Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman is fully aware he’s on the hot seat. After a 4-8 campaign in 2023 that included a six-game losing streak and a late-season collapse at home, Pittman knows where he stands on the minds of Razorbacks fans and members of the media.
At the 2024 SEC Media Days in Dallas on Thursday, Pittman was able to find some humor in his job status, while also acknowledging the upcoming season is critical in determining how much longer he remains the Arkansas head coach.
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“I’m popular now, just the wrong way. I’m hot. I’m like, the start of the list,” Pittman joked about appearing on preseason hot-seat articles.
“Two years ago I was the keynote speaker at AFCA and was one of the top six guys for the coach of the year award. Isn’t it crazy? I want to be that guy, and not the one that was out there last year. I think we can be. Listen, what’s fair is fair. If you’re going to get pat on the back, you’re going to get punched in the gut.”
Earlier this month, CBS Sports published a 2024 Hot Seat Rankings story for all 134 FBS coaches. In the article, Pittman was the only coach in America listed under the category “win or be fired.”
Pittman is entering his fifth season in Fayetteville with a 23-25 record. He has two winning years and two bowl victories, but the 2023 season halted any momentum.
There was buzz last year that Pittman would be fired, but Arkansas athletics director Hunter Yurachek gave the head coach a public endorsement following a 44-20 win over FIU.
So Pittman is back this fall, but he’s consistently expressed no fear on his job status, instead worrying for the people in his program and the state he now calls home.
“The only one who can really control the hot seat is me, and what we can do with our football team,” he said. “It’s never been about me, so I’m really not concerned about it. I’m concerned about the state, the players and the staff. And, we’ve got a really good football team.”
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Publish date : 2024-07-18 12:51:15
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