3 Important Changes Essential for Sam Pittman’s Job Security Over 2024.
Sam Pittman is entering his fifth season as the Arkansas Razorbacks Head Coach. In his four seasons, he has a 23-25 overall record, including a very disappointing 4-8 overall record in 2023.
Everyone (outside of Razorback fans) knows that Arkansas isn’t a powerhouse SEC school in football, but 4-8 is still an unacceptable outcome for any P4 school
In 2024, Sam Pittman and the Razorbacks desperately need improvement to keep Pittman around for another season.
However, Arkansas, as mentioned, is different. Unlike many other schools in the SEC where an 8-4 season may get a coach fired, that doesn’t necessarily need to happen in Fayetteville.
Finish Games.
One of the biggest issues last year was that the team seemed to never be able to get over the top with finishing out a game. The Razorbacks played in six games that came down to one possession, including to ranked LSU, Alabama, and Ole Miss. However, the Razorbacks went 1-5 in these games, with their only win coming against Florida in the Swamp.
If Sam Pittman hopes to keep his job, the Razorbacks must finish at least .500 in the one-score game. Even last year, going 2-4 in the one-score game would have landed the Hogs at 5-7, which still would have been disappointing, but it looks much better than 4-8.
Find Receivers and Running Backs That Can Play at SEC Level.
Last year, the Razorbacks had one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, KJ Jefferson. Despite this, the Razorbacks struggled to be successful in the passing game, largely because the wide receivers could not get separation. Andrew Armstrong had 764 receiving yards but was the only receiver who even got close to 500 receiving yards.
Additionally, the running game was very much by committee. There were times last season when KJ Jefferson was the running back. The Razorbacks’ top running back last year was AJ Green, who only ran for 312 yards all season. In the SEC, to be successful, a team needs to have a running back go for over 1,000 yards or have multiple backs go for over 700.
Get Buy-In From the Arkansas Fanbase.
Arkansas fans are not happy right now. Their football team, which they were told would likely be a 7-8 win team, went 4-8. Their basketball team, who was told in the preseason that they would be a potential Final Four team, didn’t even finish with a winning record. Arkansas fans are getting upset, and another bad season could put the Razorbacks in danger of becoming irrelevant completely, the way that many other teams around the country fail to fill their stadium with fans.
If Sam Pittman hopes to keep his job, the Razorbacks must regain fan buy-in. Whether it means starting 3-0, getting a huge win against a ranked team, or having a young quarterback who shows a lot of promise for the future, the Razorbacks have to find a way to re-engage fans.