Head Coach Ryan Silverfield selected a familiar name when he tabbed Mitch Stewart as Arkansas’ quarterbacks coach.
Stewart spent each of the last two seasons on Silverfield’s staff at Memphis, serving as a senior offensive analyst in 2024 before being promoted to QB coach in 2025. Stewart had joined the coaching staff at South Alabama in January as the Jaguars’ wide receivers coach.
In 2025, Stewart took a new starting quarterback in Brendon Lewis and helped the Tigers to an 8-5 record, including a six-game winning streak to open the season. Lewis was steady after transferring from Nevada, passing for 2,673 yards while completing 68.8% of his passes (253-for-368) with 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions to go with 660 yards rushing and nine more scores. The Dallas native rushed for a season-best 103 yards in a win over Arkansas.
The Tigers went 11-2 capped by a victory over West Virginia during Stewart’s first season in Memphis in 2024. He helped a successful offense rank 20th in the nation in passing yards per game with 270.5 yards, 26th nationally in first downs with 300 and 17th in third-down conversion percentage (.461). Quarterback Seth Henigan finished off an impressive career with 3,502 yards passing with 25 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 64.8% of his passes (309-for-477).
Prior to Memphis, Stewart served as the offensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee for two seasons (2022-23). In 2023, the Blue Raiders ranked 14th nationally in completion percentage (67.4%) while passing for 3,192 yards and averaging 266.1 yards per game to rank 34th among FBS teams and fourth in Conference USA. Stewart paired the team’s passing attack with a solid run game, averaging 125.1 yards per game, to rank fifth in C-USA in total offense with 391.1 yards per game. QB Nicholas Vattiato finished second in the league with 257.7 passing yards per game, throwing for 3,092 yards to become just the second Blue Raider in program history to eclipse 3,000 passing yards.
In his first season calling plays for the Blue Raiders in 2022, Stewart directed an offense that featured WR Jaylin Lane, who caught 69 passes to rank 10th all time in a single season at Middle Tennessee, and QB Chase Cunningham, who passed for 3,156 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Stewart joined the staff at Samford in 2020 as the wide receivers coach before adding the offensive coordinator duties in 2021. The Bulldogs operated a high-powered offense during his two seasons. During his season as the offensive coordinator, Samford ranked sixth nationally in the FCS in completion percentage, eighth in red zone offense, ninth in passing offense and 11th in total offense. Stewart’s offense scored 52 points at Florida, including 42 in the first half, to match the most points scored by an FCS team against an FBS opponent and were the most points ever allowed by Florida against a non-conference, non-Power Five opponent since its induction in 1906.
A pair of Bulldogs – WR Montrell Washington and QB Liam Welch – ranked in the top 50 nationally in numerous offensive categories. Washington led the NCAA in all-purpose yards (1,938) and became the first FCS player since 1998 to have a rushing, receiving and kick-return touchdown against a P5 team. Stewart coached four All-Conference players during the spring season of 2021, including Welch who picked up SoCon Offensive Player of the Year honors and was a Second-Team All-American.
Stewart was the head coach at Murray State for five seasons (2015-19) after joining the Racers in 2010 as the wide receivers coach before taking over playcalling duties in 2011.
During his tenure at Murray State, Stewart saw five players make it to the NFL, including LB Quincy Williams who heard his name called in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft by Jacksonville to become the Racers’ earliest pick in program history.
Stewart led the Racers to their best finish in seven years during the 2018 season, which included a 4-0 start and a win over No. 19 Southeast Missouri State – a 31-point comeback victory to become the largest comeback in program history. Six Racers earned All-OVC honors that season along with WR Malik Honeycutt and OL Levi Nesler picking up All-America honors.
During the 2017 season, Stewart coached the Racers to an upset over then No. 24 UT Martin to mark his third ranked win in two seasons. DB D’Montre Wade was named to the All-OVC First Team while WR Jordon Gandy, kicker Gabriel Vicente and QB Shuler Bentley also earned All-OVC recognition. DB Zach Shipley was placed on the Google Cloud Academic All-America list.
In his second season at the helm of the Racers in 2016, Stewart led the program to consecutive ranked wins for the first time in program history with wins over No. 15 Eastern Illinois and No. 25 Tennessee State. Stewart coached quarterback KD Humphries to become the program’s all-time leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns, pass attempts and completions. Kicker Connor Mitchell set a school record for the most field goals made in a single game with six to earn National Special Teams Player of the Week from STATS. Mitchell’s 1.8 field goals made per game led the FCS.
In his first season leading Murray State, the Racers posted the second-best passing offense in the nation (347.3 ypg) and the 12th ranked offense while leading the team to its first road win since the 2012 season with a thrilling 46-43 overtime win at Tennessee State. Four players were named to All-OVC teams with QB KD Humphries finishing seventh in the STATS Offensive Player of the Year voting.
As the offensive coordinator for the Racers for four seasons, Stewart produced one of the nation’s best offenses. In 2014, Murray State’s passing game was ranked third in the FCS (327.2 ypg) after recording the most rushing yards in a single season (1,886) in nearly a decade the season prior. In his first two seasons as the offensive coordinator, the Racers’ offense was the only team in the FCS to rank in the top five in total offense both seasons.
In 2012, Stewart coached QB Casey Brockman to All-American honors for the second-consecutive season and led him to program records in passing attempts, pass completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns.
During his first season calling plays, Stewart led Murray State’s offense to 5,070 yards of total offense, including a 707-yard effort against Tennessee State.
Stewart spent the 2010 season as the wide receivers coach for the Racers and coached Marcus Harris, who produced the second-best single season in receptions, tied for second in total yards and eighth in total touchdowns in school history. Harris left Murray State as the all-time leader in receptions (216) and yards (2,471) and while earning All-American honors from the Associated Press and The Sports Network. In the same year, Stewart coached Arthur Brackett to a freshman record 62 catches in a single season for 617 yards and three touchdowns. Brackett nearly broke an FCS freshman record (15) with 13 catches against Jacksonville State.
Prior to his stint at Murray State, Stewart spent three seasons as a member of the Georgia Southern coaching staff and worked primarily with the wide receivers and handled team travel. In his second season with the Eagles, the offense led the Southern Conference and ranked 20th nationally in passing offense. WR Raja Andrews shattered three single-season records, one single-game mark and the career receptions record at Georgia Southern.
Stewart began his coaching career as the offensive coordinator at Newnan High School in Newnan, Ga., helping lead the team to its first region title in 14 years while qualifying for the state playoffs.
A four-year player at Valdosta State as a quarterback, Stewart was a part of the Blazers’ 2004 national championship team and the 2002 national runner-Up squad. He earned his degree in business education in 2005.
Stewart and his wife, Rikki, have two daughters, Stella and Emerson.
The Stewart File
Birthdate: Nov. 8, 1982
Hometown:
High School: Northgate HS (Ga.)
College: Valdosta State, 2005
Family: Wife – Rikki; Daughters – Stella and Emerson
Coaching Experience
2006 Newnan HS (Ga.) – Offensive Coordinator
2007-09 Georgia Southern – Wide Receivers
2010 Murray State – Wide Receivers
2011-14 Murray State – Offensive Coordinator
2015-19 Murray State – Head Coach
2020 Samford – Wide Receivers
2021 Samford – Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers
2022-23 Middle Tennessee – Offensive Coordinator/Inside Receivers
2024 Memphis – Senior Offensive Analyst
2025 Memphis – Quarterbacks
Playing Experience
2001-05 Valdosta State
