FAYETTEVILLE — University of Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman is expected to name Jermial Ashley, who has been the defensive line coach at Tulsa, to his second-year staff, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette confirmed through sources Monday.
FootballScoop.com first reported the move.
Derrick LeBlanc, who handled the Arkansas defensive line in 2020, has been exploring a move to the NFL, sources told the Democrat-Gazette.
Ashley, 38, has spent the past six seasons with the Golden Hurricane, and was at Trinity Valley (Texas) Community College and Oklahoma State prior to that. A native of Fort Worth, Ashley played collegiately at Tyler (Texas) Junior College and Kansas, where he earned all-Big 12 honors in 2004 and 2005.
Ashley was on the UA campus Monday, sources told the Democrat-Gazette. As a central Texas native now well-versed in recruiting fertile eastern Oklahoma, Ashley would check off several boxes for Arkansas’ recruiting needs.
Ashley would be the fourth new assistant coach on Pittman’s second-year staff, following receivers coach Kenny Guiton, linebackers coach Michael Scherer and tight ends coach Cody Kennedy.
The Democrat-Gazette received the official termination letters Monday for LeBlanc, tight ends coach Jon Cooper and linebackers coach Rion Rhoades after a public-records request.
All three of the assistant coaches were working under two-year deals, meaning they would be owed salary for another year, less mitigation from future employment in 2021. Rhoades would not fall into that category, however, as his letter — dated Jan. 27 — included notification he is being reassigned immediately to non-coaching duties within the department and will continue being paid at his current salary.
LeBlanc, with an original salary of $450,000, was the fourth-highest paid assistant coach on the 2020 staff behind coordinators Barry Odom ($1.3 million) and Kendal Briles ($1 million), and offensive line coach Brad Davis ($650,000).
All of the UA coaches agreed to tiered salary reductions last summer when it became apparent the department would suffer a significant financial hit due to reduced capacity at Reynolds Razorback Stadium and other issues related to the coronavirus pandemic. For LeBlanc, Cooper and Rhoades, the reduction was 10% for a 10-month period between Sept. 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021.
Cooper’s original salary was $300,000, while Rhoades’ pay of $225,000 was tied for the lowest on staff with cornerbacks coach Sam Carter and running backs coach Jimmy Smith.