Sam Pittman officially announced as head coach at Arkansas
The Razorbacks have officially hired Georgia offensive line coach Sam Pittman as their head coach.
Sources told HawgSports' Trey Biddy that he first reached out three weeks ago about the position, and after a long search, he became the answer for the Razorbacks. Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek Tweeted out a video of him and Pittman late on Sunday afternoon, introducing the 58-year-old as the head coach.
“Sam Pittman has been an integral part of successful teams that have competed at the highest levels, including for SEC and NCAA Championships,” Yurachek stated in a release from the University of Arkansas. “As one of the nation’s premier offensive line coaches, he has built a remarkable body of work thanks to his tremendous passion for his student-athletes, including teaching the fundamentals and developing his players on and off the field. Sam instills in his players the motivation, grit and determination required to compete and win. Throughout this process, I heard from many of his former players about the tremendous influence he had on them as a player and as a man.
“Sam knows the Southeastern Conference inside and out and is one of the nation’s best recruiters. His connections throughout football will enable him to build a quality coaching staff. In his previous tenure, Sam and his wife Jamie fell in love with the state of Arkansas and with Razorback fans. They know what a special place this is and are excited for the opportunity to come back to the Home of the Razorbacks."
Excited to OFFICIALLY announce Sam Pittman as our new Head Football Coach. Great days ahead for the Hogs with Sam and Jamie as a part of the Razorback family again! #OneRazorback
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Coaching Stops
1991: Hutchinson CC (OL)
1992-93: Hutchison CC (HC)
1994-95: Northern Illinois (OL)
1996: Cincinnati (Off. Tackles/TE)
1997-98: Oklahoma (OL)
1999: Western Michigan (Assistant Coach)
2000: Missouri (OL)
2001: Kansas (OL)
2003: Northern Illinois (OL)
2004-06: Northern Illinois (AHC)
2007-10: North Carolina (offensive line)
2011: North Carolina (AHC/OL)
2012: Tennessee (OL)
2013-15: Arkansas (AHC, OL, Recruiting Coord.)
2016-2018: Georgia (OL)
2019: Georgia (AHC/OL)
Profile
Pittman is highly regarded as one of the top offensive line coaches in the country. During his tenure with Georgia that started in 2016, he has helped the Bulldogs go 43-12. This season, Georgia has accumulated a record of 11-2. The Bulldogs lost to LSU in the SEC Championship on Saturday in Atlanta, 37-10. It was announced on Sunday that they would play Baylor in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.
The offensive line has played a big role in the ‘Dogs success. They rank fifth in the SEC in rushing yards, gaining 189.9 yards per contest on the ground. The O-line for Georgia has also protected the quarterback exceptionally well, as they have only allowed 12 sacks through 13 games, the least amount of sacks per game allowed in the conference. Thanks in large part to a solid offensive line, the Bulldogs are second in the conference in terms of time of possession, possessing the ball for just over 32 minutes a game.
In 2018, Pittman was part of a staff that won 11 games for the second consecutive season, and Georgia won the SEC Eastern Division before losing in the Sugar Bowl to Texas, 28-21. The Bulldogs finished first in the SEC in rushing, while accumulating 238.8 rushing yards per game. Additionally, they were second in the conference in scoring offense by putting up 37.9 points per contest.
Prior to his time at UGA, Pittman spent three seasons at Arkansas as the offensive line coach, associate head coach and recruiting coordinator. The 2014 Razorbacks allowed just 1.08 sacks per game, the fewest in the conference, while Arkansas allowed 0.67 sacks per game in 2013, also the fewest in the league. The Hogs went bowling in 2014 and 2015. They won the Texas Bowl over Texas in 2014, 31-7. In 2015, the Razorbacks went 8-5 and beat Kansas State in the Liberty Bowl, 45-23.
Pittman has made numerous stops at big-time schools, but he only has had one stint as a head coach in the collegiate ranks. His head coaching tenure came at Hutchison (Kan.) Community College in the 1992 and 1993 seasons. During that time, the Blue Dragons went 11-9-1.
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Pittman, a Grove (Okla.) native, took the high school route to get to where he is today. He was the head coach at Trenton (Mo.) High School from 1989 to 1990 and Princeton (Mo.) High School from 1987 to 1988. He played his college ball as a defensive end at Pittsburg State, where he went on to earn NAIA All-American honors.
Since 2013, eight players Pittman has coached have been drafted, including two first-round picks, and three others have signed free-agent contracts.
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