Jalen Catalon explains how Sam Pittman revived Arkansas Razorbacks program
When Sam Pittman, previously the Georgia Bulldogs offensive line coach, was hired as the Arkansas Razorbacks head coach, many mocked the hire. They said Pittman wasn’t ready for the job, nor was he qualified. They believed he wouldn’t be able to turn around the slumping program, which had lost over 20 consecutive SEC games at the time of his hiring.
They were all wrong. Pittman has rejuvenated Arkansas against all odds, and he’s done it faster than anyone could have guessed — after going 3-7 in an all-SEC schedule last year (three more SEC wins than the Razorbacks had in the two previous seasons combined), Pittman has Arkansas off to a 4-0 start. For the first time since 2012, Arkansas is ranked within the AP top-10.
They Razorbacks will be put to the test this weekend against No. 2 Georgia. But Pittman’s players believe in his message, and they believe they can dance with the mighty Bulldogs.
“I think he has a great balance for our team,” Arkansas defensive back Jalen Catalon said of Pittman. “That’s what makes him a great head coach and a great fit for this team. He’s able to balance that, give us the criticism we need but also give us the praise that some guys need at times. I think he’s the best coach in the country, if you ask me. I’m just glad he’s ours.”
Arkansas boasts two ranked wins under Pittman this season, one over the then-No. 15 Texas Longhorns and one over Texas A&M. This week, Pittman will face his former boss in Kirby Smart, a man who seems completely unsurprised by Pittman’s success in Fayetteville.
Kirby Smart praises Sam Pittman
After Pittman’s Arkansas team defeated then-No. 7 Texas A&M, 20-10, Georgia’s Coach Smart praised his former coworker.
Smart believes that Pittman’s players have bought into his head coaching mantra, creating a positive atmosphere in and around the program. For that reason, Smart believes Pittman was able to retain more veteran talent than most SEC programs can boast.
“Sam even had a big jump in year one,” Smart said on Monday. “He had a tremendous jump, right? I mean, every game he won was one more [than the winless year prior]. So, he did a tremendous job there and continued to grow it. I think what’s really helped Sam [Pittman] is the buy in and belief that the kids had in him.”
Smart believes that the reason why Arkansas has so much experience is that the players have bought into Pittman’s vision; rather than transferring or graduating, many of them decided to exhaust their final years of eligibility in Fayetteville, despite a 3-7 record last year.
“[Pittman and Arkansas have] either eight or nine super seniors. Eight or nine super seniors makes a big difference, guys,” Smart said on Monday. “Those are Justin Shaffers and Devonte Wyatts, two of our better players. And you multiply that times four, and they’ve got that. They’ve also got 16 or something seniors. They’ve got seven or eight returning starters on both sides of the ball, I mean, you don’t see that in the SEC.
“And I told people before the season started, write it down — team with senior leadership, team with experience, team with the most seniors always does well in our conference. And no doubt they’re doing the same [at Arkansas].”