 On December 10, 1997, Houston Nutt was hired as head football coach for the Razorbacks (1998 season was his first full season) to replace Danny Ford, who had been head coach since 1993, and the 1998 season was his first full season.Highly sought after as a Little Rock Central quarterback, Nutt had been the last recruit to sign under Broyles, but transferred to Oklahoma State University once when he did not fit Holtz's offensive plans.Soon after Houston Dale Nutt's departure, Atlanta Falcons head coach Bobby Petrino abruptly departed the NFL to lead the Hogs.