Arkansas has officially hired veteran SEC defensive coordinator John Chavis for the same position, the team announced on its official website.
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"I'm excited for the opportunity to help Coach Morris build the Arkansas program and join the great staff that he is putting together," Chavis said. "It's a great time to be at the University of Arkansas and I can't wait to get started on building a defense that our fans can be excited about."
Chavis, 61, is one of the most experienced assistant coaches in the SEC, having spent 29 consecutive seasons working at Tennessee (1989-2008), LSU (2009-14) and most recently Texas A&M (2015-17), which includes more than 20 years working as a defensive coordinator.
He was also among the highest-paid coordinators in college football last season, earning an annual salary of $1.6 million. Only Clemson's Brent Veneables and LSU's Dave Aranda were paid more in 2017.
"I'm excited to have Coach Chavis as our defensive coordinator, which was a very important hire for our program," head coach Chad Morris said. "It's so important to play great defense in the SEC and Coach Chavis brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and success in the league to the table."
Chavis' hiring was initially reported last month by Jeff Rickard of ESPN 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis
A&M ranked 63rd in total defense this season, while the Razorbacks ranked No. 102 overall, playing a key role in their 4-8 overall record.
Arkansas hired Morris to replace Bret Bielema earlier this month. Morris has spent the past three seasons at SMU, where he compiled a 14-22 (8-16 AAC) overall record after inheriting a team that had previously finished its season at 1-11 (1-7).
SMU improved its record during each of his three seasons in Dallas, which included a 7-5 finish in 2017.
Morris had previously worked as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Clemson from 2011-14 and Tulsa in 2010 before that.
Morris also spent 16 seasons coaching high school football in Texas, where he recorded a 169-38 overall career record, including leading Lake Travis High School to consecutive 16-0 seasons and state title seasons in 2008-09.
