FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — John L. Smith reintroduced himself to Arkansas by providing a dose of exactly what the school needed.

Smith pounced on every question about his surprise hire with a smile, showing the same level of enthusiasm and energy the Razorbacks had come to expect during his three seasons as an assistant.

The guy asked to pick up the pieces following the scandal tainted ouster of Bobby Petrino handled everything thrown his way Tuesday and left little doubt he was up to the challenge of serving as a mentor in the post-Petrino era.

“The reason you get into coaching again is hopefully I can make a difference in a young man’s life,” Smith said at his introductory news conference with a handful of players watching nearby. “Maybe I can be something special to that young man. So that’s the reason you’re in it. So hopefully, that’s going to continue.”

While Smith is charged with serving as a role model as Arkansas’ coach, he was equally adamant about keeping the Razorbacks in the thick of the Southeastern Conference and national championship races.

“I want to say that our expectations are the same,” Smith said.