FAYETTEVILLE — The FBS seems headed toward approving a 10th assistant coach in football, but it looks like April might be the earliest the legislation can be approved.
The American Football Coaches Association voted unanimously at its convention in Nashville, Tenn., earlier this month to move forward with a 10th assistant coach. The NCAA's football oversight committee, meeting later in Nashville, agreed.
"There was unanimity around the table on the addition of a 10th assistant coach being allowed," Committee Chairman Bob Bowlsby said in a statement. "We feel it is appropriate from a student-athlete welfare standpoint. The ratio of coaches to student-athletes is much higher in football than other sports, and this helps address that."
Coach Bret Bielema, who spoke in favor of a 10th assistant coach throughout the fall, said the legislation might not go into effect as early or as easily as he once thought.
"That obviously has to go through a group of administrators. It has to go through a group of presidents, and I don't think it's going to be as clean," he said. "Two weeks ago, I would've agreed 100 percent with you. I just don't feel that it's gonna be as simple as they laid it out.
"I've been told that it may go through, but we may not be able to hire anybody until next January."
Bielema said he would be surprised if a 10th assistant at Arkansas isn't "involved heavily in either special teams or defense" and also has a large presence in recruiting.