TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- Arkansas offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, who had to subordinate a passing offense while the Razorbacks relied on their running game last season, has accepted a position as assistant head coach and co-offensive coordinator at Tulsa, new Tulsa coach Todd Graham announced Monday.
Malzahn, 41, joined Arkansas coach Houston Nutt's staff before the 2005 season when Nutt added an offensive coordinator. Malzahn was coach at Springdale High School, and Bulldogs quarterback Mitch Mustain, tight end Ben Cleveland and receiver Damian Williams signed with Arkansas. Williams has since transferred to Southern California.
Graham already has named Herb Hand as the other co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach.
"I'm excited to have Gus join our coaching staff," Graham said in a statement. "He has a great offensive mind and his no-huddle spread offense style is exactly what we want to employ at Tulsa."
Graham has named six members from his staff at Rice who will follow him to Tulsa.
Assistants Dean Jackson, Danny Phillips, Jason Jones, Jess Loepp, Bo Graham and strength and conditioning coordinator Yancy McKnight will help coach the Golden Hurricanes. Jackson is the only offensive coach coming from the Owls' staff.
Nutt, who was out of town recruiting on Monday, said he wished Malzahn "nothing but the best both personally and professionally."
"We are very appreciative of the many contributions Gus made to our staff and to our program during his tenure with the Razorbacks," Nutt said in a statement. "In his first season as a coach at the collegiate level, he was an integral part of a team that won 10 games and won an SEC Western Division championship."
As a high school coach, Malzahn led his team to a state title by using his no-huddle offense. The coach wrote a short book, "The Hurry-Up, No-Huddle: An Offensive Philosophy," published in 2003.
