Staff Tracker: Pittman continues to fill off-field roles, support staff
Not a subscriber? Subscribe for free for 30 days w/code HAWGS30
NEW USERS | RETURNING USERS
Sam Pittman completed his on-field staff for the 2020 season over the weekend, but it takes more than 10 assistant coaches to run a football program.
There are countless off-field positions that typically don’t get as much publicity as the head coach or position coaches. Here’s a look at a few people Pittman has brought on in those roles…
Mark Cala - offensive quality control/analyst (QBs)
This will be Cala’s fourth straight stop with offensive coordinator Kendal Briles, as he worked under him as a quality control coach at Florida Atlantic in 2017, offensive analyst at Houston in 2018 and graduate assistant at Florida State this year. He also has prior experience as an assistant quarterback coach at the University of Puget Sound, a Division III program in Washington, and as a student assistant at New Mexico. As he has the last several years, Cala will work with the quarterbacks at Arkansas.
Patrick Doherty - director of football operations
Back in Fayetteville for the second time, Doherty comes to Arkansas after serving as a quality control assistant with Pittman in Georgia the last four years. That followed a three-year stint with the Razorbacks, during which he was a quality control assistant (2013) and graduate assistant (2014-15). Doherty’s career began as an assistant at Eastridge, N.Y., High School from 2004-07 before he made the jump to the college ranks - first as a defensive assistant at DIII St. John Fisher College in New York (2008-09) and then as a graduate assistant at Emporia State University in Kansas (2010-12).
Amanda Gilpin - assistant director of football operations
A native of Hattiesburg, Miss., Gilpin is returning to the SEC after four seasons as the Director of Football Operations at UTSA. Before that, she spent seven years at Tennessee, starting out as the offensive coaching staff’s assistant and then getting promoted to the assistant to head coach Butch Jones. Gilpin got her start in college athletics at Ole Miss, working as a student assistant under David Cutcliffe before working as a recruiting assistant under both Ed Orgeron and Houston Nutt from 2005-09.
Joseph Henry - support role
This is a homecoming for Henry, as the Little Rock Central graduate was a walk-on tight end for the Razorbacks who appeared in 11 games between 2005-09. He was also a graduate assistant at Arkansas in 2012, working with the fullbacks and tight ends. Since leaving Fayetteville, Henry’s been an on-field assistant at UAB (tight ends and fullbacks in 2013), DIII Birmingham-Southern College (defensive line in 2014), FCS Prairie View A&M (tight ends, fullbacks and special teams (2015-17) and FCS Florida A&M (2018), plus served in a support role at Missouri last season.
Mike Krysl - special teams analyst
Pittman's first staff will reportedly include two people who served as special teams coordinators at FBS programs the last two years. According to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, Krysl is leaving his on-field role at Army to become an analyst under special teams coordinator Scott Fountain, who had been at Georgia. His previous stops include Samford and Georgia Southern. A native of Missouri, Krysl grew up in Hillsboro, attended Central Missouri in Warrensburg and coached high school ball in Lexington.
Michael Scherer - defensive graduate assistant
Another Missouri staffer following defensive coordinator Barry Odom to Fayetteville, Scherer was a standout linebacker for the Tigers from 2013-16 and became a graduate assistant last season. As a player, he racked up 266 tackles - including 17 for a loss - before a knee injury cut his senior season short.
Jesse Stone - assistant director of player personnel
Stone has extensive ties to the state and coaching staff. He joins the Razorbacks after one season as a quality control analyst with former Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos at Miami (Fla.). Before that, Stone spent three years as a graduate assistant at Georgia with current head coach Sam Pittman, with whom he also worked as a student assistant at Arkansas for two years. As a quarterback, Stone originally signed with Arkansas Tech out of Little Rock Christian in the Class of 2010, but ended up also making stops at Hutchinson C.C. - where he played for current linebackers coach Rion Rhoades - and Ouachita Baptist.
Ryan Yurachek - offensive graduate assistant
A third member of the Yurachek family has joined the Razorbacks, as Ryan reunites with his father (athletics director Hunter) and younger brother (walk-on linebacker Jake) in Fayetteville. He announced the move via Twitter, along with his decision to retire from football. An all-conference tight end at Marshall, Yurachek had short stints with the Raiders and Cowboys as a fullback in the NFL, but never appeared in a regular-season game.