Coach Sam Pittman retirement addresses retirement speculation with stern statement.
Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman is no stranger to speculation about his future in Fayetteville.
Over five seasons leading the Arkansas football program, Pittman has accrued a 30-31 record and achieved only one end-of-season ranking inside the AP Top 25 poll — though he does have a 3-0 record in postseason play.
Whispers over Pittman’s long-term outlook at Razorback Stadium grew after a dismal 2023 season, when Arkansas lost seven out of eight games in SEC play. The Razorbacks posted a winning record (7-6) in 2024 and won the Liberty Bowl against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. But after Pittman underwent hip surgery on Dec. 3, few could have been blamed for thinking his time at the school was near an end.
But Pittman is a man of his word. Back in 2022, Pittman signed a contract extension that runs through 2027 — and in a new interview with On3, the 63-year-old said he will stay at Arkansas until that contract expires.
“I have three years, and I always said that I wanted to coach through that obligation,” Pittman told Pete Nakos. “After that, I don’t know.”
The Razorbacks have had long-standing difficulties with recruiting blue-chip prospects to play their college football in Fayetteville, and the program faces modest expectations in 2025 as a result.
Four-star linebacker Tavion Wallace committed to the program out of Baxley, Georgia, and he should help the Hogs’ front seven. Quarterback Grayson Wilson — the No. 2 prospect in the state of Arkansas — will likely serve as the backup and eventual replacement for senior signal-caller Taylen Green.
Marquee home games against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Texas A&M Aggies will give Green and others the platform to showcase their talent. But Pittman, who has a 14-28 record in SEC games, will be under continued pressure to deliver amid a road schedule that includes meetings with College Football Playoff teams in the Tennessee Volunteers and Texas Longhorns.
The Razorbacks open the 2025 season on Aug. 30 at home against the Alabama A&M Bulldogs.
