Arkansas’ Sam Pittman continues exceptional turnaround of Razorbacks’ program

Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek has advised the story that when he supplied Sam Pittman the job as Razorbacks head coach, Pittman didn’t even ask about wage. He simply accepted on the spot.

It has been lucky for the Razorbacks that he did.

What Pittman, a profession assistant who had by no means even reached the coordinator ranks at a serious program, has achieved in his first head job has been astounding. He has the Razorbacks ranked No. 16 within the nation heading right into a CBS showdown with No. 7 Texas A&M on Saturday. And he stays as humble as he is been his entire profession.

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“I am simply the man, the top coach. All people else does all of the work,” Pittman mentioned this week. “I’ve thought of us being ranked No. 16. I would be mendacity if (I mentioned) I hadn’t. We’re pleased with that. However there’s not an entire lot of time to consider it. The most important factor I am pleased with is the state of Arkansas is pleased with this soccer staff. Which means quite a bit to me, and the gamers and the coaches.”

Included in Arkansas’ 3-0 begin is a 40-21 dismantling of Texas in Week 2 that certainly had the state buzzing. Arkansas pushed round its former Southwest Convention and future Southeastern Convention neighbor for 333 yards and 4 touchdowns on the bottom. 

After the sport, Arkansas earned a $100,000 fine for permitting followers to hurry the sphere at Razorback Stadium, one which possible did not trigger an excessive amount of misery within the Arkansas athletic division.

The Pittman rent was not precisely universally embraced when it was introduced in December 2019 after the search noticed a number of coaches pull out. Dennis Dodd, the highest school soccer author at CBSSports.com, graded it a C-minus. Stewart Mandel of The Athletic handed out a C, whereas Al.com senior sports activities editor and SEC Insider John Talty issued this verdict:

Pittman’s resume didn’t scream “SEC head coach.” He performed at Pittsburg (Kan.) State after which waited 35 years to guide a school program. He had spent the ultimate eight of these years as an assistant within the SEC as an offensive line coach at Tennessee, Arkansas and Georgia earlier than transferring again to Fayetteville as the top man.

However Pittman rapidly received over the fan base together with his enthusiasm and vitality, and he made two key hires — Kendal Briles as offensive coordinator and former Missouri coach Barry Odom as defensive coordinator. He hit on each counts.

Taking on a staff with a 19-game SEC dropping streak, and going through a primary season that included no spring observe to implement new techniques and a 10-game SEC schedule, the chances have been lengthy that Pittman would get off to a superb begin. But the Razorbacks received three SEC video games underneath these circumstances, they usually misplaced to Auburn by two, LSU by three and Missouri by two. In a season that figured to be one other depressing run by the nation’s hardest convention, Pittman’s Razorbacks exceeded expectations.

12 months 2 has been extra of the identical. A brand new quarterback was taking up for Feleipe Franks and Arkansas was picked to finish last in the West at SEC Media Days final summer season. However three weeks in, Arkansas sits smack dab within the coronary heart of the perfect division within the nation and is No. 8 within the nation in speeding at 282 yards per sport. 

Operating backs Trelon Smith, Raheim Sanders, Dominique Johnson and AJ Inexperienced have all totaled at the least 100 yards on the season and common at the least 5.1 yards per carry. Quarterback Okay.J. Jefferson, who Pittman admitted this week was certainly one of his preseason considerations attributable to his restricted expertise, is averaging 7.5 yards per carry together with his bullish, 245-pound body.

Arkansas will definitely have its arms full in Dallas with the Aggies, who’ve received 9 straight within the sequence. However Arkansas enters with greater than a puncher’s likelihood, which is a far cry from the previous Chad Morris period that included losses to Western Kentucky, North Texas, Colorado State and San Jose State.

“They’re loaded with expertise,” Pittman mentioned of Texas A&M. “Hopefully we are able to get wholesome and go down there and put a superb present on.”