Terry Mohajir had to catch himself.
The day before, Arkansas State University's athletic director had done it again: He'd introduced Blake Anderson to a room full of people as "your new head football coach ..."
Wednesday, at The McAdams House in west Little Rock, Mohajir introduced Anderson correctly on the third and final day of ASU's annual coaches caravan.
"We were always talking about at what point would I not become the new head coach?" Anderson said after the applause subsided. "Apparently it took five years and two caravans."
It's Year Five, folks.
Do you believe it Arkansas?
It's been nearly five years since the Red Wolves' revolving coaches -- one-year wonders Hugh Freeze, Gus Malzahn and Bryan Harsin -- passed the annual hot potato to Anderson on Dec. 19, 2013, but he proved it doesn't scald so much when you hold on for a little while.
"A lot of folks in the room did not think [a fifth year] would happen," Anderson said Wednesday. "Even though I told you it would."
He had told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in October that people "should" expect a fifth year. That he was "having a blast." That there was "so much work left to do."
But he also said: "There'll come a point and time when I leave. Either they'll push me out of town, or God will pick us up and move us out of town."
Signs of departure appeared twice.
Anderson said in 2016 that he spoke with Baylor Athletic Director Mack Rhoades about the Bears' head coaching vacancy.
Then in March, when the University of Tennessee released documents from its 2017 football coaching search, Anderson's agent's name, Lee Kaplan, was included in a text message stream, suggesting Anderson as a candidate.
So is Anderson committed? Or is he looking to leave?
Here's the thing: Both can be true.
Scott Frost coached Central Florida to an AAC championship on a Saturday, flew to Nebraska to accept the Cornhuskers job on a Sunday, then flew back to Orlando to prepare his Knights for the Peach Bowl (which they won).
Anderson is in his fifth year, and he is having a blast. He cut up with those in attendance Wednesday night, then he raised his palms and started a high-five tunnel on his way out.
And who knows? Maybe afterward he flipped a text to Kaplan to make sure his resume was updated for the 2018 season.
That's as committed as anyone should expect a 49-year-old coach in the Group of 5 to be, unless he signs a 10-year contract like Florida Atlantic's Lane Kiffin, who's already coached in the Power 5 and the NFL.
Anderson's name should no longer be linked to Freeze, Malzahn and Harsin. His tenure is second longest to Steve Roberts' nine years in ASU's 37-year history in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
So raise your palms and follow Anderson down the high-five tunnel. Because one day, that door will open, and you don't want to have spent the whole time watching the door.
UALR
Darrell Walker began a roster overhaul in March that eclipsed even the personnel changes of Chris Beard, and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's new head men's basketball coach is steadily filling in the gaps with new players.
Walker, hired March 27, retained just six of the 13 Trojans players that were scheduled to return from UALR's 7-25 team.
Walker signed his fourth recruit May 1 -- 5-8, 165-pound freshman point guard Markquis Nowell (three-star, 247Sports) -- and the Trojans now have 10 players on the 2018-2019 roster.
When Beard replaced Steve Shields after a 13-18 season in 2014-2015, he retained seven of the program's 13 non-seniors.
Three of the players Beard retained were regular starters during a 30-5 season in 2015-2016. The other two regular starters came from the seven players Beard signed himself.
Upon his hiring, Walker promised to field a team the city of Little Rock would enjoy watching.
It's hard to judge the city's response so far -- since UALR season-ticket sales just opened last week -- but watching Walker sign 6-8, 210-pound freshman forward Kamani Johnson away from teams such as Memphis and Central Florida must have been enjoyable.
UAPB
An hour before first pitch, Jarficur Parker was easy to spot.
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff freshman shortstop's movements were smooth. His reactions, quick. His accuracy wavered when he threw on the run, but the ball still reached the first baseman's mitt.
It's the kind of qualities professionals teach you to look for in MLB scout classes -- at least the classes you go to when your buddy wins a trading card contest.
The 5-9, 160-pound Parker was batting .339 and slugging .422 as of Tuesday. He's from Plano West (Texas) High, which produced New York Yankees outfielder Billy McKinney.
What was he doing here, going 3 for 5 in a 12-6 loss to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock?
Larger colleges, Jarficur said afterward, had dismissed him because of his size.
Even so, his offers included New Mexico -- a member of the Mountain West Conference, home of 2008 national champion Fresno State.
But Parker chose UAPB because his mother wanted him to stay close to home and soak up the culture at a historically black college.
"Being in Plano, it was a predominantly white city," Parker said. "Being in this culture, it's different. But you got to love it. It's very down to earth. Everything and everybody. They know everything about you. Really, I guess it's just getting accustomed to having people know who you are instantly, right off the bat."
By the time Parker leaves Pine Bluff, everyone in Arkansas might know who he is.
UCA
Former University of Central Arkansas cornerback Tremon Smith made the training camp roster with the Kansas City Chiefs, who drafted him in the sixth round of the NFL Draft last month.
Smith signed a four-year contract Monday, according to the Kansas City Star, worth a total of $2.6 million.
Smith still will have to get through training camp and all four preseason games to make the Chiefs' 53-man roster, but that contract is as much assurance as Smith could get right now.
If Smith makes the team, he would become the 24th UCA alumnus to play in the NFL and the first since Dezmin Lewis, who played in two games with the Buffalo Bills from 2015-2016.
Sports on 05/13/2018