Arkansas' new football coaching staff is beginning to take shape.
One day after naming Chris Ash defensive coordinator, Razorbacks coach Bret Bielema named Jim Chaney offensive coordinator on Wednesday. Chaney has spent the last four seasons in the same capacity at Tennessee and served as the Volunteers' interim coach for the final game of the 2012 season.
Chaney will also serve as Arkansas' quarterbacks coach. He last worked at the position with Tyler Bray, who passed for 3,619 yards and 34 touchdowns this season as a senior at Tennessee.
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[http://www.wholehog…">Bielema names Ash defensive coordinator]“Jim Chaney’s approach will blend well with my ideas as we work to put together a plan for the team we have and over time develop our specific philosophy,” Bielema said in a release. “While he was at Purdue, several of the best coaches in the nation sought his advice on how to use the spread offense.
"He knows the SEC, having coached at Tennessee, and is familiar with what it takes to be successful in this conference. He is an upbeat and positive person who has proven at every stop he is an elite coach in our profession.”
Chaney, 50, served as an assistant coach for the NFL's St. Louis Rams prior to his stint at Tennessee. From 1997-2005, he was offensive coordinator at Purdue, coaching Drew Brees in all four of his seasons with the Boilermakers.
Other assistant coaching stops for Chaney include Wyoming, Cal State Fullerton and Western Michigan. Chaney grew up in Holden, Mo., and played defensive tackle at Central Missouri State, where he graduated in 1985.