FAYETTEVILLE — One year ago, Paul Haynes was preparing to face Arkansas in the postseason.
Turn the calendar forward 12 pages and Haynes, the former Ohio State co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach, is now learning on the job as the Razorbacks' defensive coordinator.
"When this first happened, my family and I were kind of sitting there and talking about how crazy that was," Haynes said. "It's been a fun experience."
Haynes was officially introduced in his new capacity Monday, less than a week after Willy Robinson resigned his position at Arkansas and less than a month before coaching the Razorbacks in the Cotton Bowl against Kansas State.
He is one of two coordinators to spend the regular season in the Big Ten before coaching the Razorbacks in the postseason. Paul Petrino was hired as Arkansas' offensive coordinator last week after spending the last two seasons at Illinois.
“I’m going to make sure that on January 6th we’re going to put a defense out there that is definitely flying around,” Haynes said. “That’s kind of my main concern while I’m learning the terminology of the defense and while I’m getting a better feel for the players.
"I know there will be missed tackles and that isn't so bad if you have 11 guys running to the ball. What happens when one guy misses and no one is coming, then it's going to be bad."
Since being hired last Friday, Haynes has hit the ground running, watching game film from Arkansas' games this season and learning the terminology. The Razorbacks will stick with its defensive concepts for the bowl game.
Haynes said his approach to defense is simple. With an offense as potent as Arkansas', the goal is simple, too.
“We know our offense can put up points," Haynes said. "We’ve got to take the pressure off of them in not having to win games 45-40 or whatever.
"Our goal - and we’re not going to sell ourselves short - is to be the best defense in the country.”
Haynes has spent the last nine years coaching in the Big Ten, first at Michigan State and for the last seven seasons with the Buckeyes. He had several ties to the Arkansas program, having worked under John L. Smith at Michigan State and with Bobby Petrino and Garrick McGee in 2001 for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars.
When he got a call from Petrino last week about the vacancy, he said the opportunity of leading a defense in the Southeastern Conference was too good to pass up.
"Where college football has gone, you see this is the best conference in college football," Haynes said. "I think when you have the opportunity to coach in it and the opportunity to coach with someone you know, you jump on it."
Haynes said his family is as excited about the move as him, noting his oldest daughter will enroll at the University of Arkansas next year. She had been accepted as a student at Ohio State University on the same day he was hired by the Razorbacks.