Cramsey, Lunsford, Roberts named coordinators
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – New Arkansas Head Coach Ryan Silverfield has hired his coordinators with Tim Cramsey named offensive coordinator, Chad Lunsford special teams coordinator and Ron Roberts defensive coordinator.
Cramsey rejoins Silverfield after serving as his offensive coordinator at Memphis for the last four seasons. In his four seasons calling plays for the Tigers, his offenses were among the nation’s best in scoring, ranking in the Top 25 all four years while averaging 36.3 points per game over 51 games across his tenure.
His final Memphis offense featured a balanced attack in 2025, averaging 420.7 total yards per game with 186.1 yards rushing and 234.6 yards passing. The Tigers’ offense featured three All-American Conference selections, including first teamers WR Cortez Braham Jr. and OL Travis Burke. RB Sutton Smith was third-team selection as a running back and a first-team pick as a return specialist. Braham Jr. led the Tigers with 63 receptions, 889 yards and eight touchdowns. Smith paced the Memphis running game with 669 yards on just 102 carries with seven touchdowns. As a returner, Smith combined for 280 yards on 15 punt returns and five kick returns, including a 99-yard touchdown at UAB.
Memphis’ 11-win season in 2024 was fueled by Cramsey’s offense that helped the Tigers finish the season No. 23 in the Coaches’ Poll and No. 24 in the AP Poll. The Tigers averaged 35.7 points per game to rank 12th nationally while averaging 444.5 yards per game to rank 16th in the FBS. QB Seth Henigan became the American Conference’s all-time leading passer with 14,266 yards and 104 touchdowns in his four-year career with the Tigers.
Prior to joining Silverfield’s Memphis staff, Cramsey served as the offensive coordinator at Marshall for four seasons (2018-21). His 2021 offense finished the year ranked 16th with 456.8 yards per game of total offense and 18th in passing yards per game with 294.4 yards. RB Rasheen Ali earned Freshman All-American honors from the Football Writers Association of America and First-Team All-Conference USA after leading the nation in rushing touchdowns (23), scoring (11.5 ppg), total points (150) and total touchdowns (25). His 1,401 yards were good enough for 10th in the FBS. QB Grant Wells passed for 3,532 yards to finish 15th in the nation. In 2020, Wells earned Conference USA Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-Conference USA. RB Brenden Knox was named Conference USA Most Valuable Player after scoring 11 touchdowns and running for 1,387 yards.
Cramsey has served as an offensive coordinator at seven schools since 2009, when he was promoted to take over the offense at New Hampshire, his alma mater. He called plays at FIU in 2012, Montana State for three seasons (2012-15), Sam Houston State in 2017, Marshall and Memphis.
As a player at New Hampshire (1994-97), Cramsey played quarterback and long snapper. He and his wife, Amy, have two sons, Brock and Bryce.
Lunsford joins the Arkansas staff after most recently serving as the special teams coordinator for Auburn in 2025.
Auburn kicker Alex McPherson benefitted from working with Lunsford in his senior season, making a career-best 20 field goals. The Tigers owned one of the better teams units in the Southeastern Conference, allowing just six yards per punt return (5th in SEC) while ranking third in the league with 22.95 yards per kick return, including a kick return for a score.
Lunsford brings a wealth of head coaching experience to the Arkansas staff, having served as head coach at Georgia Southern (2018-21) and as an interim head coach at Florida Atlantic for the final two games in 2024.
While with the Owls, he served as the team’s special teams coordinator and tight ends coach. Punter Logan Lupo was among the best in the American Conference in 2023 and 2024. His 44.5 yards per punt ranked third in 2024 and his 44.1 average was third in 2023. FAU was ranked No. 4 nationally in punt returns in 2023, a 28-spot leap, while the kick return unit moved up 36 spots. Punt returner LaJohntay Wester finished second nationally in punt return touchdowns and was a FWAA First-Team All-American and Wester AAC Special Team Player of the Year and First Team AAC selection.
As the head coach at Georgia Southern, Lunsford went 28-21 taking over as the interim head coach in 2017. In his first full season as the head coach, the Eagles went 10-3 capped by a win in the Camellia Bowl. His first three teams all earned bowl berths with wins in the Camellia Bowl in 2018 and in the New Orleans Bowl in 2020.
Prior to taking over as the head coach at Georgia Southern, Lunsford served as the special teams coordinator (2016), tight ends coach (2014-15) and wide receivers coach (2013). He earned his first SEC experience at Auburn 2009-12 in an off-field role as the Tigers’ Director of Scouting and Player Personnel. The Tigers brought in three of the nation’s top recruiting classes in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
His coaching career started in 1996 as a student assistant at Georgia Military College. He took over the tight ends at Appalachian State for two seasons (2001-02) before his first opportunity at Georgia Southern as the team’s slotbacks coach (2003-05). After stints at Griffin HS (2006) and another at Georgia Military College (2007-08), Lunsford found his way back to Georgia Southern in 2013 as the wide receivers coach.
Lunsford is married to the former Tiffany “Tippy” Hyde, the couple has three children – Sophie, Rhett and Josie.
The veteran Roberts takes over the Arkansas defense after leading the Florida defense each of the last two seasons.
Roberts brings over 30 years of coaching experience, including head coaching experience at the high school level, Division II level at Delta State and the FCS level at Southeastern Louisiana. He has served as a defensive coordinator at the Power 4 level since 2020 when he led Baylor’s defense before taking over Auburn’s defense in 2023.
His first Florida defense in 2024 helped the Gators to a late-season rally to win the team’s final four games with wins over No. 21 LSU, No. Ole Miss, rival Florida State and Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl. The Gators’ defense finished the season ranked ninth nationally in the red zone (.725), 11th in sacks per game (3.0) and fumbles recovered (11) and 13th with 25 turnovers gained. Florida forced at least one takeaway in 12 of the team’s 13 games, including 10 consecutive games.
The Gator defense improved in nearly every statistical category from 2023 to 2024, including sacks (+17), tackles for loss (+28), forced fumbles (+11), pass breakups (+12), interceptions (+11) and turnovers gained (+18).
In his lone season at Auburn, the defense saw improvements and was among the best in the country and SEC in multiple categories.
Roberts guided Auburn to Top 50 finishes in scoring defense, sacks, tackles for loss and total defense. The Tigers also ranked in the Top 25 in third-down defense and first-downs allowed while ranking No. 1 in the SEC in red zone defense. In the conference, Auburn was second in third-down defense, third in pass defense and fourth in interceptions. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Roberts’ defense graded high in pass coverage (17th), total defense (18th), rushing defense (19th) and tackling (24th).
In his three years at Baylor (2020-22) as the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers’ coach, he helped the Bears capture the program’s third Big 12 Title in program history and first BCS/New Year’s Six bowl victory in the modern era.
In 2021, the defense was one of the nation’s top units as one of three defenses to limit every opponent to 30 points or less. Baylor led the conference in interceptions (19), turnovers gained (27), turnover margin (0.93) and defensive touchdowns (3). Additionally, the Bears were second in the Big 12 in run defense (118.4 ypg), scoring defense (18.3 PPG), pass efficiency defense (121.54) and sacks per game (3.14).
En route to the conference title, BU held Oklahoma to its lowest scoring (14) and yardage (260) marks in five years under Lincoln Riley. Baylor became the first Big 12 team to hold OU without a passing TD since Nov. 22, 2014, which snapped a 65-game streak for the Sooners.
Roberts’ defense also helped capture the 2022 Sugar Bowl while limiting Ole Miss to just seven points, an offense that averaged 28.9 points per game that season. The Bears had 10 sacks in the win to set a Sugar Bowl record as was Al Walcott’s 96-yard interception return for a touchdown.
In his first season in Waco in 2020, the defensive unit finished second in the conference in pass defense (203.0 ypg), interceptions (12) and third in turnovers forced (17).
Roberts began his coaching career in 1990 as the head coach at Houston HS in Tennessee. He took over as the head coach at Burroughs HS in his native California in 1994 before spending seven seasons combined at Greensboro (1997), Tusculum (1998-2002) and Texas State (2003) before returning to California and the high school ranks as the head coach at Mount Whitney HS in 2004. Roberts took over the defense at Delta State in 2005 leading the Fighting Okra’s defense for two seasons before being named the head coach in 2007. He made the jump to Southeastern Louisiana as the Lions’ head coach in 2012. He served as Billy Napier’s defensive coordinator at Louisiana for two seasons (2018-19) before leaving for Baylor.
Roberts played at UT Martin, where he was a linebacker. He and his wife, Didi, have three children – Reed, Reilly and Ryan.
The Cramsey File
Birthdate: October 8, 1975
Hometown: Allentown, Pa.
High School: Allentown Central Catholic HS
College: New Hampshire, 1998
Family: Wife – Amy; Sons – Brock and Bryce
Coaching Experience
2001 Allentown Central Catholic HS (Pa.) – Offensive Coordinator
2002 Emmaus HS (Pa.) – Offensive Coordinator
2003-05 New Hampshire – Tight Ends/Fullbacks
2006-07 New Hampshire – Running Backs
2008 New Hampshire – Quarterbacks
2009-11 New Hampshire – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2012 FIU – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2013-15 Montana State – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2016 Nevada – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2017 Sam Houston State – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2018-21 Marshall – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2022-25 Memphis – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
Playing Experience
1994-97 New Hampshire
The Lunsford File
Birthdate: February 24, 1977
Hometown: Elberton, Ga.
High School: Elbert County HS
College: Georgia College, 2000
Family: Wife – Tiffany “Tippy”; Daughters – Sophie and Josie; Son – Rhett
Coaching Experience
1996 Georgia Military – Student Assistant
1997-99 Georgia Military – Running Backs
2000 Georgia Military – Running Backs/Linebackers
2001-02 Appalachian State – Tight Ends
2003-05 Georgia Southern – Slotbacks
2006 Griffin HS (Ga.) – Linebackers
2007-08 Georgia Military – Special Teams/Linebackers
2009-12 Auburn – Director of Scouting and Player Personnel
2013 Georgia Southern – Wide Receivers
2014-15 Georgia Southern – Tight Ends
2016 Georgia Southern – Special Teams Coordinator
2017 Georgia Southern – Interim Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator
2018-21 Georgia Southern – Head Coach
2022 Florida Atlantic – Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends
2023-24 Florida Atlantic – Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends
2024 Florida Atlantic – Interim Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends
2025 Auburn – Special Teams Coordinator
The Roberts File
Birthdate: October 9, 1967
Hometown: Visalia, Calif.
High School: Golden West HS
College: UT Martin, 1990; Memphis, 1992
Family: Wife – Didi; Sons – Reed and Ryan; Daughter – Reilly
Coaching Experience
1990-93 Houston HS (Tenn.) – Defensive Coordinator
1994-96 Burroughs HS (Calif.) – Head Coach
1997 Greensboro – Assistant Coach
1998-2002 Tusculum – Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator
2003 Texas State – Defensive Coordinator
2004 Mount Whitney HS (Calif.) – Head Coach
2005-06 Delta State – Defensive Coordinator
2007-11 Delta State – Head Coach
2012-17 Southeastern Louisiana – Head Coach
2018-19 Louisiana – Defensive Coordinator
2020-22 Baylor – Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers
2023 Auburn – Defensive Coordinator
2024 Florida – Executive Head Coach/Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
2025 Florida – Executive Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator
Playing Experience
1988-89 UT Martin
