FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Arkansas named Nebraska coach Dave Van Horn as its new baseball coach Friday, hiring a once- and now-again Razorback who led the Cornhuskers to the last two College World Series.

Van Horn said that about two months ago, he started thinking that he would leave Nebraska to replace his old college coach, Norm DeBriyn, who retired last week after taking Arkansas to within a game of this year's national championship tournament.

The new coach said he and DeBriyn had talked over the last two to three years about DeBriyn's approaching retirement, but Van Horn said he expected the former Arkansas coach to stay another year. About two months ago, he found out otherwise.

Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles gave Van Horn a surprised look when Van Horn told reporters Friday he knew all along he would take the Razorbacks' job. As he was being asked about it, Broyles was shaking his head "No.''

Van Horn played one season at Arkansas, 1982, and was named to the All-Southwest Conference team and honored as the conference's Newcomer of the Year. He was drafted in the 10th round of the 1982 draft by the Atlanta Braves and spent three years in the Braves' organization.

He returned to Arkansas in 1985 and served as a graduate assistant coach while completing work on a degree. The Razorbacks had a 184-71-1 record during the four years and advanced to the College World Series in 1985 and 1987.

Similar success at Nebraska -- after coaching at Texarkana Community College, Central Missouri State and Northwestern State of Louisiana -- made him the early favorite to replace DeBriyn, who coached 33 years at Fayetteville.

"We are extremely excited to have Dave Van Horn as our new baseball coach,'' Broyles said. "He has already proven to be one of the nation's best coaches as evidenced by his record and impressive list of accomplishments.

"As a former Razorback, he embodies everything we are looking for in a coach to carry on the rich tradition of Arkansas baseball,'' Broyles said.

Van Horn had a 214-92 record with the Cornhuskers.

DeBriyn signed Van Horn out of McLennan Community College in Texas in 1984. He played infield and batted .367, Arkansas sports information director Kevin Trainor said.

With the Razorbacks, Van Horn takes over a team with 20 players back from a 35-28 season. The Razorbacks advanced to within one game of the College World Series.

Arkansas won the last spot in the Southeastern Conference tournament then, after winning one game and losing to South Carolina twice in the tournament, was one of the last teams selected for this year's 64-team NCAA field.

The Razorbacks won the Wichita, Kan., regional in three games and held a 1-0 edge in a Super Regional at Clemson before the Tigers won the next two games to win a trip to the College World Series at Omaha, Neb.

Clemson was scheduled to play Friday night against South Carolina for a berth in Saturday's title game against Texas.

Broyles said if Van Horn had not taken the job, he was prepared to offer it to Tom Pagnozzi, a former St. Louis Cardinals All-Star who played at Arkansas in 1983.

Van Horn was Baseball America's national coach of the year last year and was conference coach of the year in the Southland Conference in 1995 and 1997 at Northwestern State and Big 12 coach of the year in 2001 after the Cornhuskers won their first league title since 1950.

In 1994, while at Central Missouri, his team won the NCAA Division II championship and was named coach of the year.

Under Van Horn, Nebraska home attendance climbed from an average of 597 in 1998 to 4,110 last year.