Source: Pitt's Long To Be Next Arkansas AD

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) _ Pittsburgh athletic director Jeff Long will replace Frank Broyles in the same position at Arkansas, a person with knowledge of Long's decision said Monday. <br/><br/>Broyles

Monday, September 10th 2007, 7:39 pm

By: News On 6

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) _ Pittsburgh athletic director Jeff Long will replace Frank Broyles in the same position at Arkansas, a person with knowledge of Long's decision said Monday.

Broyles is retiring as the Razorbacks' athletic director at the end of this year, and a person familiar with Long's decision said he will leave Pitt to take over at Arkansas. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not been made.

Arkansas would not confirm Long's hiring, but spokesman Tysen Kendig said a news conference was set for Tuesday afternoon regarding the athletic program.

Arkansas' search had been a secretive one until last week, when Stanley Reed, chairman of the school's board of trustees, confirmed that Long was ``a strong candidate.''

Broyles is in his 50th year at Arkansas. He started there in December 1957 when he was hired as the football coach. He coached the Razorbacks until the 1977 season, when Lou Holtz took over.

Long has been athletic director at Pitt since 2003. His most prominent hire was football coach Dave Wannstedt, who is in his third season at Pitt. The Panthers haven't been to a bowl game since Wannstedt's arrival.

Long had previously served as associate athletic director at Oklahoma, and before that, he was the athletic director at Eastern Kentucky. He has also been an associate athletic director at Virginia Tech and Michigan.

He appears to have few ties to Arkansas, which could mean quite a transition for an athletic department dominated for decades by Broyles. The Razorbacks joined the Southeastern Conference in 1991, and although they have never won an SEC football title, Arkansas won a national championship in basketball in 1994 and is a national powerhouse in track and field.

The Razorbacks also have state-of-the-art facilities at their Fayetteville campus, not only in football and basketball but also less-prominent sports like baseball and track.

Arkansas has not been without controversy lately. Football coach Houston Nutt came under fire after the departure of offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and a pair of top freshmen. Also, basketball coach Stan Heath was fired this year, and Broyles was heavily involved in the search for a replacement.

The school introduced Dana Altman as the new hire, then Altman changed his mind and went back to Creighton. It took another week for Arkansas to find a new coach in John Pelphrey.