Central Arkansas at one point this season was among the national storylines in Football Championship Subdivision play.
The Bears roared to an 6-2 start, were a fixture in national FCS top 25 polls and seemed poised to be a postseason vehicle.
Instead, Nathan Brown's squad closed the year with four consecutive losses. The Bears were left out of Sunday's 2024 FCS Playoff field.
They also will not bring back wide receivers coach Jamar Johnson, who for some time now has been considered a rising star in the profession with participation in the NFL's prestigious Bill Walsh Coaching Fellowship as well as recognition on FootballScoop's 2022 Minority Rising Stars list.
The split between Johnson, Brown and the Bears comes after UCA wideouts Trejan Bridges and Malachi Henry combined for more than 1,500 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns; the Bears averaged 31.8 points per game this season.
Brown last week was an AFCA regional coaching honoree, but his program's promising season was foiled by a close that saw each of UCA's final four opponents score 31, 34, 38 and 39 points.
Johnson, with both FBS and FCS experience, as well as the NFL participation, intends to remain in coaching, sources shared.