LITTLE ROCK — Pairing Arkansas offensive coordinator Kendal Briles with thoroughbred trainer Steve Asmussen is not as far-fetched as it sounds.
For example, both have until Sept. 5 to sort out several athletes competing for the same prize. Both followed their parents in the business. And, both must navigate never-traveled paths as diverse as their sports where a 25 percent winning percentage is a bona fide success in one and abject failure in the other.
Specifically, Briles must evaluate four quarterbacks before the scheduled season opener vs. Nevada, while Asmussen has at least five 3-year-olds for owners thinking Kentucky Derby, moved from the first Saturday in May to the first Saturday in September because of the Coronavirus pandemic.