Pittman's Change in One Mental Area Could Be Difference for Hogs

Growth for Arkansas head coach has taken massive leap since last regular season ended

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas coach Sam Pittman has shown a lot of growth over the past nine months, which goes a long way toward creating a high potential of success this season.

When it came time to turn his staff over, he saw an opportunity to create a staff that is more diverse, making it better equipped to handle situations that come up throughout the course of a season, and also more dedicated to the work that needs to be done on the recruiting trail. That's a huge step toward progress off the field.

However, Pittman recently hinted at an adjustment that will greatly increase the odds of success on it. Following the win over Kansas game in the Liberty Bowl, where nearly half the starters were missing and several assistants were either gone or mentally halfway out the door, an epiphany occurred. Pittman no longer needed to coddle everyone around him in hopes they will be his friend. If he said what needed to be said, the results would be there even if certain people ultimately may not be.

"In other words, all we have is all we need, that type mentality that we're trying to bring to the program," Pittman told the Little Rock Touchdown Club last week. "That [win over Kansas] was a big lift for us to be perfectly honest with you."

As the turnover grew after the season, including in the coaching ranks, Pittman patiently replenished the roster with way more players than the traditional 25 recruiting allotment while also nearly flipping his entire coaching staff. What followed was an opportunity to more or less reboot himself as a coach, and with it, the chance to self-reflect on what he needs to do different. 

That started with his need to be liked by everyone. Pittman got the job because he was beloved by former players who went to bat for him and wrote the infamous letter to Hunter Yurachek. It still comes out when players talk about why they came to Arkansas. "Have you met Coach Pitt?" is often part of the answer. Still, Pittman knows he will have to go against his nature a little more in certain areas if he was is going to lead this program to double-digit wins.

"I learned a lot," Pittman said. "In the leadership role, a good leader understands that people aren't going to like you at times. They're just not – a good one. Now, if people like you all the time, you're probably not leading to be perfectly honest with you. So, I had to learn to be comfortable with people around me not necessarily liking what I had to say."

He is still careful to not come off as rude or insulting. Pittman said he tries to keep everything focused on what someone needs to do better to help the team.

"Now, it's nothing disrespectful in it, but I had to learn that," Pittman said. "I wanted to be the guy everybody liked all the time. But I don't know if we're doing right for the kids with that type of mentality, so, I had to learn to switch a little bit." 

Still, even though the lesson was learned the hard way, it's not something that comes natural. He's still the jolly man who likes to affably pick on his players about their taste in music, so it's still uncomfortable when he has to get tough on a specific player or coach.

"It still bothers me," Pittman said. "I mean, it still bothers me to say something that I know will make somebody mad at me. But, I am worried more about the majority of the people in the building than I am the other."

That includes difficult conversations with coaches. However, if he steps up and has those conversations and adjustments aren't made, it's a signal he may need to have an even more difficult discussion. 

"If you hire good people they are going to switch and they are going to do what you ask them to do," Pittman said. "If you hire somebody that's not any good, they're going to continue to not be any good. I mean, they are. They're going to blame everybody else but look in the mirror. Usually those people have huge egos." 

Even still, with the new attitude toward how to handle head coaching duties, Pittman wants to remain true to himself. Certain things just aren't subject to change.

"Everybody asks all the time, 'Well, you're just a regular person," Pittman said. "Well, who the hell am I supposed to be? I mean, you gotta be who you are right?"

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