FAYETTEVILLE -- Ryan Silverfield flew into Fayetteville with high hopes on Sunday as the 35th head football coach in University of Arkansas history.

Silverfield, 45, will be tasked with reversing the fortunes of a program that finished in last place in the 16-team SEC with a 2-10 record and an 0-8 mark in conference play. He will try to become the first Arkansas coach since Bobby Petrino, who just completed an 0-7 stint as the interim coach, to finish with a winning record.

Silverfield agreed to a 5-year contract valued at $33.5 million, or $6.7 million per season, to lead the Razorbacks.

Silverfield is coming off a 50-25 stint at Memphis, where he guided the Tigers to bowl games each of his six seasons to extend the program's streak to 12 consecutive berths.

Prior to flying from Memph

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