Bielema's former teammate on radar

Connecticut head coach Bob Diaco stands on the sideline during the first quarter of an NCAA football game against Central Florida Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016, in East Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema has had talks with former Iowa teammate Bob Diaco, according to sources within the industry, as he looks to reshape his coaching staff and present more 3-4 looks on defense in 2017.

But the Razorbacks might not be the only school interested in Diaco, the former University of Connecticut head coach.

According to a report by the Omaha World-Herald, Nebraska Coach Mike Riley also is interested in implementing a 3-4 defense and might have Diaco in mind as a candidate.

Diaco, fired at UConn last month, is a candidate for the Arkansas defensive coordinator position, which will be vacated because of Robb Smith's departure to Minnesota. Diaco, 43, has never coached south of Virginia, but he has been to Arkansas as the winner of the Broyles Award in 2012 for his work as defensive coordinator at Notre Dame.

Other potential candidates for defensive coordinator are current Arkansas defensive backs coach Paul Rhoads, former Arkansas defensive line coach Charlie Partridge and others.

Rhoads and Bielema were scheduled to have an in-home visit with defensive back prospect Kamren Curl in Muskogee, Okla., on Thursday night, and they have other recruiting visits planned for this weekend.

Partridge, who came to Arkansas on Bielema's original staff in 2013, left after one season to take the head coaching job at Florida Atlantic. Partridge was fired in November after compiling a 9-27 record, 3-9 in each of his three years.

Bielema and Diaco were teammates at Iowa in 1992, and Bielema served as a graduate assistant for the Hawkeyes in 1994-95 when Diaco was a two-time All-Big Ten selection at linebacker. Diaco started all 23 games those two seasons and was named the team's co-MVP as a senior in 1995.

Diaco, a native of Cedar Grove, N.J., got his first shot as a co-defensive coordinator at Central Michigan at age 32 in 2005. After one season as defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach at Cincinnati in 2009, he followed Coach Brian Kelly to Notre Dame in 2010 and saw his star rise.

Diaco was promoted to assistant head coach in 2012, when the Fighting Irish went 12-0 before losing 42-14 to Alabama in the BCS Championship Game. His unit ranked No. 2 in scoring (12.77 points per game), No. 7 in total defense (305.5 yards per game) and No. 11 in run defense (105.7 ypg) that season. Diaco took over as head coach at UConn in 2014 and compiled an 11-26 record in three seasons with the Huskies.

Sports on 01/13/2017