Following eight years of coaching at his former school, Mike Neighbors has been let go from Arkansas.
Sources verified with SB Nation
That Neighbors and Arkansas were ending their relationship, with the university officially presenting his departure as a resignation on Tuesday afternoon.
The Razorbacks will have to pay Neighbors a buyout totaling over $1 million. He returned to Fayetteville just a year after leaving Washington – which was previously guided by him on the court.
WNBA
Kelsey Plum — an All-Star making her debut at the Final Four. However, Neighbors couldn’t achieve that same level of success with the Razorbacks.
Between 2019 and 2022, he experienced three robust performances; however, the NCAA Tournament got cancelled in 2020, and the Razorbacks suffered early exits in both rounds of 2021 and 2022. In 2023, Arkansas found itself outside the March Madness selection despite their efforts earlier, and Coach Neighbors posted an 9-23 mark within conference games across his last couple of years.
In total, Neighbors amassed a 148-114 record during his tenure at Arkansas, led the Hogs to a peak ranking of No. 10 in the AP Top 25 Poll, saw two players selected in the WNBA Draft, and guided them to two NCAA Tournament appearances. However, this past season—wherein Arkansas finished with a 10-22 record and a win rate of just .313—marked their poorest performance since 1981.
Neighbors wasn’t brought onboard by the current Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek in 2017—back then, Jeff Long was still overseeing the Hogs’ athletics—but Yurachek gave him an extension running until 2028 in 2021.
Yurachek has been considering dismissing Neighbors for the past seven days, following Arkansas’ 79-74 loss to Georgia last Wednesday.
SEC Tournament
Multiple sources verified with SB Nation that Yurachck has already reached out to one possible contender, Molly Miller from Grand Canyon, who is likewise anticipated to be part of the selection process.
For openings at Arizona State University
and Missouri.
Although Miller hails originally from Missouri and now coaches not far from his birthplace,
Arizona State
, Arkansas possesses the funds. Neighbor’s yearly compensation ranked him as the eighth highest-paid coach in the SEC, and his earnings were even higher.
than both Robin Pingeton
And Natasha Adair — who previously coached at Missouri and Arizona State.
Miller, who is 38 years old, is scheduled to lead Grand Canyon in the WAC Tournament match on Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET in Las Vegas, Nevada. Under her guidance, the Lopes secured a remarkable 29-2 performance throughout the regular season—comprising two victories against teams from Power 5 conferences—and an impeccable 16-0 standing within their league. Over her tenure of five years at Grand Canyon, she has compiled a record of 114-37 and previously achieved a commendable 180-17 tally during her stint as a Division II team leader.
Should Arkansas fail to secure Miller, these could be the alternatives they turn to:
Elena Lovato
Long-time aide to Vic Schaefer during his tenure at Mississippi State and currently with Texas, Lovato enjoys considerable respect within coaching communities and boasts extensive experience both as a head coach and an assistant across various tiers. Besides aiding Schaefer’s squads achieve remarkable accomplishments, she previously held the position of head coach at Division II’s Arkansas-Fort Smith where she guided her squad into the Division II NCAA Tournament in just her second year. Additionally, she holds an impressive 113-8 record as a junior college head coach and clinched two NJCAA national titles. Lovato understands the intricacies of the SEC, excels in winning games, and is well-acquainted with recruitment strategies throughout Arkansas.
Kellie Harper
Harper appears unlikely to secure the position at Missouri, but she might be well-suited for Arkansas. Throughout her career as a head coach across four institutions—Western Carolina, N.C. State, Missouri State, and Tennessee—she boasts a 60.2% winning record, participation in nine NCAA Tournaments, and five conference titles over two decades. Notably, she guided Missouri State to the Sweet 16 and elevated it to become a formidable mid-major team. Additionally, during her tenure with the Lady Vols, she advanced them to the second round of March Madness twice. It’s worth noting that Arkansas last reached the Sweet 16 back in 1998. Although Harper did not achieve success at Tennessee, she demonstrated consistent victory at an elite level throughout much of her coaching journey.
Ayla Guzzardo
Although this appears unlikely on paper—and transitioning from the Southland Conference to the SEC is certainly significant—there is an established link between Guzzardo and Yurachek: during her final years as a player at Akron, he served as the school’s senior associate athletic director. This suggests they might have some familiarity with each other. Since taking over, Guzzardo has led the Southeastern Louisiana Lions to five consecutive winning seasons following 22 out of their previous 24 seasons with subpar records. Moreover, under her guidance, the team secured their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023 and now aims for another invitation as they enter the conference tournament as the top seed after clinching the regular-season championship.
