Reoccurring bleeding from the brain stem compelled University of Arkansas running backs coach Danny Nutt to resign, Houston Nutt, Arkansas’ head coach and Danny Nutt’s older brother, announced Tuesday.

Danny Nutt is housebound in Fayetteville until visiting doctors Thursday in Little Rock to determine if brain surgery again will be required like in 1998.

In the meantime, Houston Nutt must search immediately for a running backs coach with the Razorbacks reporting Aug. 2 for preseason drills.

Air Force Academy offensive coordinator Tim Horton, a former Razorback receiver from 1986-89, and a former receivers coach at Air Force and running backs coach at Kansas State before rejoining Air Force, is strongly believed by sources to be Houston Nutt’s first choice.

ADVERTISEMENT

Horton also coached running backs at Appalachian State.

Horton is the son of Razorback Foundation Vice President Harold Horton, a former Razorback player, defensive coach and recruiting coordinator and a former national champion coach at the University of Central Arkansas.

Recent former Miami head coach Larry Coker, formerly a fellow assistant with Houston Nutt at Oklahoma State, also might be a possibility but has recently signed with ESPN as a college football analyst.

Nutt said he will “ move fast” and hopes to have his man within 48 hours.

D. Nutt’s shoes won’t be easily filled. Danny Nutt not only coached but directly recruited 2006 Doak Walker Award-winning, Heisman Trophy runnerup Darren McFadden and fullback Peyton Hillis. He also directly recruited and coached former Razorback Cedric Cobbs and assisted fellow assistant Bobby Allen on recruiting current All-American running back Felix Jones of Tulsa and former Razorback running back Fred Talley.

A former Arkansas quarterback in 1984, D. Nutt has been the Razorbacks’ running backs coach since Houston Nutt’s arrival as head coach in 1998 and recruited for the Razorbacks throughout Central Arkansas, Eastern Arkansas and Memphis. Previously, D. Nutt coached running backs for Houston Nutt at Murray State and Boise State from 1994-97 after being a grad assistant at Arkansas from 1986-88 and an assistant at Appalachian State in 1989 and Arkansas Tech from 1990-93.

It was at the close of the ‘ 98 season before the Razorbacks’ Citrus Bowl (now called Capital One Bowl ) loss to Michigan when Danny Nutt, suddenly stricken, was diagnosed with bleeding from the brain stem.

Major, life-saving surgery was performed.

While of course missing that Jan. 1, 1999 bowl game, Danny Nutt has not since missed coaching a Razorback game, but did miss the entire spring practice of 2000 because of a relapse, and has had serious setbacks “ two or three other times, ” Houston Nutt said.

“ I can’t tell you, ” Houston Nutt said, “ how many times he’s had to push through, waking up dizzy and off balance and praying just make it through the next practice. Make it through two-a-days. ”

While on vacation the last couple of weeks, Danny Nutt experienced complications again with more bleeding from the brain stem, Houston Nutt said.

“ It’s been a constant struggle, ” Houston Nutt said. “ It’s a miracle he’s gotten this far. ”

The subject of Danny Nutt easing out of coaching because of his condition has been broached before, but he always resisted it for the job he loved.

This time, Houston Nutt and trainer Dean Weber said, there was no choice for Danny and his family (wife Carla and three daughters ).

“ I knew this day was coming, ” Houston Nutt, “ but you always think one more year. Danny wanted so badly to finish this year and coach Darren McFadden, who he recruited, Peyton Hillis, who he recruited, and Felix Jones, who he helped recruit.

“ But this is the best thing. It’s for his family. It’s for his future. ”

Weber minced no words.

“ Common sense tells you, ” Weber said, “ that we all agreed this day was going to come and you would have to choose quality of life and longevity or whether you wanted to do this [coach football ]. Clearly this grind has taken its toll over the years. This is the best thing. This will be beneficial in extending the longevity of his life. ”

Partially deaf since birth, Danny Nutt’s hearing has been increasingly impaired by his condition since 1998.

However, his brother turned the handicap into a recruiting advantage, Houston Nutt said.

“ The mamas, the sisters, the aunties, ” Houston said, “ they all said, ‘ I love Danny Nutt because he’s a great listener. He focuses on every word. ’ What they didn’t realize was he was straining to hear and to see so he could read their lips. ”

D. Nutt’s attentiveness is genuine, said Felix Jones, who hugged Houston Nutt after Tuesday’s press conference.

“ It’s real tough to take, ” Jones said. “ All of us enjoyed playing for him. He’s a real fun coach to play for and we wanted to play as hard as we could for him. We will miss him a lot. ”