HawgBeat - Pittman: 'You’ve got to be who you are'
Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman has changed his philosophy a bit entering the 2023 season.
arkansas.rivals.com
It’s rare when a head coach of a college football program has the personality and demeanor to match that of the fanbase, but Arkansas’ Sam Pittman is a prime example of what happens when the two are in stride.
His loyal and charming nature stems from the ever-present culture of southern hospitality in the Diamond State. For better or for worse, he is Arkansas.
Look no further than what Pittman described as his “perfect day” on the Marty & McGee Show to see how much of a true Arkansan he really is.
“Well, I wish my wife would learn how to use that fancy coffee machine I have,” Pittman said. “Because there’s an hour and 15 minutes that I’ve got to take her to Starbucks. That’d be the perfect part of that, I’d sleep in a little late.”
“Man, if I go by Popeyes and get me one of them 25-dollar buckets and they got two sandwiches in there. And then come back and have me an ol’ cold beer. Got to. And then I’d get on the boat, touring around for a minute. Probably go to Sam’s Pizza and throw down a pizza or two. Then I’d come back, it’d be about six o’clock and I’d jump in the pool. Do that until about nine, nine-thirty then let’s call it a day boys.”
A story like that from Pittman is why it’s so easy for the fanbase to root for him. He doesn’t try to be anything he’s not. He’s just a normal, food and cold-beverage-loving guy. Pittman said as much during his annual appearance at the Little Rock Touchdown Club on Tuesday.
“Everybody asks me all the time, ‘Well, you’re just a regular person?” Well, who the hell am I supposed to be?” Pittman said. “I mean, you got to be who you are, right?”
But Pittman’s kind-natured, compassionate and relatable approach isn’t always the most effective way to coach a football program. To be a leader of young men, you have to be hard on them at times — a lesson Pittman has learned through the years.
“You know, in the leadership role, a good leader understands that people aren’t going to like you at times,” Pittman said. “They’re just not, a good one. If people like you all the time, you’re probably not leading, to be perfectly honest with you.”
“And so I had to learn to be comfortable with people around me not necessarily liking what I had to say. I wanted to be the guy that everybody liked all the time. But I don’t know if we’re doing right by the kids with that type of mentality.”
Whatever approach Pittman has taken during his time spent in Fayetteville, it seems to have worked. After an apathy-filled Chad Morris tenure full of culture issues and locker-room controversy, Pittman has managed to completely flip the atmosphere around the program and get his players to buy in.
It wasn’t always easy, and going against his natural tendency of support is difficult, according to Pittman.
“It still bothers me to say something I know is going to make somebody mad at me,” Pittman said. “But I’m worried more about the majority of the people in the building than I am the other.”
Going into his fourth year as Arkansas head coach, Pittman is looking to take his team to heights not achieved in over 10 years. The 2023 roster is full of talent and depth, but the ultimate weapon is a strong culture. With Pittman leading the charge, that doesn't seem to be an issue entering this season.
