FAYETTEVILLE -- Robb Smith now coordinates a trust department as much as he coordinates a defense.
Two springs and two preseasons of practice and one season of games have the Arkansas defensive coordinator, his defensive staff and the Razorbacks they coach operating with mutual trust.
It's a trust that time didn't allow at last season's outset.
Smith, defensive backfield coach Clay Jennings and defensive line coach Rory Segrest all came new to Bret Bielema's Arkansas staff last year.
"So, what else is new?" some Razorbacks likely asked themselves cynically.
If you were new to the Razorbacks in 2011 like strong safety Rohan Gaines, the ensuing years' "new" quickly and repeatedly became old and discarded. Now a fifth-year senior playing for his third head coach from Bobby Petrino to John L. Smith to Bielema, Gaines will officially start an Arkansas season Saturday with the same defensive coordinator and same secondary coach that coached him the previous year.
At last Gaines begins not asked to trust new coaches and a new style but actually trusting the coaches and their style and believing he's trusted in return.
Only linebackers coach Vernon Hargreaves comes new to the 2015 defensive staff. And since coaching spring drills Hargreaves seems to easily fit the existing chemistry.
It's a great chemistry considering the 7-6 Razorbacks of 2014 ranked 10th in national defense after the 2013 Razorbacks suffered 3-9 with a defense leaking like a hacked website.
"Coach Jennings and Coach Smith brought a style of defense that we haven't had around here in awhile," Gaines said. "At least since I have been here. We have a personality of defense and as long as we play within the scheme we're allowed to show it. We're allowed to play how we can. They know their players, what they can and can't do, and they put us in position to make plays."
Feeling allowed to do what they can instills pride in what they do.
"The kids are taking a heck of a lot more ownership now," Jennings said. "They know us. They have been through the fire with us and they trust us and we trust them and they continue to go out there and make plays."
Smith refers to "Coach B" saying that "trust must be earned every day whether you are a player or a coach" but acknowledged the trust built from two springs ago through now is accountable.
"Last year at this time we'd never really been in the battle together as a staff and as a unit," Smith said. "I do think we kind of know what to expect from each other. I do think the guys believe in what we're doing. I know we certainly have belief in the guys we're going to put on the football field. As long as we keep moving forward in that direction, we can do some good things. We're well ahead of were we were at this time last year."
Sports on 08/31/2015