As all Arkansans who keep up with the news know, Razorback Coach Houston Nutt received a golden football to resign this past Monday. Reports indicate he received more than $3 million to end his contract. Essentially all of the payout comes from the athletic foundation, not tax or otherwise educational dollars. Hours later, or hours earlier (maybe even thousands of hours), Nutt was hired to coach football at the University of Mississippi at Oxford (not England’s, Faulkner’s), in a four-year, $7.4 million contract.
It takes a lot of money to play football and entertain the big donors, who give money mainly for more football, and the rest of us who enjoy those Saturday afternoons at the stadium or on the sofa.
The University of Arkansas now has to find a new coach. Money won’t be an issue, but winning games is. A good man has just become available, and not only can he get ball games won but he won’t be as expensive, even though money is not the problem.
Richard Roberts, the evangelist son of longtime faith healer Oral Roberts, resigned last Friday as president of Tulsa’s Oral Roberts University. He prayed and initially understood he was to stay and fight the charges. But on Thanksgiving Thursday God told him to pack his desk.
Brother Roberts has been running the private college since 1993. He explained he prayed with his wife and his father, but the Lord holds the majority of the shares. Richard Roberts has been in hot water over accusations he has been using ORU money personally. His wife has a $39,000 tab at one store, a daughter went to the Bahamas for $29,411 and his children overall have a stable of horses, whose oats are bought by ORU, according to lawsuit allegations.
The University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and the Razorback Foundation can easily afford the lifestyle of Richard Roberts. In fact, they can show the Roberts family much more luxury.
Pastor Roberts has never been reputed to know much about sports, but I think he could do this job well. Better than how closely Coach Nutt listened to UA Chancellor John White for guidance, the reverend would heed all advice given by the Coach of us all.
The Hogs just might have a prayer next fall. -30-
