Everything Bret Bielema and Paul Rhoads said Saturday

NWA Democrat-Gazette/J.T. WAMPLER Arkansas football head coach Bret Bielema talks Sunday Dec. 6, 2015 about the Razorbacks' invitation to attend the Liberty Bowl in Memphis playing against Kansas State. The hogs won five of their last six games to become bowl eligible.
NWA Democrat-Gazette/J.T. WAMPLER Arkansas football head coach Bret Bielema talks Sunday Dec. 6, 2015 about the Razorbacks' invitation to attend the Liberty Bowl in Memphis playing against Kansas State. The hogs won five of their last six games to become bowl eligible.

— Live updates from Bret Bielema and Paul Rhoads' Saturday afternoon press conferences.

Bret Bielema

— Have a week left in recruiting. "Always gets a little intense when you have a certain number of spots" and have to fit guys in. Had nine players join them at the semester, seven high school and two JUCO, that will be big. TE Jeremy Patton will join them in the first summer session.

— Grayson Gunter will be limited in spring practice. Dre Greenlaw sustained a different injury on the same foot he broke against Alabama. They're looking into different options for him.

— They will transition to the 3-4.

— Ben Herbert and him sat down in December to talk about adjustments. They've changed early morning workouts to late afternoon workouts in an effort to emphasis finishing the day after the issues closing out games.

— Very hungry team and very coachable.

— As of right now, Robb Smith is the only full-time coach who has left the staff. GA Al Davis took the Hutchinson job.

— Paul Rhoads converted to the 3-4 at Iowa State and wishes he'd have done it sooner. There will still be elements of a 4-down package. A lot of SEC teams run a 3-4 that looks like a 4-3 with an edge rusher standing to have his options. Will vary on how they set their formations more in the future.

— Spring practice will start in March and the spring game will be April 29.

— Randy Ramsey, Michael Taylor and Karl Roessler will be stand-up outside linebackers in the 3-4.

— The 3-4 allows Arkansas to get more undersized, underrecruited speed guys who play in space. The depth of defensive linemen across the country is the hardest to find.

— Khalia Hackett has moved on. Obviously Duwop Mitchell has moved on. Challenged the team that if they weren't 100 percent in, they wouldn't fit. Stuff like being on time, being accountable. "Count on me."

— Dan Enos has an adjustment every year based on contracts. Ben Herbert is the same. Everyone else stayed equal.

— Doesn't expect any other staff changes before signing day, "but I've been stocked before." The domino effect is always a factor.

— An issue with adding a 10th coach is the timing because it could affect the levels below FBS.

— He and Paul Rhoads are trying to find where the best personnel fits. At times, they might be a 2-gap defense. At times, that's predicated by the call.

— Brought Bob Diaco in for a day to talk about the 3-4 defense with him and Rhoads. Diaco had a 2-gap look.

— To lose the Virginia Tech game the way they did was tough. Didn't leave his house for about 48 hours. Had to have some tough conversations. A few days later, started setting up the schedule with Herbert and having comprehensive discussions with the staff.

— Played differently in the second half of the Belk Bowl. Players did uncharacteristic stuff. Drew Morgan hadn't ever fumbled and fumbled the last two plays of his career.

— There will be a lot of variation to how schools use a 10th assistant.

— They have to accept the collapses in the second half. As a head coach, everything has to be looked at. The disappointing thing from a player standpoint was the inconsistency from one week to the next, dating back to offseason workouts.

— Having two former head coaches as coordinators helps with perspective. The way you perceive football as a young coach and a head coach differs hugely. The accountability you have to deal with for every aspect of the program.

— There was interest from other teams in Dan Enos and has been every year since he hired him. He's smart and players love him. The success permeates into the NFL and college. The contract and his salary helped protect Arkansas.

— It was not an easy year for Rhoads, having been a former head coach and coordinator. To stay calm in his position is uncommon. Approached him at the end of the regular season about how he'd feel about a role moving forward. His demeanor is what the team needs. The reaction of the players was compelling.

— Tevin Beanum has quit the team and walked away from the game. He will have a chance to be a medical hardship.

Paul Rhoads

— Very grateful for the opportunity and challenge.

— Doesn't want to come across the wrong way but wasn't surprised by the reaction of the players, "but I was excited to get that kind of response." Football is a fun game and players want to have fun being taught to play it. That was reflected in the reaction.

— There was nothing in that meeting about scheme or X's and O's. Being fundamentally and technically sound was what he hit on most and focuses on.

— Both previous coordinator spots he came in blind. Was learning personalities of players and work ethics. Has a picture of what that is with all the players.

— Has one year of experience doing 3-man fronts. "Don't let that scare you." Did it the last year at Iowa State. There's a lot of things that can be done in that, that he has done. There's a lot that the expertise of the room as it gets finalized can have experience with.

— Going to get sick of hearing him talk about the fundamentals and process of doing it the right way.

— On struggles: "I'd rather look forward than look back. There were a lot of factors."

— Being a position coach was a lot easier after 15 years of head coaching and coordinating. "But it left me empty to a certain extent, too." Blessed that he gets to do that here with a group of men he's fond of.

— "A top trait or quality of a head coach is the power of observation." That leads to being able to make changes and improvements. Gain perspective that you didn't have more.

— "Absolutely" thinks being a head coach is a big-picture goal. Never has put timetables on goal and career stuff. Didn't like the way he finished at Iowa State. Has to do a good job where he's at to move up.

— "I think we can play good defense. I think we can play better defense. I don't know if I'm willing to put numbers on what that is. ... Simply stated, I believe we can play better defense and will play better defense.

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