Sam Pittman describes his reaction to Hunter Yurachek telling him he's not being fired

After defeating FIU 44-20 on Saturday, Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek strolled into the Razorbacks’ locker room with a message: head coach Sam Pittman is here to stay. On Monday, Pittman recapped the moment and described its impact.

“There was a lot of emotion in the room,” Pittman said. “I didn’t know it, but he wanted to address the team right before we finished with the [postgame] conversation and it was really cool because of the kids. They went off. I don’t ever want to get in that situation, but it was a special moment to be a part of.”

Arkansas’ emotion is understandable. The team is 4-7 and will not participate in a bowl game for the first time since 2020. After Arkansas’ 7-3 loss to Mississippi State in Week 8, the program fired first-year offensive coordinator Dan Enos.

Many speculated Pittman would be next in line. Nonetheless, Yurachek has backed the 61-year-old head coach at every turn. Pittman is thankful for his constant support and understands the stakes that come with his position.

“When you sign up for the SEC, you have to win,” Pittman said. “If you don’t, there’s opportunities for you to be unemployed. That’s just how it is. That’s what we sign up for. I look at this as an opportunity for us to change our team. Keep the ones that are good players for us and good kids.

“Financially, we’re going to have the money from the NIL to do that. When all that happens, I think we can field a really, really good football team. I’m excited about obviously Saturday, but I’m really excited about the future.”

Hunter Yurachek releases statement on Sam Pittman

While the players heard Yurachek vouch for Pittman, fans did not. Thus, Yurachek released a statement to let his position be clear.

“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.”

On Saturday, Arkansas will go head-to-head against No. 10 Missouri at 4 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on CBS.