Paul Finebaum believes Arkansas made the right call on Sam Pittman

This year has not gone the way the Arkansas Razorbacks expected as they enter the final game of the regular season with a 4-7 record and just one conference win to their name.

A subpar record usually comes with hot-seat speculation for head coaches, but not for Arkansas head man Sam Pittman, who will continue being the Razorbacks’ head coach in 2024 according to a recent statement from Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek.

College football analyst Paul Finebaum spoke about Yurachek’s decision on ‘McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning’, showing his support for Pittman while also detailing the kind of leash he’ll be on moving forward.

“I think Hunter Yurachek made the right call — I think Arkansas has a foundation under Sam Pittman,” Finebaum said Monday. “I’m not impressed with what I’ve seen from Sam Pittman in the last two years and that comes from, like you guys, someone who genuinely likes him, admires him, respects him. But it’s pretty obvious Sam Pittman better win next year or he’ll be long gone and I think that’s self explanatory.”

Pittman was on the Arkansas coaching staff for three seasons as the assistant head coach and offensive line coach before spending four seasons at Georgia and returning to Fayetteville ahead of the 2020 season as the Razorbacks’ head coach.

His first season at the helm was a rough one, with Arkansas finishing the 2020 season 3-7. But Pittman followed that with an amazing turnaround as Arkansas recorded their best finish since 2011, capping off the 2021 season with an Outback Bowl to end the year 9-4.

The last two seasons have been a different story for Pittman and the Razorbacks, as their record has gotten progressively worse. They lost six straight games this season after starting the year 2-0, highlighted by poor play on the offensive side of the ball despite featuring dynamic playmakers like quarterback KJ Jefferson and Raheim ‘Rocket’ Sanders. So much so that first year offensive coordinator Dan Enos was fired following their disappointing 7-3 loss in Week 8 to Mississippi State.

But despite their recent shortcomings, the program still believes in Pittman. Which was expressed in Yurachek’s statement made on Sunday.

“Our team was extremely excited last night after the game when I informed them that Coach Pittman is our head coach and will be moving forward into the 2024 season,” Yurachek wrote. “This has not been the season any of us anticipated. We have work to do. I am confident that together, we can meet the goals and expectations of our program. I want to thank the many Razorback fans who have supported our team this season. 1 look forward to honoring our seniors and cheering on this team on Friday as we take on Missouri.”