According to Paul Finebaum, Sam Pittman is “living on the hot seat” and has been for quite some time. By his estimation, seven wins is a realistic goal for Pittman’s Arkansas squad this season—but with that projection comes the looming conversation around the coach’s $12M buyout. That number alone has turned into an attention magnet. Add in the fact that former Raiders coach Jon Gruden recently made waves in a viral clip about wanting to work in the SEC, and the tension grows thicker. Whether the feeling is mutual in Fayetteville remains an open question. What’s certain is that there are already rivals in the friendly suit waiting in the shadows; some are even trained by Sam himself.
When the conversation turned to potential replacements, “That SEC Podcast” didn’t hold back. A fan asked Mike and Shane about the odds of Bobby Petrino becoming head hog again if Sam Pittman were to lose his job. Shane didn’t hesitate: “I think slim, really. I believe there will be a hard reset in Arkansas whenever Sam’s gone. And new blood, probably young blood… it will be a totally different regime.” Mike agreed, noting Petrino is now 64, and while age alone isn’t disqualifying, the background and history make it “very, very unlikely.” He added, “I think some big-time candidates would be interested in Arkansas if they can get their ducks in a row.”
That tough reset talk makes sense given the road ahead—literally. Arkansas, fresh off a 4–8 season, faces brutal away games against Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU, and Texas, plus a non-conference gauntlet game with Notre Dame. Overachieving for the Hogs might mean winning five games, or it could mean nine. No one other than the coaches has an idea as to how good the team actually is. On the offensive side, Petrino’s fingerprints are all over the Arkansas Razorbacks’ preparation. Known for his blunt assessments, he understands that correcting mistakes isn’t always best coming from the coaching staff. That’s where star QB Taylen Green comes in.
“One of the things that I’ve always tried to do is, like, when you get a second year quarterback, I get to relax a little bit more on the practice field… instead of having to run down tell the receiver this, I’ll say to Taylen, ‘Hey, you go tell him, all right?’” Petrino explained. “And he’ll look at me like ‘Receiver’s lost his mind.’ A lot of them lose their minds… But he’ll go down and tell him what he didn’t do right on his route… Sometimes I’ll start heading that way and he looks at me to say, ‘I got it. I got it.’” That’s peer-to-peer leadership — the kind that carries more weight in the huddle than a coach’s bark from the sideline.
Jon Gruden’s name keeps popping up, partly because the Razorbacks’ equipment staff sent him a care package and partly because the man himself has stoked the flames. “I was concerned about being a college coach because I would have you on the death penalty probation within six months. But now that you’re paying players, and I know a bank with $27 billion. I’d love to have the Arkansas job, I’ll tell you that,” Gruden said. Sure, it was said with a grin, but it’s the kind of soundbite that lives rent-free in fans’ heads. Though ESPN’s Pete Thamel threw cold water on the idea, noting there are “simply a lot of other good college football coaches” out there. For now, Pittman still holds the whistle, but the margin for error is paper-thin.
Sam Pittman’s coaching tree in bloom — even if it’s in his own backyard
Sam Pittman might be on the hot seat himself, but you’d never know it from the way he’s empowering his staff. Instead of holding the spotlight close, Pittman is handing the mic—literally—to his assistants, letting them take center stage with the media. For Arkansas co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Marcus Woodson, that’s not just a courtesy. It’s career fuel. “As much exposure that we get a chance to get in front of you guys and answer questions, it’s professional development. I appreciate Coach [Sam] Pittman for allowing us as a staff to get this experience, because not all head coaches do that,” Woodson said Wednesday.
Woodson isn’t shy about where he’s headed. “Well, this is great experience. For me to be able to sit and have this interview in front of you guys, that’s professional development for me with the goals that I have in front of me. Lord willing, I want to be a defensive coordinator like coach [Travis Williams] and work to become a head coach.” He doubled down on the gratitude: “It shows that he trusts us as coaches, and I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
It’s a refreshing contrast in a profession where some head coaches micromanage every inch of the operation. Pittman’s letting his staff breathe, grow, and maybe even train to one day take his job. That’s bold—and maybe a little poetic.
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