Before Trying to Shove Pittman Out Door, Who Wants Job Next?

Your first knee-jerk thought may not be what would happen if Ole Miss loss causes folks to act too quickly

Arkansas Razorbacks offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino on the sidelines against the Ole Miss Rebels at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. / Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — It's November, fans are crushed over Arkansas' latest faceplant in Razorback Stadium and here we go again.

Sam Pittman's job status is being thrown up in the air by people who don't have a vote, but claim they "know people" who know everything. We've seen before under athletics director Hunter Yurachek the normal way of tracking coaching searches doesn't seem to be the same now.

With a football search plus two basketball hires, the only people talking are the ones that have no idea what they're talking about. The people who DO know aren't talking.

Credible sources here: Sam is planning to retire at the end of year. Save UofA money, get his hip taken care of, etc

They won’t fire him but he will be gone at the end of year. Some believe Odom could be back on the hill. Not sure about that one though. https://t.co/lWiZQXgHSN

— Jakota Sainsbury (@jakotasain) November 3, 2024

Maybe the biggest question we don't know the answer about is can they afford to shove Pittman out the door and get a big-name replacement? In today's world where NIL is draining a lot of the money, athletic departments are having to just suck it up and ride with what they got.

Arkansas isn't in the greatest spot in the world with raising NIL money and many of the people with the most money aren't big enough "fan boys" to write huge checks because somebody made a bad employment choice. I don't care what you think, that's the reality of the situation.

Sam Pittman says he got out coached at least 3-5 times per year. If I were a coach and I was continuing to get out coached and out prepared I would retire. Why? Because those kids deserve a coach to get them properly prepared to go out there and win.

— Evil Jerry 😈 (@Redwine_13) November 3, 2024

It's why they spend years paying people to not be the coach of the Razorbacks. Some places just pay 'em off and everybody moves on. The UA tries to force people they don't want to go get another job and some folks think that's a smart move, but doesn't exactly attract the biggest names.

We just went through that a few years ago. All of the names folks pointed to turned them down. Pittman wasn't the first choice and it's pretty unlikely the names then aren't more interested now or even still alive (RIP Mike Leach).

Now the names being thrown out are former defensive coordinator Barry Odom and, of course, bringing current offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino back for an attempt to re-create the past with a different set of rules and circumstances a decade later.

UNLV Rebels coach Barry Odom against the Kansas Jayhawks in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl at Chase Field. / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Of those two options, Odom might be the best fit and have the most interest. His son is the quarterback at Fayetteville High this year. He knows the landscape and the expectations where averaging 8 wins a year could qualify for tenure.

As for Petrino, I'm not sure he would even want the job again. He's living out at Pinnacle in Rogers and enjoys riding around on his golf cart, drawing up plays and making $1.5 million a year. Don't assume others have the same priorities in life and jobs that you do. He's probably in his happy spot right now.

Whether it would work or not is a hypothetical we could debate for years with no answer. Petrino didn't win a single championship when he was here for four years previously and lost the biggest games he coached with the Razorbacks. That's just a fact.

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman on the sidelines against the Ole Miss Rebels at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. / Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

It doesn't mean he's a bad coach. Sooner or later everybody is going to have to look at the only constant in what is now 20 years of coaching circuses is the UA itself. Let's not forget insanity is best defined by doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result.

Sooner or later, every Razorback fan is going to have to really look to see where the actual problem lies. How it gets fixed may get a sixth attempt in 17 seasons. Finding somebody seeing a secure situation in that is the needle in the haystack.

HOGS FEED:

• Arkansas forward flashed great promise in latest exhibition

• What Should Hogs' Expectations Be for Calipari's First Season?

• Ole Miss simply had talent to react to Razorbacks' defense

• Hogs stuck in mediocrity with momentum neutralized

• Yurachek's comments about Ole Miss come to fruition about Hogs

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