Paul Finebaum questions if Sam Pittman was forced to hire Bobby Petrino

Never hire your replacement. The old saying may prove prophetic for Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman, who was fired on Sunday. Offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino will serve as the program’s interim coach and have a chance to earn the head coaching job if he’s able to turn Arkansas’ season around.

There were questions around Pittman’s decision to hire Petrino ahead of the 2024 campaign. During an appearance on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning on Monday, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum poured fuel on the fire, wondering aloud if Pittman was forced to hire Petrino.

“When you’re in Sam Pittman’s spot, you know the walls are closing in around you. You try to survive,” Finebaum said. “I never quite believed his statements at the time, but he really didn’t have much choice. He had a very poor hand, and he was trying to extend his stay. And why not?

“He’s never been a head coach. He never will be a head coach again. He was having the time of his life. Everybody loves him. He loves the job. And, by the way, he did extend his stay. It didn’t work, but he gave it a shot, and I can’t blame him for that. I know I went on, but the long answer is I think he was forced into hiring Bobby Petrino.”

If Petrino lands the head coach opening at Arkansas, it won’t be his first time leading the program. Petrino was the Razorbacks’ head man from 2008-11, but was fired in 2012 after it was revealed that he’d gotten into a motorcycle accident with his mistress, who was a former Arkansas volleyball player and served as the student-athlete development coordinator for the football program.

Petrino’s past with the program caused many analysts to be shocked when the school allowed Pittman to hire him again. Alas, Finebaum believes it may have been the program’s plan all along for Petrino to take the reins.

After all, Arkansas posted back-to-back 10-win seasons under Petrino and hasn’t posted more than nine wins in a single campaign since. While Arkansas has struggled to find wins this season, its offense has been stellar under Petrino’s guidance.

Arkansas is averaging 514.6 total yards per game, ranking No. 10 in the country. The Razorbacks also averaged the 10th most yards per game in college football last season. For reference, Arkansas ranked 107th in total offense in 2023, the year before Petrino reunited with the program.

Bobby Petrino is already acting like Arkansas’ head coach. On Monday, Petrino dismissed Arkansas defensive coordinator Travis Williams, defensive line coach Deke Adams and defensive assistant Marcus Woodson. The Razorbacks have a bye this week before squaring off against Tennessee on Oct. 11.