FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema went outside the region and back to his roots by hiring Central Michigan Coach Dan Enos on Thursday to coordinate the Razorbacks' offense.
Enos signed a three-year contract worth $550,000 Thursday that will make him the second-highest-paid assistant on Bielema's staff behind defensive coordinator Robb Smith, who accepted a raise to $750,000 earlier this month. Enos replaces Jim Chaney, who left for Pittsburgh after being Bielema's offensive coordinator in his two seasons at Arkansas.
Dan Enos glance
POSITION Offensive coordinator
AGE 46 (July 1, 1968)
HOMETOWN Dearborn, Mich.
FAMILY Wife: Jane. Children: Lia and Alex
ALMA MATER Michigan State (B.S., business administration, 1991 and M.S. sports administration, 2006)
HEAD COACHING RECORD 26-36 in five seasons at Central Michigan (2010-14)
PLAYING CAREER Michigan State quarterback (1987-90)
COACHING CAREER Michigan State graduate assistant (1991-93), Lakeland (Wisc.) College offensive coordinate/quarterbacks/receivers (1994-95), Northern Michigan offensive coordinator/running backs (1996), Southern Illinois quarterbacks/receivers (1997-98), Missouri State offensive coordinator/quarterbacks (1999), Western Michigan quarterbacks (2000-02), North Dakota State offensive coordinator/quarterbacks (2003), University of Cincinnati quarterbacks (2004-05), Michigan State quarterbacks (2006) and running backs (2007-09), Central Michigan head coach (2010-14)
Enos, 46, a native of Dearborn, Mich., has no previous ties to the SEC -- much like Smith before Bielema hired him last year. A quarterback at Michigan State from 1987-90, Enos spent the past five seasons at Central Michigan, where he compiled a 26-36 record in his first stint as a head coach.
"I had a great job, and obviously it would just take an unbelievable opportunity to leave something like that," Enos said on a teleconference with Arkansas-based reporters. "That's how my family and I viewed this, as just too good of an opportunity to not pursue."
Enos will get a significant salary boost by making the move. He was one of the lowest-paid FBS head coaches in the country with a salary of $360,000 last season, according to the USA Today database.
He has a no-compete clause with every other SEC program, unless hired as a head coach. He will be responsible for a $350,000 buyout if he chooses to leave during the length of his agreement, which extends to June 30, 2018.
Arkansas has agreed to pay $350,000 toward his buyout at Central Michigan.
Enos said he's ready to get to work Monday helping the Razorbacks in the final stages of their recruiting before national signing day Feb. 4.
"We are thrilled to have Coach Enos joining us in Fayetteville," Bielema said in a university release. "Dan is a great fit for our program. He runs a pro-style offense and brings expertise at the quarterback position as both a player and coach.
"We played against each other in college and he was a very intelligent and talented quarterback who showed great toughness and leadership. He has an outstanding reputation and will be a tremendous asset for Razorback football."
Enos said he and Bielema began discussing the job at the American Football Coaches Association Convention Jan. 11-14 in Louisville, Ky.
"There was a mutual interest," Enos said. "I think we both kind of wanted to feel how serious the other one was. Once we saw that there was, it really moved very quickly after that.
Enos said he was familiar with offense used by Bielema at Wisconsin and at Arkansas.
Bielema and Enos watched tapes of their teams against Northern Illinois, a common opponent, to help Enos get a feel for Arkansas personnel and how the its schemes meshed with his own.
"Good play-action team, very, very similar," Enos said comparing his schemes to Arkansas'. "We're going to be very multiple, we're going to be diverse. Our goal is always going to be to look complex and remain simple for our players."
Enos got a brief look at Arkansas' offensive personnel with the tape study of Northern Illinois.
"Brandon Allen excites me, because as I watched him in the one game I saw a guy with a lot of tools," Enos said. "Looks like he's got very good size. I loved his mechanics, and as I started to study him I see a guy who threw 18 touchdowns [plus two in the Texas Bowl] and only five interceptions. What a great touchdown to interception ratio that is.
"And obviously you know you've got two backs [Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins] who rushed for over 1,000 yards. They both look like they've got good size. They're both explosive. That's exciting.
"The offensive line looks mammoth, big and physical. I know the tight ends are big. The one tight end ... [Hunter] Henry is an outstanding player, very good size, can run. I was impressed with him on the tape as well."
Enos has spent most of his coaching career in the Midwest, but said he has recruited a bit in Florida and Texas, two key areas for the Razorbacks.
"I look forward to branching off in different areas," he said. "We're very excited about moving there, my wife and children. I'm looking forward to not shoveling snow for a while, to be honest."
Enos said he is looking forward to more temperate weather and coaching in the "best league in the country."
Sports on 01/23/2015