the box and do things differently. So I really look forward to being around Barry and learning a different way of doing things. He’s a great guy. He doesn’t have an ego, though he would have a lot of reasons to have that kind of mindset because he’s been very successful.”

Meanwhile, Odom, a longtime Pittman friend, says he’ll have no trouble coordinating post head coaching.

“I’ve always believed you do your absolute best to pour into the organization and the team and the kids whatever your position is,” Odom said. “So that doesn’t change.”

Odom laughed about one change, the everyone who has ever head coached headaches, now for him relieved.

“Some of the things that Sam does or has to do at times as a head coach I will not miss,” Odom said. “But I’m thrilled to have a place on his staff. I know that.”