Garrett, Robinson Meet

The evaluation of Coach John Robinson moved a small step forward Thursday when Athletic Director Mike Garrett and Robinson met for the first time since the season officially ended.

“John and I talked, that’s it,” Garrett said.

Garrett had said Sunday the evaluation could take as long as two weeks, and there were no indications Thursday that a decision on whether Robinson will return is imminent.

“We had a good meeting,” Robinson said, declining to elaborate. “It was just fine. We’re going to try to continue to meet.”

Sources say the process is complicated by a disagreement over the assistant coaches.

As the tension built this week at Heritage Hall, many of those closest to the situation began to assume that Garrett was looking into the availability of possible replacements for Robinson before completing his evaluation.

“Nothing’s happened,” said an assistant coach who didn’t want to be named. “You’re left to speculate. What else would you think?”

Garrett said he and Robinson had had “several meetings” before the season officially ended but has been tight-lipped this week, saying, “I’m going to be pretty deliberate on [Robinson’s evaluation]. . . . I want to make a rational decision.”

Robinson has told his assistants to do what they believed they had to do, as far as pursuing other jobs. And some issues regarding the coaching staff might play themselves out.

Defensive coordinator Keith Burns, for one, may have a chance to join new Arkansas Coach Houston Nutt as an assistant head coach at his alma mater. And Burns, who met briefly with Garrett on Thursday, also has been mentioned as a candidate for the head coaching job at Texas Christian.