Arkansas Hires Nick Holt In The Role Made Famous By Jessica Dorrell
When we last saw Nick Holt on a college football sideline, the defense he oversaw at Washington casually allowed the Baylor Bears to gain 777 yards. This happened in one night, during an actual game on a regulation-size field. Sixty-seven points later, Huskies head coach Steve Sarkisian fired his buddy (along with linebackers coach Mike Cox and safeties coach Jeff Mills) and hired Tennessee defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox. The general consensus has been that Washington fell into a massive upgrade at the position considering moving from a mid-level SEC job to a similar one in the Pac 12 is lateral at best. Derek Dooley‘s job security had a bit, actually a ton, to do with it as well.
Back to Holt though, a fiery former head coach at Idaho and defensive coordinator under Pete Carroll at Southern California. His resume and termination agreement (reportedly his 2012 salary at around $650,000) precluded accepting the first job offered and allowed him the ability to be patient.
Well, nothing materialized on the field so Holt is headed for Arkansas in an administrative role notoriously known for the most recent employee to hold the title according to reports by the Seattle Times and Arkansas Democract-Gazette. Jessica Dorrell, Bobby Petrino‘s mistress in Fayetteville previously worked as the On-Campus Recruiting Coordinator before the motorcycle accident that outed her affair with her boss and the head coach of the Razorbacks. The cover-up cost Petrino his job and some $21 million in salary and John L. Smith was hired to replace him for the upcoming season. Smith was the head coach at Idaho in Holt’s first stint there so the connection makes sense, mostly because an on-campus recruiter should probably be a little more than a leggy blonde.
It’s a precipitous fall for Holt. One of the highest-paid assistants in college football in 2011, Holt won’t stalk a sideline this September. With the Arkansas coaching staff full, he won’t serve in an on-field role and like Smith, probably hopeful for a productive season that could land a permanent gig with the Razorbacks. That seems unlikely given the drama swirling through Fayetteville but there’s 650,000 other reasons for the defensive coach to take his time in picking a new home.
For the sake of the sport, just don’t repeat the actions of his predecessor though the image of Holt and John L. Smith cruising through the Ozarks on the back of a Harley is one that…no, nevermind, just show recruits the facilities and head home, Holt.
