'I'm not going anywhere'—Dave Van Horn quells the rumors of his retirement

The rumors of Dave Van Horn retiring seem to be just that. The head Hog spoke for himself Saturday, telling the media that he's staying at Arkansas for the foreseeable future.

Dave Van Horn puts an end to the retirement rumors

"I'm not retiring. I'm not going anywhere," Van Horn told the Omaha World-Herald.

The rumors first flared up when the 23-year-head coach was caught on a hot mic telling Crieghton's head coach that he wasn't far behind him while shaking hands after Arkansas punched its ticket to the Super Regionals. His reaction after beating Tennessee in the Fayetteville Super Regional only fanned the flames. A rarely seen emotional Van Horn could hardly get through his opening statement as the gravity of what Arkansas accomplished hit him all at once. Thankfully, it looks like he was just happy to be there, and who could blame him?

The Diamond Hogs have been through it over the last two seasons. Arkansas' season has ended in its own regional in back-to-back years after being one of the favorites to win the College World Series. In the meantime, Van Horn has had to watch five SEC programs win a national championship after Arkansas dropped (literally) its chance at a title in 2018.

Despite going to the CWS once before in 2022, this team is arguably the best the Hogs have produced since that 2018 squad, meaning this may be the best chance Van Horn and the Razorbacks have had to win it all since, and may be in his tenure at Arkansas.

It's also evident that this team is not only special on the field but also to Van Horn personally.

"This is a special group," he said after beating Tennessee in the Super Regionals. "These guys have fun. They get along. They’re fun to coach, they’re fun to be around. They’ve got some personality. … It would’ve been hard, for me, if this good a team didn’t get to Omaha, without winning a championship somewhere. They didn’t win a trophy, they didn’t get a ring, they didn’t get the SEC Championship, didn’t get the Tournament championship.

"If we would’ve lost this series, it would’ve been like, this is the best team that didn’t do anything. Now, it’s one of the best teams that’s ever come through here. You never know how it’s going to go from here, but they’re down to the final eight, and that’s a championship to me. That’s big.”

Van Horn and the Hogs' first step to realizing the dream of hoisting the Commissioner's Trophy in Omaha happens Saturday evening. Arkansas and LSU—the top-two-seeded teams left in the tournament—will face off for the fourth time this season.