Report: Arkansas contacted Pete Carroll about opening, not interested

Arkansas? Really? Huh. (Getty Images)

The Arkansas Razorbacks have a tough spot to fill: they need to land a head coach to replace Bobby Petrino. They're reportedly "likely" to make a move soon, and they're reportedly swinging for the fences and chasing after current Seahawks coach Pete Carroll.

That's according to 5 News Sports in Arkansas (who, incidentally, has a link to my colleague Chip Patterson's post on Philip Fulmer being tied to the Hogs), who also reports that Carroll turned down Arkansas' offer.

5 News also reports that NFL Network analyst Steve Mariucci contacted Arkanas about their opening.

Backing up those reports is an interesting comment from the old horse's mouth itself, Pete Carroll's Twitter account:

I still love the Arkansas fight song... But Mooch is the man... Go Razorbacks!

— Pete Carroll (@PeteCarroll) April 19, 2012

Carroll doesn't say that Arkansas contacted him, but it's not as if it really matters: there's no chance in hell that he'd leave his gig with the Seahawks for the Razorbacks job.

Spring practice has already started for 2012, so there's limited time to recruit, prepare, keep kids from transferring, etc. And the Seahawks are a team on the rise.

Mooch is a much more likely candidate, and he would be an interesting fit. However, he hasn't coached since 2005, and additionally, as Mariucci told CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd, "it comes as complete surprise" to hear those rumors.

"I just had a few phone calls from my son and a few friends asking what's going on and to be honest I hadn't heard about it,” Mariucci told CBSSports.com's Dodd. "It comes as a complete surprise to me.”