Sam Pittman opens up on feeling of relief knowing he's returning to Arkansas next year

Plenty speculated that this was season going to be Sam Pittman’s last at Arkansas. Since AD Hunter Yurachek put that notion to rest, though, Pittman is glad that it no longer has to worry those around or interested in Fayetteville.

Pittman spoke about the emotions surrounding Yurachek’s endosement during a press conference on Monday. He said that, with those words, the people in the Razorbacks’ building had a weight come off their shoulders which is all that mattered to him.

“I wasn’t (surprised). I mean we’ve never had a conversation that I was ever going to get fired or anything of that nature. The pressure that I had had was one on myself. More about the people employed in the building, more about the state and the fans,” said Pittman. “Nobody wants to disappoint anybody that has character about them. So it was never – and I mean this – never one time about me. Never. It was always about the recruits, the kids I’m coaching, the building, and the state of Arkansas.”

“I’ve lived a dream life and I want to continue to do it. But it never was about me, I – nothing like that,” said Pittman.

Pittman’s fourth season with the ‘Hogs showed a regression from what had taken place over his first three. After two seasons of winning records and bowl appearances, Arkansas will finish under .500 and miss the postseason for the first time since his arrival in 2020. That’s in large part due to a six-game losing streak and a stretch of seven losses in eight games.

For some programs, that might be enough to pull the plug early on a coach. Instead, Yurachek and the Razorbacks reaffirmed their faith in Pittman as the leader of their program.

There’s plenty of work to do in order to get Arkansas back to where they were in ’21 and ’22 when they won a combined 16 games and both of their bowl games. Now, since the cloud of a coaching search won’t hang over the ‘Hogs, that has improved their chances of doing so in 2024.

“The relief part of it was more for the kids, the building, for recruiting. All those type things,” said Pittman. “I was really happy that he did it because I think it needed to go out publicly so we could move forward, have an opportunity to continue to progress, and change the football team in recruiting as well.