UA great Ronnie Brewer uniquely suited to be Hogs' recruiting coordinator

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During his time as an assistant coach at Fayetteville High, Ronnie Brewer made several trips down the street to his alma mater.

He and the Bulldogs’ other coaches were frequent guests at the Razorbacks’ practices, allowing the former All-SEC guard to develop a relationship with Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman.

It was through those conversations that Brewer told Musselman that he’d eventually like to join his staff. He was passed over when the Razorbacks hired Mike Ekanem to replace Earl Boykins as their Director of Player Development, but wasn’t long before another position became available.

“We talked in passing about it,” Brewer said. “Then an opportunity happened (and) I reached out to him to show I was interested in it. That position was then filled and then he doubled back and came to me like, ‘I have another opening.’”

Brewer jumped at the opportunity to become Arkansas’ recruiting coordinator and his hiring was officially announced last week.

With coaching aspirations of his own, Brewer already has experience playing for the likes of Jerry Sloan and Tom Thibodeau in the NBA and is looking forward to learning even more from Musselman and the other members of his staff.

“One thing that stands out in my mind why it was a no-brainer to come join this staff is Coach Musselman’s attention to detail, his player development,” Brewer said. “I had some good mentors and plan to learn a lot from Coach Musselman and this staff because they have a lot of NBA experience.”

In this role, Brewer will work hand in hand with Director of Recruiting Michael Musselman in identifying and evaluating prospects. They’ll watch film and help send the coaches out to see them in person.

With experience coaching on the AAU circuit with Woodz Elite and at the high school level at Fayetteville, he has connections that will help him in his new position.

“A lot of people have reached out to me about my current job and current players,” Brewer said. “It's making my job, I wouldn't say easy, but it's throwing fuel on the fire making me want to grind and work a little bit harder to make sure I get this right the first time around."

Those connections extend beyond the state’s borders, as well, thanks to his eight-year NBA career. He has relationships with GMs, head coaches and scouts at the next level. His time as a player also makes him feel uniquely suited to be a recruiting coordinator.

“I was blessed to have the opportunity to play in the NBA for a number of years, so I feel like I have an eye for talent,” Brewer said. “I feel like I have the eye for people who have a phenomenal work ethic playing alongside of great athletes and having to have that same trait to stay in the NBA.”

Brewer is walking into a good situation, too. Not only are the Razorbacks coming off their first Elite Eight appearance since 1995, but they also have things rolling on the recruiting trail.

All eight of Arkansas’ high school signees and commitments since Musselman’s arrival have been Rivals150 prospects. That three-year total equals the Razorbacks’ total from the previous six classes combined.

It has helped that in-state recruiting has been so strong. The 2020 class featured a quartet of four-star signees from the Natural State, including the UA’s first one-and-done in Moses Moody, and the 2022 class already has two in-state four-star commitments. The upcoming classes are also loaded with talent.

“It's a unique time in the state of Arkansas,” Brewer said. “There probably hasn't been this much talent back to back to back years in a long, long time, so we've got to do the best we possibly can on this recruiting trail.”

However, Brewer made sure to point out that they’ll be recruiting nationally, as well. Another important aspect in Arkansas’ program is the portal, as Musselman has developed a reputation as one of the best coaches for transfers.

It’s a non-stop job, too. Brewer said it’s not uncommon to receive texts about recruits or transfers really late at night or super early in the morning.

“It's kind of unreal in real time how this stuff works,” Brewer said. “A transfer hits the portal, we all know about it and we all know his front and back story. We're working honestly 24 hours a day.”

The heavy workload won’t be a problem for Brewer, who described himself not only as a UA alum, but a “fan through and through.” The son of an Arkansas legend and a Fayetteville native who stayed home to play for the Razorbacks before embarking on his professional career, it’s a “dream come true” to be part of the staff now.

Brewer can’t coach on the court in this position, but he said he still plans to invest time in current players and provide feedback when possible. He also wants to guide them in the new era of NIL, helping them create and maintain their brands by getting involved in the community.

Although his ultimate goal is to be a college coach some day, Brewer’s excitement about being back at his alma mater in an off-court role was readily apparent in a Zoom videoconference Wednesday morning.

“There is no place I’d rather be than working here with these guys,” Brewer said. “I’m very excited to join Coach Musselman’s staff and I’m going to pour all my heart and effort into matching his intensity. I think if I do that, we have a really good opportunity to be very successful here.”