FAYETTEVILLE -- The top voice for the Arkansas Razorbacks' defense is high volume, authoritative and intense, Coach Bret Bielema said.
What first-year defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads' voice does not have might help produce better results in the Razorbacks' new 3-4 schemes, starting with Thursday's season opener against Florida A&M at War Memorial Stadium.
Paul Rhoads glance
Position Defensive coordinator
Age 50 (Born Feb. 2, 1967)
Family Wife Vickie, sons Jake and Wyatt
Recruiting territory Oklahoma
Hometown Ankeny, Iowa
Alma mater Missouri Western (1989), Utah State (1991)
Coaching stops Utah State grad assistant (1990-91), Ohio State grad assistant (1991), Pacific DBs (1992-94), Iowa State DBs (1995-99), Pittsburgh defensive coordinator (2000-07), Auburn defensive coordinator (2008), Iowa State head coach (2009-15), Arkansas DBs (2016)
"He's hard on them, but it's not in a demeaning way," Bielema said. "He's not a vulgar guy. Paul has a way of being verbally loud without yelling, if that makes sense.
"I really like the way that I've witnessed our defensive players respond to his criticism. Sometimes kids -- you can tell by body language -- shut you off or tune you out, and they're very, very receptive to Paul."
Rhoads coached the Arkansas secondary last season and provided eyes in the press box on game day while coordinator Robb Smith worked on the sideline. Rhoads, a seven-year head coach at Iowa State and nine-year defensive coordinator at Pittsburgh and Auburn, will move back to the sideline this year.
Rhoads said he felt "caged" in the press box last season, his first time to work upstairs since 1999.
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville defensive players -- many of whom tout Rhoads' high-energy YouTube videos that show his passion and his booming delivery -- sound revved up to have Rhoads in their eyes and ears on game days.
"He's going to be a good person to have on the sideline," senior captain Kevin Richardson said. "I'm pretty sure everybody's looked up the videos and sees how he reacts on the sideline. We just look forward to having that energy on the sideline."
Senior cornerback Henre Toliver called Rhoads a great coach.
"He really cares about us. He's watched our previous years and he knows what not to do," Toliver said. "He's just enthusiastic. He empowers this defense. That's what I think the biggest difference is."
Said linebacker Dre Greenlaw: "The way coach Rhoads coaches is just awesome. He doesn't really yell at you, but he does. It's like, when he yells at you it's not because he's trying to be mean or get onto you, he's just trying to make you better."
Asked why he was headed back to the sideline, Rhoads responded, "That's easy. Six days a week, they're hearing my voice and seeing my eyes and I'm seeing theirs. I think it's wrong to change that on game day.
"When it comes to the ebbs and flows, I think you have a better handle on them if you're down there on the sidelines with your kids and able to make immediate adjustments."
Rhoads credits his style of critiquing -- without derision or name calling -- to his father Cecil, a member of the Iowa High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame.
"He was loud, but there was always as much complimentary words being spoken as there was critique being done," Rhoads said. "I think as long as your kids always know that you're fair and just in that process, they figure that out quite quickly that you're just coaching them hard."
Inside linebackers coach Vernon Hargreaves said Rhoads has earned the respect of players.
"Him being in front of them when they come off the field is going to be huge," Hargreaves said. "He is absolutely straight up with them. They know exactly where he's coming from, good or bad.
"It's not like he's praising you to try to make you get it done. If you're not getting it done, he's going to let you know, but it's also not going to be in a demeaning fashion, to where you don't want to get it done."
Sophomore linebacker De'Jon Harris pointed out Rhoads' ability to connect with players.
"Coach Rhoads, he knows how to talk to us," Harris said. "He understands us individually. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses.
"He doesn't get down on us after we do something bad, he's just very coachable. He knows how to communicate to us, so we respond to coach Rhoads very well."
Arkansas defensive assistants, including newcomers John Scott and Chad Walker, like the coach-player relationships they've seen Rhoads build.
"Coach Rhoads is an outstanding man first," said Scott, who coaches the defensive linemen. "Then he's an outstanding coach. He just has a way with the kids, and they just draw to him.
"He's the same coach who can fire them up when they do something wrong, but goes over and praises them when they do it right. You can tell he's been doing it a long time. The kids feel that and they appreciate that."
Walker, the outside linebackers coach who will work from the press box, has noted Rhoads is very passionate and thorough.
"He's very detailed and well organized with the staff," Walker said. "He'll come in there and have a plan.
"On the field, he's extremely passionate. He's got a great presence about him. Everybody looks up to him and everybody respects him."
Rhoads said he hopes to make in-game adjustments more quickly.
"I'm a believer that you can do that from the sideline in the middle of a series," he said. "You know the way it is with no-huddle offenses. You have your kids' eyes anyway, and I think you can immediately communicate and get things checked and adjust right in the middle of a series.
"I also don't believe you change how you coach on game day. Some people believe you really back off and treat them differently. I never grasped the meaning behind that, so we'll get after them just like we do every day of the week."
Sports on 08/30/2017