Sam Pittman: Arkansas must 'embrace the hog' in 2024

Arkansas is in need of a quality record this season for their fifth year under Sam Pittman. In order to do so, he has coined a new phrase in Fayetteville that certainly got some attention at SEC Media Days on Thursday.

While at the podium in Dallas this morning, Pittman noted how his program is entering a brand new year in the coming weeks. With that, he wants the Razorbacks to accept what they are and, as he put it, “embrace the hog”.

“The 2024 season is a fresh start,” Pittman said. “We’ve been working tirelessly to address the areas that we need improvement. Our players have shown remarkable resilience and commitment this offseason.”

“Our focus is to embrace the hog, which means we need to be tough, we need to be together. We need to be consistent, accountable and do it with pride,” said Pittman. “I think we’ve accomplished that this summer. We’ve accomplished that through spring ball.”

The phrasing of it is certainly eye-catching. However, the message behind it is more than appropriate.

Arkansas looked to be more than on track after going 9-4 during Pittman’s second season in 2021. Since then, though, they dropped to 7-6 in 2022 and then down to 4-8 in 2023. That five-win fall has come after both units on each side of the ball have declined with the defense being first and the offense going second.

Now, ’24 has a lot of pressure on it, at least from the outside, for Pittman and Arkansas. That’s why their sole focus is putting a team and final record out there that can make their fanbase proud.

“We know our fans deserve a team that competes at the highest level. We’re committed to making that happen. The support from our Razorback community has not wavered. It fuels our drive to turn things around

“Every setback is an opportunity for a comeback. We’ve embraced that mindset. I believe in our players, our staff, our state, and our direction that we’re heading in. We’re going to rise to the challenge for a great 2024 season.

Sam Pittman: ‘I’m not close to finished’

Sam Pittman is in a potential hot-seat situation as he enters his fifth season in Fayetteville. That’s not at all on his mind, though, considering what he’s currently focusing on at Arkansas.

Pittman addressed the weight on him coming into this year during an appearance on ‘SEC This Morning’ on Thursday. When it comes to his job, he remains grateful for his opportunity with the ‘Hogs but doesn’t feel as though it’s going to come to an end anytime soon.

“I’m not close to finished” said Pittman at SEC Media Days. “I’m not close to done.”

Being in need of a decent finish, his first turnaround reminds him that they’re able to post any required record.

“You know, we went from 4-20 to 9-4. We sure as hell can go from 4-8 to 9-4, 10-3,” said Pittman. “We can. We’ve got a good football team.”

“We certainly can go from 4-8 to whatever the hell we want to this year,” Pittman said.

However, if this is it for him, Pittman hopes everyone knows that this hadn’t ever been about him. It was always for his players, the staff, their program, and the state that they all represent.

“The other thing is it has never been about me. It’s about our kids, it’s about our facility, it’s about the state of Arkansas,” Pittman said. “I’ve been on several different staffs that got fired, you know, and everybody felt sorry for the head coach. Hell, the head coach has got a buyout, has got this, has made a lot of money.”

“It has never been about me nor will it ever be about me,” said Pittman. “I want to win for the state of Arkansas. The kids and the coaching is really all I care about.”