Skip to main content
Join Now
Get a profile. Be recruited.

Arkansas fires Sam Pittman, opens 30-day transfer portal window

Nakos updated headshotby: Pete Nakos15 hours agoPeteNakos_
Sam Pittman Arkansas transfer portal

Arkansas fired Sam Pittman on Sunday, ending a 32-34 tenure that saw the Razorbacks fail to climb back into the upper half of the SEC. Offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, the former Arkansas head coach, was appointed interim and will have a chance to prove why he should be re-hired as the Razorbacks’ full-time head coach.

The decision from Arkansas to fire Pittman comes just a day after an embarrassing 56-13 home loss to Notre Dame. The Razorbacks fell to 2-3 on the season, with a lone win over FBS competition. Petrino will have a bye week before visiting Tennessee on Oct. 11.

Pittman’s firing opens a 30-day transfer portal window for players. NCAA rules allow athletes on a team with a coaching change to enter the portal the day after the change. In this case, Arkansas athletes can enter starting on Monday.

According to the NCAA, an athlete who transfers after enrolling at a school cannot transfer during that same year and compete for a new school. Players could now redshirt this season and transfer. The 30-day windows give players a significant head start on entering the portal.

Because Arkansas played five games, some players will have burned the chance to redshirt this season because they crossed the four-game threshold. Next to hiring a head coach, the other top priority for the Razorbacks will be to work to keep the roster together.

The move marks the fourth Power Four program to fire its head coach before the end of September. The college football transfer portal does not have any firm dates yet; however, the spring portal window has been eliminated.

Arkansas tried to turn around its roster this past offseason in the portal, bringing in 31 additions. But that did not produce wins on the field, despite former Boise State transfer quarterback Taylen Green being a bright spot on the roster the last two seasons.

The Razorbacks have a handful of young talent they will try to keep. EDGE Quincy Rhodes has seven tackles for loss and five sacks, proving to be an SEC starter. Running back Braylen Russell left the program multiple times this offseason but returned and has 519 rushing yards on the season.