Brewer joins Arkansas' staff in recruiting role

Not a subscriber? Subscribe for free for 30 days w/code HAWGS30
NEW USERS | RETURNING USERS

Former Arkansas great Ronnie Brewer has accepted a position on Eric Musselman's staff in a recruiting role, HawgBeat has learned.

The UA confirmed the news with a press release Tuesday afternoon, announcing Brewer will be the Razorbacks' recruiting coordinator. He replaces Pat Ackerman on the staff.

Brewer is the son of legendary Razorback Ron Brewer, who was a member of the Triplets under Eddie Sutton, but he did not live in the shadow of his father’s fame and success.

Ronnie currently ranks 16th on the all-time scoring list at Arkansas with 1,416 points – just behind his dad with 1,440. The Fayetteville native was also one of the best defenders in Razorback history and one of the program's few bright spots during the 2000s.

The younger Brewer was drafted 14th overall in the 2006 NBA Draft to the Utah Jazz, where he had a productive early career. His second and third seasons with the Jazz saw him become a starter and play at the level expected of a lottery pick. Brewer averaged 12.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals over that span, starting 156 of the 157 games he appeared in.

Unfortunately, Brewer was traded to Memphis and was notified of this as he was boarding the Jazz team plane (full story on the JCHoops Podcast). He played only five games with the Grizzlies before signing with the Chicago Bulls the following year to get back to playing at a high level, though not quite the level he was accustomed to in Utah.

By the time his career was over, Brewer spent eight years in the NBA and one in the G-League, adding even more to this staff’s professional experience. Additionally, Brewer can serve as a local ambassador to the program, having attended Fayetteville High School and attending the University of Arkansas as a Parade All-American, similar to how his dad became a Razorback after attending Fort Smith Northside.

Most recently, Brewer has been involved in training basketball players and coaching as a part of the Woodz organization, while also serving as an assistant at Fayetteville High.

The Razorbacks also announced they hired Arkansas native and UA alum Jon Blake as their assistant director for basketball administration.

A graduate of Springdale Har-Ber, Blake previously worked at Arkansas as a graduate assistant in football operations from 2016-18. Prior to returning home, he was the associate director of football operations at USC.