Arkansas football hires coaches for running backs, defensive line, cornerbacks

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FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas football announced three more hirings for new head coach Ryan Silverfield’s first coaching staff on Thursday, Dec. 18.

Defensive line coach Marion Hobby, cornerbacks coach Eddie Hicks and running backs coach David Johnson are officially Razorbacks.

Silverfield now has eight assistants on staff. The three new hires join offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey, defensive coordinator Ron Roberts, special teams coordinator Chad Lunsford, offensive line coach Jeff Myers, wide receivers coach Larry Smith and head strength and conditioning coach Noah Franklin.

Hobby arrives from Tennessee, where he spent the 2025 season as an assistant defensive line coach. He helped the Vols rank fifth nationally in sacks per game (3.0) and 13th in tackles for loss per game (6.8).

Before that, Hobby had an eight-year run as an NFL assistant. He spent stints with the Cincinnati Bengals (2021-24), Miami Dolphins (2019-20) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2017-18). He helped the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI in 2022 after winning the AFC North division in 2021 and 2022.

From 2011-2016, Hobby served as the co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach at Clemson. Hobby played at Tennessee for the legendary Vols head coach and former Arkansas assistant coach Johnny Majors from 1986-89 as a four-year letterman and a three-year starter. Hobby was team captain in 1989 as a senior leading his team to an 11-1 SEC championship season capped by a Cotton Bowl victory over Arkansas.

Hicks joins the Razorbacks after serving as Cincinnati’s cornerbacks coach in 2025. He brings SEC experience, previously serving as the lead defensive analyst for LSU from 2023-24.

Prior to LSU, Hicks spent one season at Jacksonville State as cornerbacks coach, helping the team post a 9-2 record as it transitioned from FCS to FBS.

Hicks played at Southern Miss, graduating in 2009. He registered 238 tackles and 13 interceptions during his career, earning All-Conference USA accolades in 2008 and 2009 with an All-Freshman team nod in 2006.

Johnson joins the Arkansas from Florida State, where he coached the Seminoles running backs and served as the program’s recruiting coordinator since 2020. He has had at least one player selected in each of the last seven NFL Drafts.

Florida State’s rushing attack led the ACC in yards per game this past season, averaging 218.7 yards while scoring a league-best 31 rushing touchdowns.

Prior to Florida State, Johnson coached at Tennessee for two years, leading the Volunteers’ wide receivers in 2018 before taking of the team’s running backs in 2019. He coached alongside Silverfield at Memphis during the 2016-17 seasons as the Tigers’ wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator.

Johnson played at Nicholls State, where he earned All-Southland Conference honorable mention as a wide receiver in 1992 and again as a wide receiver and punt returner in 1993.

Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at jfuller@usatodayco.com or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas football hires RB, CB and DL coaches under Ryan Silverfield

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