Brewer investing in present, future of Arkansas basketball

Former Fayetteville, Arkansas and NBA guard Ronnie Brewer coaches from the bench Friday on April 12, 2019, during play at Fayetteville High School.

FAYETTEVILLE — Make no mistake about it, Ronnie Brewer wants to one day become a college basketball coach.

But right now he is perfectly fine with his new off-the-court role.

On July 20, Brewer, the former Razorbacks guard and lottery pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, was hired as Arkansas basketball’s recruiting coordinator, a position in which he will work hand in hand with director of recruiting Michael Musselman. At age 36, he is replacing Pat Ackerman, who is moving on from coaching and will move back to his native Michigan with his wife, Victoria.

Brewer’s mission is to set the Razorbacks up for the future on the recruiting front while also investing in the now.

“The biggest thing for me is the mentorship,” Brewer said Wednesday. “When the guys are walking off the court, being able to talk to them about the stuff I see, or when they're in the locker room, 'Alright, man, you had a phenomenal practice, but I think you might need to do this and this.'

“Or, 'This is an approach you might need to take in juggling academics, strength and conditioning, getting your body right and putting the work in on the court.' Then one of the areas that is new, and is a gray area to everybody, is NIL – how to create your own brand, and how to maintain that brand, how to branch off and show your true personality.”

Most recently an assistant boys basketball coach at Fayetteville High School, Brewer learned the importance of relationship building from Bulldogs coach Brad Stamps. He then carried that over to the AAU circuit with the Woodz Elite U16 team.

Taking care of those currently in the Arkansas program and on the roster is a top priority.

“We've got to continue to pull with the guys that are in the gym here right now, making sure they're developing, making sure they're taking care of their bodies, making sure they're getting stronger,” Brewer said. “(We’ll be) making sure they're getting better on their weaknesses and polishing on their strengths.

“If we're only focused on the outside guys, it's not going to be as attractive to come to the University of Arkansas if we don't come back stronger than we did last year when we had that good Elite Eight run.”

In terms of surveying and recruiting from the high school level and the transfer portal, Brewer credits himself with an eye for talent and players who have a strong work ethic.

He added that it is a unique time for in-state recruiting with a great deal of high-caliber talent. The Razorbacks currently have three commitments in their 2022 class and two — Derrian Ford (Magnolia) and Joseph Pinion (Morrilton) — are Arkansas products.

“From a guy that's from the state of Arkansas from Fayetteville that went to the university,” Brewer said, “it means a lot to me to make sure this works out, to make sure we have the best players and are putting the best product on the floor to represent the University of Arkansas."