UA assistant McDonald leaving

Arkansas has hired George McDonald to coach receivers. He spent the last two seasons with the Miami Hurricanes after a stint with the NFL's Cleveland Browns.
Arkansas has hired George McDonald to coach receivers. He spent the last two seasons with the Miami Hurricanes after a stint with the NFL's Cleveland Browns.

— Recently-hired Arkansas receivers coach George McDonald will leave the Razorbacks for an offensive coordinator position at another school, sources told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Tuesday.

Arkansas coach Bret Bielema said Tuesday night he had accepted McDonald's resignation to become offensive coordinator at "a major university". Reports have linked the assistant to the offensive coordinator position at Syracuse.

“When you set out to assemble one of the top coaching staffs in the country, the group will consist of individuals who are highly respected and highly sought after," Bielema said. "I have always tried to hire coaches who possess the qualities and ambition to move up in our profession."

Per his letter of agreement signed with the UA, McDonald will have to pay $50,000 to accept a position with another school before June 30, 2014. McDonald, 36, was hired last month after spending two years as an assistant coach at Miami.

His salary at Arkansas was set at $275,000, significantly more than his predecessor with the Razorbacks, Kris Cinkovich. He had also previously been on staff with the Cleveland Browns.

The loss of McDonald leaves Arkansas with one vacancy on Bielema's first coaching staff. Bielema hired Barry Lunney Jr., a former Razorbacks quarterback, on Tuesday as tight ends coach.

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