Sam Pittman addresses how he's handled pressure to win at Arkansas, outside negativity

Sam Pittman brought the Arkansas program from the pits of the Chad Morris era. Even so, there is still some pressure on the head coach to win this season. Last year’s 4-8 record was considered a step back in his fourth season. There were even rumors of Arkansas moving on from Pittman.

If the speculation was there last season, it will certainly be there in 2024 if Arkansas cannot win. Pittman might be facing some pressure but he’s handled it well. He explained how so during a recent appearance on the Paul Finebaum Show, saying he wants nothing but success.

“It’s never been about me,” Pittman said. “It’s been about the kids in the locker room, the state of Arkansas, and the University. So, the pressure of the job comes from we want to make the state, the University, and the kids proud of the football team. We want them to embrace the Hog, we want them to embrace who we are.

“It’s never been about me, even with all the things swirling around last year. ‘Can he do this, can he do that?’ It doesn’t affect me because the pressure comes from winning for the state. So, all the decisions I’m making are trying to get the right people both on the field and off the field in the right places so we can have success.”

In the three seasons prior to Pittman, Arkansas was 1-23 against SEC opponents. Morris was winless and had the Razorbacks in a whole nobody thought they could climb out of. But by 2021, Pittman won nine games, something the program had not done since 2011.

Success has come under Pittman, even if the outside noise is against him. Pittman has a ton of belief in himself and knows he will be around Fayetteville for a long, long time.

“I don’t think you can block out everything,” Pittman said. “You try to talk to your players about blocking out this, that, and the over. You can’t talk the talk and not walk the walk. It’s hard at times. But I’m the head coach at Arkansas today and I’m going to be the coach here, in my opinion, for a long time. I just got to get it turned around.

“I believe that we can do it together. I really have a strong belief and love for the Hogs. I have a strong belief in myself. We did it in much worse circumstances when we got here then where we are now. I believe we can turn it around and I believe we have the kids on the team. I know we have the coaching staff that can. So, I’m not really too concerned about it. I’m just concerned about being the best coach I can be.”

Arkansas will kick off the 2024 season against UAPB for an in-state contest in Little Rock. Oklahoma State will be the main nonconference foe to appear on the schedule.

Pittman can silence a few of his doubters in a big way by winning certain games. Opportunities will be there and there is confidence that the head coach can get it done.