Sam Pittman boasts an impressive resume — Joe Moore Award finalist, Pittsburgh State Athletics Hall of Famer, NAIA First-Team All-American, and more. Yet, despite these accolades, his time leading the Arkansas Razorbacks has been underwhelming. A 7-6 finish last season crushed any optimism for a program turnaround. The decision to bring back former head coach Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator strongly hinted that Arkansas might be preparing to move on from Pittman — a sentiment shared by veteran analyst Paul Finebaum.
Finebaum bluntly stated that Pittman hasn’t sparked much excitement in recent years. He pointed out that hiring a controversial former coach like Petrino only makes sense if he’s seen as Pittman’s eventual replacement. That seemed to signal Pittman’s days were numbered — until a surprising shift in narrative occurred just months ahead of the new season.
It’s worth remembering that Pittman did have success at Arkansas, notably during the 2021 season when he led the team to a 9-4 record, including a 4-4 showing in the SEC. That marked just the second time in a decade that the Razorbacks reached at least eight wins. However, last season exposed vulnerabilities. The year opened with a dominant 70-0 blowout over UA-Pine Bluff, boosted by transfer QB Taylen Green from Boise State.
Still, inconsistency followed. The Razorbacks blew a lead and lost in overtime to Oklahoma State 39-31, then bounced back to win three of the next four, including key wins at Auburn and over Tennessee. Despite this, they finished a modest 6-6 and managed to reach a bowl game. While technically a postseason appearance, it wasn’t enough to inspire confidence in Pittman’s future — until analyst John Nabors offered a fresh perspective on the SEC Football Podcast.
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