Arkansas Taps Veteran Coach to Lead Special Teams Turnaround

Chad Lunsford brings extensive head coaching experience to Razorbacks' staff

Apr. 16, 2026 at 2:07pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a football field and players in motion, with sharp, overlapping planes of color representing the dynamic nature of special teams plays.Lunsford's expertise in special teams could provide a much-needed boost to the Razorbacks' overall performance.Fayetteville Today

When Arkansas hired Ryan Silverfield as its new head coach, he promised to assemble one of the best coaching staffs in the nation. Silverfield delivered on that promise by bringing in veteran assistant Chad Lunsford as the Razorbacks' special teams coordinator.

Why it matters

Lunsford's previous experience as a successful head coach at Georgia Southern and his track record of developing strong special teams units will be crucial as Arkansas looks to turn around its program. His ability to impact the entire roster as a special teams coordinator could provide a boost to the Razorbacks.

The details

Lunsford has over 30 years of coaching experience, including 13 seasons at Georgia Southern where he started as a special teams coach and eventually became the head coach, leading the Eagles to three consecutive bowl games. He then spent time as the special teams coordinator at Florida Atlantic and Auburn before joining Silverfield's staff at Arkansas. Lunsford is known for his ability to evaluate and develop kickers and punters, which will be important as the Razorbacks look to improve their special teams performance.

  • Lunsford was promoted to interim head coach at Georgia Southern in 2017 and led the team to a 10-win season.
  • He spent the 2022-2024 seasons as the special teams coordinator at Florida Atlantic.
  • Lunsford was the special teams coordinator at Auburn in 2025 before joining Arkansas this offseason.

The players

Ryan Silverfield

The new head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks who promised to assemble one of the best coaching staffs in the nation.

Chad Lunsford

The veteran assistant coach who was hired as the special teams coordinator for the Arkansas Razorbacks, bringing over 30 years of coaching experience including a successful stint as the head coach at Georgia Southern.

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What they’re saying

“As the special teams coordinator you get to touch the entire team. I love that aspect of it. I tried to kind of grow myself in that in that role and was able to get a special teams coordinator job at Georgia Southern and really got interlocked with the entire team. Then, it ended up leading to a head coaching job, which as the head coach, I continued to do special teams.”

— Chad Lunsford, Special Teams Coordinator, Arkansas Razorbacks

What’s next

Lunsford will work to evaluate the Razorbacks' current special teams personnel and implement his proven strategies to improve the unit's performance ahead of the 2026 season.

The takeaway

Silverfield's decision to bring in a veteran coach like Lunsford to lead the special teams could pay dividends for Arkansas as they look to turn around their program. Lunsford's track record of success and ability to impact an entire roster as a special teams coordinator make him a valuable addition to the Razorbacks' coaching staff.