Razorbacks’ Sam Pittman Won’t Keep Running into Walls He Can’t Move

Attitude about transfers has changed for Hogs' coach, mainly because they had to

Author:
Andy Hodges
Publish date:
Nov 15, 2022 5:11 PM EST

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Sam Pittman isn't a fan of college football's transfer portal for a lot of reasons.

With a rules change, he's just going to embrace it.

"The world doesn't wait on you long enough," he said Monday at his press conference on the transfer portal.

The NCAA changed the rules heading into this year that you no longer are limited to 25 new additions (plus up to seven more if that many players transfer out). Now teams just have to stay under the 85 total.

Jadon Haselwood-LSU — Arkansas Razorbacks wide receiver Jadon Haselwood, a transfer from Oklahoma, tries to break a tackle from LSU defensive back Greg Brooks, who transferred from Arkansas, during the Tigers' 13-10 win Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, at Razorback Stadium in Fyaetteville, Ark. (Ted McClenning / allHOGS Images)

Since boosters and fans see that news, their view is what are you waiting for winning games. Pittman, mired in a 5-5 season that had much higher expectations back in August, now finds himself having to win at least one more game to reach a bowl games.

Adding a quarterback with a nagging shoulder injury of some sort doesn't help things.

With nothing left to play for now except getting a few weeks of extra practice time to evaluate folks in December, there's not a lot to play for this year.

"I'm not going to sit here and be bull-headed and lose a whole bunch of games and all that stuff because I don't believe that maybe that's the right way to do it," he said.

That's a fast way to get an early start on retirement living at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs and he knows that very well.

Arkansas coach Sam Pittman during the fourth quarter in a 13-10 loss to the LSU Tigers. — Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman during the fourth quarter against the LSU Tigers at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. LSU won 13-10. (Nelson Chenault – USA TODAY Sports)

"If you're trying to build a program within four or five years, you get to year three or whatever and you're gone," Pittman said. "Everybody wants to win now. It certainly has changed the way that I've looked at the transfer portal, too."

Under a now-antique system, coaches recruited the best high school talent they could to fill in games and added a couple of transfers along the way and built a team. They don't get to stay long enough to build much these days.

It's also going to cause some players on the Razorbacks' roster now to have to find somewhere to go. Scholarships are one-year deals for a few decades now, but most coaches wouldn't just out-right cut players unless there was an off-field issue.

That's changing, too.

"Now, I think if you have a really good player, regardless of what position he is, and he wants to come, you take him," Pittman said. Before, I wouldn't do that. Before, I was like 'No, I'm going to be loyal to these guys. They're plenty good enough for us to win the SEC' and stuff like that.'"

Players are going to have to fight to keep their playing time, it sounds like.

Blame the NCAA. Don't blame the coaches because he was exactly right when he said earlier coaches don't have three years to re-build things.

They'll be fired before it happens. Forget what you've always grown as the way to do it.

For the Hogs' Lunatic Fringe it's been an excuse for failure by fans and coaches for decades.

Get ready for the revolving door to start flying.