Just three days after Willy Robinson “stepped down” as Arkansas’ defensive coordinator after four seasons with the program, the Razorbacks have found his replacement.
In a release, the school announced that Paul Haynes has been hired as Bobby Petrino‘s new coordinator. Haynes spent this past season as Luke Fickell‘s co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach at Ohio State.
“Through his experiences, Paul Haynes is extremely familiar with the way we operate,” said Petrino in a statement. “He has a professional approach and is an exceptional coach and recruiter. This is a competitive conference and we are determined to go head-to-head with the very best. Having Paul join our program will help us as we continue on the path toward our goal of consistently winning championships. He has been a part of a team with a culture of doing just that. Paul has incredibly high standards and the defenses he has built have been challenging to prepare for and have always played with toughness, intensity and desire.”
In addition to spending the past seven years with the Buckeyes, Haynes has also spent time on coaching staffs at Michigan State, Louisville and Kent State.
Haynes and Petrino worked together on the same staff at Jacksonville, the latter as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and the former as a quality control assistant.