FAYETTEVILLE — In a perfect world, the Arkansas administration and fans may have wanted the new Razorbacks ’ basketball coach to be someone who has been enjoying success at another power conference school.

But that’s usually not how it works in the real world, even in the SEC.

In hiring Dana Altman from Creighton, a Missouri Valley Conference school, Arkansas followed a similar pattern as most of its SEC brethren.

Eight of the SEC’s other current head basketball coaches came from programs that fit into the midmajor mold along with Creighton.

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Of the four who did not come from midmajor, only two — South Carolina’s Dave Odom and former Kentucky Coach Tubby Smith — came from another power conference school.

Odom is the only current SEC basketball coach who previously was head coach at another major school, leading Wake Forest for 12 seasons. His last five seasons at Wake Forest included just one NCAA Tournament appearance.

Tubby Smith, who resigned as Kentucky’s coach after this season to become Minnesota’s coach, came to the Wildcats from Georgia after leading the Bulldogs to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.

But Kentucky might be the only SEC school capable of luring a basketball coach who is excelling at another major program.

“It’s almost impossible, unless you’re lucky, to get a coach to leave a big school where he’s winning and being well paid,” said Joe Dean, the former LSU athletic director who continues to do some consulting work for schools that are searching for coaches. “I think the hardest thing that an athletic director at a big school like Arkansas or LSU or Alabama has is to hire a successful football or basketball coach.

“ Both hires are very, very difficult.”

Dean recalled that when LSU’s football job was vacant after the 1999 season, he tried to hire Butch Davis, who was then Miami’s coach.

Davis, a Springdale native and Arkansas graduate, later left Miami for an NFL job with the Cleveland Browns and is now North Carolina’s coach.

“We offered Butch more [money ] than he was making at Miami,” Dean said. “After two days, he said to me, ‘Joe, I’ve given this a lot of thought and you’re great to offer me the job, but [Miami ] will match anything you offer me. Why would I move ?’”

Dean said he then got “lucky” when Nick Saban, Michigan State’s coach at the time, called to inquire about LSU’s vacancy.

Saban eventually was hired and led LSU to a share of the national championship in 2003. He later left for the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and now is back in the SEC at Alabama.

“We hadn’t even been thinking about Nick or thinking that he’d be halfway interested, then he called us out of the blue,” Dean said. “That’s what I mean about being lucky.

“ But that usually doesn’t happen. That’s what makes it so tough when you’re an athletic director and you’re looking for a basketball or football coach.”

Dean applauded Arkansas ’ hiring of Altman.

“I think Altman is a great hire,” Dean said. “He’s a very good coach and has been offered other jobs over the years he turned down to stay at Creighton.

“ He’s been waiting for the right spot, and I think he’s a perfect fit for Arkansas.”