Good luck, sir: Sam Pittman is Arkansas’ new head coach
Arkansas was rumored to be going after Lane Kiffin. And Mike Norvell. And just about anybody else.
Then came the name Sam Pittman, the associate head coach and offensive line coach at Georgia.
The 58 year-old is not well-known until you are well-versed in the world of college football assistant coaches. Pittman has gone through 11 colleges in his 24 years in the major college system. He’s been in the SEC since 2013, working with Tennessee (O-Line), Arkansas (Assistant head coach/O-Line) and then Georgia.
He was much-loved by his players, with Georgia players stepping up to give tribute.
He will be paid $3 million per year by the Razorbacks.
Pittman has also been excellent at recruiting top offensive line talent – which Arkansas will need to right a ship that has been sinking since Bret Bielema’s final year in charge. He is expected to hire Missouri’s O-Line coach Brad Davis. Davis had previously served at Florida. Missouri former head coach Barry Odom – who was fired after the end of the season this year – is rumored to be in line for the defensive coordinator’s role. Odom is acknowledged to be one of the best defensive minds in the SEC.
He will be expected to own the state of Arkansas and also plunder from Texas, where there is the obvious widespread talent. Already Pittman’s arrival has borne fruit, with DB Devin Bush – a four-star prospect in the 2019 class – withdrawing his name from the transfer portal. However, news has just emerged that he’s lost offensive linesman Silas Robinson, who’s decided to transfer to Texas State. He was lower down the pecking order for the Hogs, playing mostly on special teams.
“Sam Pittman has been an integral part of successful teams that have competed at the highest levels, including for SEC and NCAA Championships,” Arkansas AD Yurachek said in a statement. “As one of the nation’s premier offensive line coaches, he has built a remarkable body of work thanks to his tremendous passion for his student-athletes, including teaching the fundamentals and developing his players on and off the field. Sam instills in his players the motivation, grit and determination required to compete and win. Throughout this process, I heard from many of his former players about the tremendous influence he had on them as a player and as a man. Sam knows the Southeastern Conference inside and out and is one of the nation’s best recruiters. His connections throughout football will enable him to build a quality coaching staff.”