Editor's Note: This is the second of a four-part series highlighting the best coaches and athletes at the University of Arkansas in 2015.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Dan Enos says he is in no hurry to become a head coach again.
Maybe that's because life as an assistant is treating him so well.
Less than a year after resigning his head coaching post at Central Michigan to become an offensive coordinator in the Southeastern Conference, Enos' name recognition is at an all-time high. In his first year at Arkansas, the 47-year-old transformed the Razorbacks from a ground-and-pound offense to one of the most dynamic run-pass units in the SEC.
After stumbling to a 2-4 start, Arkansas averaged 480 yards and 46.5 points in its final six games. Enos credited the turnaround to a meeting with Razorbacks head coach Bret Bielema during the team's off week in mid-October.
"Coach was awesome," Enos said. "He said, 'We've got a lot of really, really good schemes, Dan. Sometimes when you feel like we need to make a play just fire bullets. Fire shots.'
"After he said that I was like, 'OK, that's the go-ahead to go get this thing.' That gave me a lot of confidence."
Other Notable Assistants
Doug Case, Men's Track - Coaching sprints, relays and pole vault, Case's athletes were responsible for three national championships and three SEC championships during the indoor and outdoor seasons. Case also helped hurdler Omar McLeod to a win at the Jamaican national meet.
Bryan Compton, Women's Track - One of the nation's top pole vault coaches had one of his best years in 2015. Sandi Morris won two SEC championships, the national championship indoors and was national runner-up outdoors. Ariel Voskamp finished second at both SEC meets.
Tony Vitello, Baseball - Arkansas' hitting coach helped the Razorbacks improve in virtually every offensive statistic and worked daily with consensus national player of the year Andrew Bentintendi. Arkansas' team batting average rose by .25 percentage points and the Razorbacks were fourth in the SEC with a .377 on-base percentage.
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Bielema remembers the conversation, although he said instead of bullets, he used a baseball analogy: swing away.
"I just loved what I saw out of him the first six weeks, but I could tell he was hesitant at times," Bielema said.
"I said, 'Dan, whenever in doubt, man, just take a shot.' It doesn't necessarily mean take an 80-yard shot down the field; it could be fourth-and-1, we're going for it. I think I referred to it as let's take a swing rather than not. I'd rather know we attacked than held back."
Bielema gave Enos two directives. First, he wanted eventual Mackey Award winner Hunter Henry more involved in the game plan. Second, he wanted more run plays called for receivers like Dominique Reed and Jared Cornelius.
Enos' play-calling rarely skipped a beat over the final half of the season. Arkansas scored at least 50 points four times, including overtime wins against Auburn and Ole Miss.
The Razorbacks' most marked improvement came in the red zone, where they ranked 13th in the SEC entering their game against Alabama in October. Arkansas scored in its only red zone opportunity that game which began a streak of 25 consecutive scores inside the 20-yard-line.
It was snapped when the Razorbacks had a potential go-ahead field goal blocked in the final minute of a 51-50 loss to Mississippi State.
"When we didn't produce in there, we weren't running the ball well in the red zone," Enos said. "In the games we did, we were running the ball well. That made our passing game that much better. The emergence of Drew Morgan, Jared Cornelius, Dominique Reed, Hunter Henry and Jeremy Sprinkle really helped. It gave us a lot of options. Then Brandon (Allen) I think played brilliantly in the red zone down the stretch."
Allen, the Razorbacks' senior quarterback, turned in one of Arkansas' best seasons ever passing the ball. He led the SEC with a 165.2 passer rating and 29 touchdown passes.
Enos, a former college quarterback at Michigan State, was able to relate better with Allen than former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jim Chaney, who never played the position. After struggling in his first two seasons as a starter, Allen became Arkansas' all-time leader in touchdown passes (63) thanks in large part to a seven-touchdown performance against Mississippi State and six touchdowns at Ole Miss.
"We think alike," Allen said of Enos. "We see things kind of the same on the sideline, what the defense is doing. It's been really great.
"We've really kind of meshed well, especially down the stretch and I couldn't ask for a better coach to be coaching me."
Enos' first season at Arkansas has already brought some suitors, but Georgia was turned away earlier this month because of a clause that stipulates Enos can't leave the Razorbacks for another SEC school. Enos said he and Bielema have begun preliminary discussions about a new contract that would likely include a pay raise and extension.
He signed a three-year deal with Arkansas in January worth $550,000 per year, nearly $200,000 more than he made as a head coach at Central Michigan.
"To be quite honest with you I didn't come here to be a head coach again," Enos said. "If that happens, if I'm fortunate enough to have that opportunity somewhere along the line, that'll be great. It's something I would certainly entertain and look at, but it's not something I think about on a daily basis.
"This opportunity just felt right. It just felt like it was the right thing for my family and I to kind of energize us all again and give us a new challenge and get us going. To be honest with you, it's been a great experience. I love these players. I appreciate Coach Bielema giving me the opportunity and I appreciate Arkansas for having me."