FAYETTEVILLE -- New University of Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman has focused on recruiting during his first three days on the job, with the assembly of his coaching staff moving in slow increments.
But there has been movement.
Brad Davis signed an offer letter Monday that will pay him $550,000 per year to work as an assistant coach at Arkansas.
Additionally, current defensive backs coach Ron Cooper and wide receivers coach Justin Stepp joined Pittman on the road recruiting Wednesday, as has defensive line coach Steve Caldwell.
Stepp, one of the top recruiters on Chad Morris' staff the past two seasons, was ranked among the nation's top 25 recruiters by Rivals in 2019.
The UA football website has Pittman as head coach with Caldwell, Stepp, defensive backs coaches Cooper and Mark Smith, and defensive tackles coach Kenny Ingram still listed, along with strength and conditioning coach Trumain Carroll. The site has taken off the names of coordinators John Chavis and Joe Craddock, running backs coach Jeff Traylor, tight ends coach and special teams coordinator Barry Lunney Jr., and offensive line coach Dustin Fry.
Traylor was named head coach at Texas-San Antonio on Monday. Lunney, who went 0-2 as interim head coach after the firing of Chad Morris on Nov. 10 and interviewed for the permanent head coaching job, is expected to join Traylor in San Antonio.
Lunney sent a farewell message to Arkansas fans via his Twitter account Wednesday night, writing, "Thank you Arkansas for 14 years as a player and coach! ... It has been a privilege!"
Davis, 39, is the first official assistant coaching hire for Pittman.
A native of Baton Rouge who played on Oklahoma's 2000 national championship team, Davis has worked the past two seasons as offensive line coach at Missouri, where he was making $510,000 in 2019. Prior to that, he was offensive line coach at Florida (2017), and he has also worked at Texas A&M as a defensive line graduate assistant (2006-07)
Davis was the graduate assistant on the offensive line at North Carolina in 2008 during Pittman's tenure as offensive line coach with the Tar Heels (2007-11).
Davis has been making recruiting visits with Pittman and Caldwell since Pittman's introduction as the 34th head coach at Arkansas on Monday.
The term of Davis' deal has not been established, pending the completion of his formal employment agreement.
Other assistants among many who have been discussed as potential hires for Pittman are Georgia defensive line coach Tray Scott and Tennessee linebackers coach Kevin Sherrer.
Scott, a native of Crossett, was a four-year letterman at Arkansas Tech University (2003-07), where he began his coaching career as a graduate assistant (2008-10) before moving on to Arkansas State (2010-11). He has been defensive line coach at Georgia since 2017, so he spent the past three seasons with Pittman on the staff of Coach Kirby Smart.
Sherrer's time as outside linebackers coach at Georgia (2014-17) overlapped with Pittman for two seasons (2016-17).
Sports on 12/12/2019