On December 10, 1997, Boise State head coach Houston Nutt was hired by the University of Arkansas to succeed Danny Ford. Upon his arrival at Arkansas, Nutt invigorated the Hog fan base with his enthusiasm and high energy. Under Nutt, the Razorbacks were one of three SEC schools to play in three New Year's Day bowls within five years. Nutt's teams were noted for a series of overtime games, including the two longest overtime games in NCAA history. Off the field, some of Nutt's players were named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll 145 times and he has established a reputation as a responsible coach academically. Nutt received some criticism for a SEC win-loss record that was just barely over .500 and because he calls his own offensive plays during a game instead of relying on an offensive coordinator. In his first six seasons, Nutt led the team to a bowl game each year and averaged eight wins per season.