Arkansas coach Sam Pittman will be back next season, athletic director says

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Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman’s future for the upcoming season has been confirmed by athletic director Hunter Yurachek. Despite the Razorbacks’ high expectations, they finished the current season with a 4-7 record, marking Pittman’s fourth year at the helm. Yurachek made the announcement via social media, stating that he had informed the team on Saturday night about Pittman’s return.

Yurachek acknowledged the disappointment of the season, saying, “This has not been the season any of us anticipated. We have work to do. I am confident that together, we can meet the goals and expectations of our program.”

Following Arkansas’ 44-20 victory over Florida International, Pittman expressed his frustration with media speculation about his future, citing its negative impact on recruiting and the presence of false information in some stories. He emphasized the need for factual reporting, stating, “Media has become opinions. I wish we’d post the facts, and whatever the facts are, then we can deal with it.”

Pittman’s tenure at Arkansas has seen mixed results, with a 23-24 overall record, including an 11-22 mark in Southeastern Conference (SEC) play. He took over as head coach in December 2019, tasked with revitalizing a program that had struggled with a 2-10 record in 2019.

After a challenging start in 2020 with a 3-7 record, Pittman led Arkansas to a successful 9-4 finish in 2021, culminating in a victory over Penn State in the Outback Bowl. This success earned him a five-year contract extension.

In 2022, Arkansas achieved a 7-6 record and won the Liberty Bowl in a thrilling triple-overtime contest against Kansas, with a final score of 55-53.

The Razorbacks had high hopes for the current season, boasting a roster featuring preseason All-SEC honorees in quarterback KJ Jefferson and running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders. While they remained competitive in many games, Arkansas faced multiple close losses throughout the season.

Notable games included a near-victory against BYU, a closely contested match against LSU, a challenging loss to Texas A&M, and a narrow defeat to Alabama. The season also saw a significant offensive struggle in a game against Mississippi State, resulting in the firing of offensive coordinator Dan Enos.

The Razorbacks managed to break a six-game losing streak with an overtime victory against Florida but later faced a heavy loss to Auburn before finishing the season with a win over FIU.

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• AP College Football
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More about Arkansas football

• Arkansas Razorbacks Football Official Website
• Sam Pittman – Arkansas Razorbacks Profile
• Southeastern Conference (SEC) Football
• 2022 College Football Season Overview
• Arkansas Razorbacks Football on AP
• AP Top 25 College Football Poll