2013 College Football: Taver Johnson Kept on Razorback Staff
By Ryan Wright
April 21, 2012; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorback interim head coach Taver Johnson looks on during the spring game at Donald W. Reynolds Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Beth Hall-USA TODAY Sports
Fayetteville, Ark. – Arkansas linebacker’s coach Taver Johnson has been retained by new head coach Bret Bielema as the team’s new cornerbacks coach.
Johnson spent the 2012 season coaching an Arkansas roster void of healthy or SEC experienced linebacker for much of the year. Johnson dealt with the losses of senior linebackers Kiero Small, Alonzo Highsmith, and eventually Tank Wright to injury. If dealing with those obstacles was not enough, Johnson then had to contend with a late season suspension of senior Terrell Williams due to a DUI arrest.
The maturation and play of true freshmen A.J. Turner and Otha Peters under Johnson’s guidance in the absence of the experienced Razorback linebackers showed by leaps and bounds come season’s end.
The move from linebackers coach to cornerbacks coach may prove to be a better fit for Johnson, he spent five years on the Ohio State staff before coming to Arkansas in that same capacity.
One more position remains to be filled on Bielema’s staff, many assume a tight end coach will be hired leaving one assistant to pull double-duty as special teams coordinator in 2013.