Sam Pittman is out at Arkansas: Top candidates, transfers, recruits - ESPN

Sam Pittman was a surprising hire at a tenuous time for Arkansas, a career offensive line coach way off the radar, who joined a team following the 2019 season that had bottomed out under Chad Morris. His homespun charm and sayings — «Yessir!» and «Turn that damn jukebox on!» — became rallying cries for the Hogs after a 4-20 stretch.

Pittman ended Arkansas' 20-game SEC losing streak in 2020, and then won nine games the following year. After a 4-8 season in 2023, the team brought back former coach Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator, but a middling 2024 season and a slide to begin 2025 spelled the end for Pittman, who was fired Sunday with a final record of 32-24.

Arkansas enters a swelling coaching carousel needing to show candidates that it wants to compete. Athletic director Hunter Yurachek recently clarified his comments from the Little Rock Touchdown Club about Arkansas' readiness to compete for championships in football, while still acknowledging to the school's trustees that it's a «tougher mountain to climb» than in the other sports where the Razorbacks thrive.

«The investment that we're able to make in our football program right now puts us toward the bottom of the SEC in many budget categories,» Yurachek told the board.

Will Arkansas increase its commitment to help Yurachek, who landed John Calipari to coach the men's basketball team? Petrino's on-campus presence is a factor, but Arkansas also has several intriguing options with ties to the state and/or the school. — Adam Rittenberg

Candidates | Transfers | Recruits

SMU coach Rhett Lashlee: While Petrino certainly would take the job, arguably the best hire Arkansas could make is Lashlee, who very well might stay put at SMU or target a different SEC opening.