HawgBeat - Anonymous coaches weigh in on Arkansas, Sam Pittman
Arkansas HC Sam Pittman finds himself on the hot seat heading into the 2024 season according to Lindy's Sports Magazine.
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Arkansas football fans have become far too familiar with the term "hot seat" in recent years, and head coach Sam Pittman's is "flaming" according to the Lindy's Sports College Football Preview Magazine that was released May 28.
Following a 4-8 (1-7 SEC) campaign in 2023 that lowered his overall Arkansas record to 23-25 (11-23 SEC) across four seasons, Pittman finds himself atop the throne of hot seat coaching candidates above Florida's Billy Napier ("scorching"), Baylor's Dave Aranda ("roasting"), Vanderbilt's Clark Lea ("baking"), Pitt's Pat Narduzzi ("steaming"), BYU's Kalani Sitake ("fevered") and North Carolina's Mack Brown ("flushed").
One anonymous head coach went as far as telling Lindy's Sports that he thinks there's a possibility Pittman won't make it through the entire 2024 season.
"It's a make-or-break year for Sam Pittman," the anonymous coach said. "He's got (OC) Bobby Petrino there. Everybody is betting on the past. We'll see if the past works. They might be doing Halloween without the (current) Razorbacks staff."
Early season tests at Oklahoma State and Auburn won't pay Pittman and the Razorbacks any favors, and closing out the first six games of the regular season with matchups against Texas A&M and Tennessee ahead of Arkansas' bye week may have the team close to bowl elimination if some key issues aren't solved.
"They've got to play better defense," another anonymous coach said. "I didn't think the (KJ) Jefferson kid was a very good quarterback. The offensive line was horrible, and that's Sam's bread and butter. The offensive line needs to play better."
The fact remains that Arkansas' impressive 9-4 (4-4 SEC) 2021 season seems lightyears away and in the background of most fans' minds after back-to-back disappointing years. If the Hoop Hogs' hiring of John Calipari says anything, it's that fans and people with power may not accept mediocrity in the football program much longer.
"Everybody says they brought in John Calipari because they didn't want the basketball program to be subpar, just like I don't think they want the football team to be subpar either," said this anonymous coach. "There's lots of money in Arkansas; some of the most powerful people in the world. And they want to win. I like Sam but I thought he'd have a better program by now."
Pittman and the Arkansas football team will open their season on Aug. 29 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff at War Memorial Stadium.
