Smart's Not Smart Moment Shows Pittman Way to Fix Last Season's Issue

Vulnerability with players, chance to deepen bond on table for Arkansas Razorbacks if coaches take risk

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman on the sidelines against Mississippi State in 2023. / Michael Morrison-allHOGS Images

DALLAS – Arkansas coach Sam Pittman and Georgia coach Kirby Smart have more in common than most might think. It's probably a big part of the reason why the two worked so well together during Pittman's time in Athens prior to taking the Razorbacks' head coaching gig.

Both understand the value of trying to relate to players and how important personal relationships are to not only holding together a locker room, but getting the most out of it. They also both have a bit of an old school streak that puts them a little out of touch with the modern life of the young men they coach, leading sometimes to mildly awkward, yet funny moments.

Smart, whose time is often spoken for, found himself with a few free moments this week, so he thought he would try to connect with defensive lineman Mykel Williams and defensive back Malaki Starks on the drive to the hotel from the airport. He fired his shot by talking about what every college football athlete is going crazy about this week – the release of NCAA Football 25.

After taking in how popular the game became before it was even released, Smart had a question he couldn't wrap his mind around.

"I'm just trying to get in the conversation and talk to them about it and I said 'Man, that game's pretty awesome,'" Smart said. "'Yeah, I can't wait to get to the hotel and I'm going to play it tonight.' Everybody's talking about it. It's all over, it's trending. It's all over everything. And I was like, 'How do they keep that thing in stores? It's got to sell out. How do they keep it in stores?'"

Starks and Williams immediately erupted in laughter. Once they got themselves under control, they informed Smart video games aren't typically bought in stores anymore.

It was a statement about as out of touch as when people start grumbling about funding high school football stadiums when schools can't afford textbooks. For those who are lost, most schools across the country haven't had physical textbooks in at least a decade and in most states, the money used to build facilities can't be used to provide instructional materials or teacher salaries.

"I always saw Coach [Nick] Saban as older when he was coaching and saw myself as younger, and now I'm looking at it like, 'Man, I'm old,'" Smart said. "... I was so embarrassed. I was glad they got a kick out of that because it made me realize how out of touch I actually am with how far things have come. You can just download it and go play. It's that's simple. So, stores don't have to keep it."

Anyone who has been around Pittman for any length of time knows he heard what Smart said Tuesday morning and probably learned a little something also. If there were rankings for SEC coaches who could be handed a PS5 with the game installed and not be able to play four quarters successfully, Pittman would probably be at the top of the list.

If he wanted to order the game to have it available in a special area of the facilities, that would likely be a job that would have to be delegated also. However, that won't stop Pittman from talking to players about the ratings system and trying to watch them compete in a game or two just to give them a hard time about the plays they are calling.

Perhaps one of the biggest lessons he's learned since coming to Arkansas is the value of a diverse staff that can offer a connection for each player on the team. He now has a wide range of ages, ethnicities and backgrounds, which should go a long way toward building bonds and retaining players at the end of the season.

There are plenty of coaches at Arkansas who can take advantage of the game's release by being able to get in on the game and going toe-to-toe with the players while playfully talking trash. Meanwhile, just as important are the non-gamer coaches who can watch and enjoy what's going on with some of the other players who really aren't into gaming, but still like taking in the atmosphere.

Pass some slices of pizza out and it's a chance to take the edge off and build a cohesion that hasn't been at Arkansas in the past. The original staff wasn't built for such a moment, and last year's group definitely couldn't have pulled it off on a team-wide scale.

The defensive staff and players would have been fine. That type of relationship was there and it showed until the weight of carrying the team all season without much in the way of reward became too much.

However, the coaches couldn't even get along on the offensive side of the ball, much less the players without a strong, cohesive example to guide them. Despite Bobby Petrino's reputation, if he wanders through, even he might start calling plays on behalf of one of the players against one of his quarterbacks or receivers just because he likes the challenge and wants to win.

It's those sorts of moments that opens doors of communication when it's needed most during the season. Players feel more comfortable talking with coaches and the barrier has softened a bit where a coach can have a difficult discussion with a player that's more likely to be heard.

Pittman seems to like to step out of the box and try new things every now and then. It wouldn't be surprising to see him use the game as a space for up and coming potential coordinators to battle it out and make decisions without the consequence of potentially losing a real game.

Sure, it's only a simulation, but a lot can be gained about the understanding and thought process by sitting back and watching it play out. Throw in a bunch of players making a lot of noise as big plays pile up on either side, and Pittman gets a view of not only philosophy in certain situations, but how they handle certain types of limited pressure.

He can even ask his players to take notes and provide critiques after the coaches finish their game to deepen their knowledge and thought process in a way that is fun and appeals to them. All the while, those valuable relationships that hold things together during tough times and help ease the door to the transfer portal shut come November blossom in ways they couldn't have before.

Pittman's the kind of coach to take risks if he thinks it will benefit him and his team. Much like Smart, he's going to put himself in vulnerable situations that will allow his players to have a good laugh.

Those moments matter. He has the opportunity to show his age while also showing he is willing to meet players where they are in regard to this video game.

It's a chance to bring something to the team that was sorely missing last season. If he does, fans will likely be able to tell on Saturdays.

It's a risk worth taking. Even if he doesn't fully understand what's going on at first.

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