FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Former Arkansas assistant coach David Lee, an assistant with the Dallas Cowboys since 2003, will rejoin the Razorbacks as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
"He loves the Razorback program and will work tirelessly to help this program succeed at the highest levels," coach Houston Nutt said in a statement.
Lee coached at Arkansas from 1984-88 under Ken Hatfield and in 2001-02 under Nutt. Lee left the first time to be head coach at UTEP and left for the Cowboys after the 2002 season. He also worked for Hatfield at Rice from 1994-2000.
In a statement provided by Arkansas, Dallas coach Bill Parcells said Lee would be an asset to the Razorbacks.
"While he has been with the Cowboys, he has helped all of our quarterbacks develop and grow," Parcells said. "I think he is an excellent teacher of fundamentals at the quarterback position and he has a solid grasp of how to develop an effective offensive philosophy with the talent that is available to him."
His final year with the Cowboys was eventful. Drew Bledsoe was benched at halftime against the New York Giants early in the season and replaced by Tony Romo, who won four of his first five starts and guided Dallas to the playoffs. The Cowboys were eliminated by Seattle 21-20 in a wild-card game when Romo, also the holder on field goals, dropped the snap on a 19-yard attempt in the final minute.
The Razorbacks' previous offensive coordinator, Gus Malzahn, left this week to become assistant head coach at Tulsa. Malzahn was hired from Springdale High School a year ago while the Razorbacks were recruiting Mitch Mustain, the Parade magazine prep player of the year in 2005.
Mustain signed with Arkansas, but Nutt said the quarterback had received a release from his scholarship after Malzahn quit. Mustain has not said where he will enroll.
Lee was Nutt's quarterbacks coach in 2001 and 2002, coaching Matt Jones, now an NFL receiver with Jacksonville.
