 Bret Bielema was a bit skeptical when long-time secretary Clarinda Carr told him who had called the football offices to speak to him a few weeks ago.

“I’ll get an occasional prank call, right, trying to screen them out a little bit,” Bielema said.

Nolan Richardson was purportedly on the line.

“I’m like, ‘Coach Richardson? Come on,’” Bielema said.

But it really was the former Arkansas hall of fame basketball coach. He and Bielema had only met a few times, but he apparently thought the football coach could use a few words of encouragement with the Razorbacks mired in a slump.

“He was just awesome,” Bielema said. “Gave me a couple good words and some things to go with. … 'All sickness is not death.'”

Bielema first met Richardson at Mike Anderson’s house in his second year at Arkansas. The current basketball coach isn’t a stranger to him either.

“Mike Anderson always reaches out,” Bielema said.

Richardson wasn’t the only former Arkansas coach to reach out to Bielema. He also heard from a former football coach from back in the Southwest Conference days.

“I come up to the office one day and coach (Ken) Hatfield’s standing there and gives me some things to read,” Bielema said. “He’s so spiritually driven and gave me some great stuff weeks ago.”

The rally from a 31-7 deficit for the win over the Rebels snapped a three-game losing streak and gave Arkansas its first SEC win after an 0-4 start. The win was a much-needed boost for the Hogs, keeping alive the chances of making a fourth straight bowl appearance in the midst of questions about the future of the program.

Bielema went down a list of people who’d reached out with support before or after the win, naming basketball, baseball, track, softball and golf coaches at the school, current players and their parents, recruits and their parents, former players of his and former Razorbacks who pre-date his time in Fayetteville.

And a few former coaches, of course.

“Just never ceases to amaze me anyone who’s been associated with Arkansas, how warm and generous they are,” Bielema said.