FAYETTEVILLE -- New University of Arkansas secondary coach Deron Wilson reached a two-year deal that will pay him $300,000 per season, based on a copy of his signed contract obtained Friday by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette through a public records request.
The contract, signed Thursday by UA Chancellor Charles Robinson and UA system president Donald Bobbitt, will run through Feb. 28, 2025.
Wilson, 32, was announced as the Razorbacks' 10th assistant coach on Tuesday, where he will join a defensive staff featuring coordinator Travis Williams, co-coordinator Marcus Woodson and defensive line coach Deke Adams.
Coach Sam Pittman has not revealed specific areas of focus for the new defensive hires, but Williams, a linebacker in college at Auburn, has worked with linebackers throughout his 14-year career, and Woodson, a defensive back in college at Ole Miss, has worked with defensive backs throughout his 18-year career.
Wilson served as a defensive analyst for cornerbacks at Florida last year and prior to that he was defensive coordinator at McNeese State (2020-21) and cornerbacks coach at Texas-San Antonio (2018-19). The latter two jobs were on the staffs of his cousin and fellow New Orleans native Frank Wilson, who was head coach of the Roadrunners and Cowboys and is now an assistant coach at LSU.
Wilson's contract includes a non-compete clause with other SEC schools, unless he is hired as a "solo play-calling defensive coordinator" or head coach.
The UA can buy out his contract by paying what remains of his salary for the two-year term. Wilson would owe 20% of his remaining salary as a buyout if he takes another job during the term.
Pittman has had to replace five assistants this offseason, headlined by the loss of defensive coordinator Barry Odom and offensive coordinator Kendal Briles. Odom is now head coach at UNLV and Briles is offensive coordinator at TCU. Linebackers coach Michael Scherer left to join Odom in his first defensive coordinator assignment, and cornerbacks coach Dominique Bowman left to handle the same position at Temple. Arkansas also lost tight ends coach Dowell Loggains, who is now the offensive coordinator at South Carolina.
Pittman hired Dan Enos as offensive coordinator, reuniting the pair from the 2015 Razorbacks, when Enos was in his first season as a three-year coordinator for Coach Bret Bielema.
New tight ends coach Morgan Turner was involved with bowl practices prior to the Razorbacks' 55-53 win in triple overtime against Kansas in the Liberty Bowl.
Williams came on board during bowl preparations but in an observatory capacity as Scherer called defensive plays in Memphis.
The cumulative pay of Pittman's 10-man staff is $5.84 million, considerably less than the combined salary of $6.44 million for the 2022 staff. That figure could bump upward in the coming weeks, however, as Adams contract is due for renewal at the end of February.
Adams was on the staff at Southern Miss for three years (2009-11) during Wilson's playing career as a Golden Eagle defensive back (2009-12). Wilson's stint in Hattiesburg, Miss., also overlapped with first-year Arkansas strength and conditioning coach Ben Sowders.