Razorback head coach Chad Morris has hired former Liberty head coach Turner Gill as the Executive Director of Student-Athlete and Staff Development.

Gill has been the head coach of three different programs starting with Buffalo in 2006. He recruited NFL superstar linebacker Khalil Mack to campus while with the Bulls, and he led them to a program-first Mid-American Conference title. After his stint with Buffalo, Gill took the head coaching job at Kansas. He coached the Jayhawks for two seasons and led the team to a combined record of 5-19. Liberty hired Gill as their head coach prior to the 2012 seasons, and he would coach for seven seasons. He led the Flames to a record of 47-35, including a 6-6 record in their first FBS season in 2018. The Flames won four conference championships and earned the program’s first-ever FCS playoff berth before moving into the FBS level. He announced his retirement from coaching in December of 2018.

“Adding someone with Turner’s experience and knowledge to our staff is going to provide a tremendous boost for our student-athletes and our staff,” Morris said. “From his time as a player at Nebraska to working in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers to serving as a head coach, he has so much to offer our athletes, coaches and staff. We’re excited for him to be a Razorback and have him help build our culture.”

According to the University of Arkansas, Gill will provide direct oversight for football student-athlete programming designed to foster leadership. He will also provide guidance and engage the Razorback community.

Gill was a star quarterback at Nebraska in the early 1980s. He started 30 games and finished with a career record of 28-2. He led the Huskers to a perfect 20-0 conference record during his career along with three consecutive Big Eight championships. He was an All-American and Heisman finalist while playing at Nebraska.

After a brief stint in the Canadian Football League with the Montreal Concordes, Gill began his coaching career as a graduate assistant in 1990. He went onto become a full-time assistant at his alma mater from 1994-2004. He polished 2001 Heisman quarterback Eric Crouch while helping lead the Cornhuskers to three national championships (1994, 1995 and 1997). In 2005, he took a job in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers where he served as the team’s Director of Player Development. The Packers drafted 2-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl Champion Aaron Rodgers while Gill was with the franchise.

“I am thrilled to become a part of the Razorback family,” Gill said. “When I retired from head coaching, I knew that I still wanted to be involved in athletics in some way. This job could not have been more perfect for what I believe I was called to do. It is a blessing to be able to work with student-athletes to prepare them for success both on and off the field, for the rest of their lives.”