Pittman's Performance in Alabama Alongside Saban, Smart Big for Razorbacks' Future

Pittman learned what not to do at these events from Bret Bielema
In this story:

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama coach Nick Saban opened the show, Georgia coach Kirby Smart closed it down, and Arkansas coach Sam Pittman handled the hour-long primetime slot sandwiched in the middle at opening night of the Alabama Football Coaches Association convention Thursday.

With over 50 recruits expected to visit Fayetteville this weekend in what will be the Razorbacks' last chance to host recruits until March, no one would have blamed Pittman had he stayed home taste-testing barbecue and making sure everything looked extra bright and shiny for when the recruits hit campus.

However, Thursday night, just hours before a lot of the recruits and their families start popping into their hotels for the weekend, Pittman was spending an hour in a ballroom at the Embassy Suites in downtown Montgomery teaching over 700 Alabama high school football coaches how to coach blocking. 

Quite literally. He had people come up while he physically demonstrated proper form and technique.

That Pittman is respected enough in Alabama to receive a prime featured speaking spot alongside two coaches who have claimed the last three national championships and four of the last six speaks well of how Pittman is viewed in the coaching ranks.

Of course, there were probably a lot of familiar faces from his time on the recruiting trail over at Georgia under Smart. 

The current make-up of his newly restructured coaching staff indicates an emphasis on recruiting the far Southeast of the country in Alabama, Georgia and Florida, from which key players such as Denver Kirkland and Alex Collins were lured during Pittman's most successful time coaching with Bret Bielema. 

Because of this, taking time to further relationships with coaches in the area while getting a little extra shine from Smart and Saban can go a long way in shaping future success at Arkansas.

Photos like this go a long way in adding credibility.

It should also be noted that no one from either Mississippi school, LSU or Texas A&M spoke at the event. That means if any of those coaches have a player who wants to spread his wings and get out of Alabama, but still play in the SEC West, Pittman will be top of mind. 

Pittman's speech could be especially important in regard to Leeds, Alabama 4-star edge rusher Kavion Henderson. The Class of 2024 commit will be on the hill this weekend and appears to be solid on his commitment.

However, if he begins to waiver at any point, having coaches from his school in the room seeing first hand how Pittman coaches his linemen and feeling his energy make it more likely they will reassure him that he's in good hands at Arkansas.

That's because when it comes to recruiting, relationships with high school coaches matter. Sitting under the learning tree with a guy for an hour goes a long way.

While Pittman doesn't directly coach defensive linemen, being able to tell a player he's going to go against the best trained offensive linemen in the country while preparing for the NFL because you saw the man's brilliance confirmed in person and possibly stole a quick minute to pick his brain can do a lot to ease a recruit's mind.

There is little doubt that Pittman was at his best. Photos and comments from the event suggest he fit in about as well as a glass of sweet iced tea at a local catfish house.

After all, Pittman was working for Bielema when the Arkansas head coach went into a Texas high school coaching clinic and essentially talked his way right out of possibly the most important recruiting ground the Razorbacks have.

In an expletive laden rant, Bielema told a room full of coaches, almost all of whom ran high profile passing attacks, that if they don't utilize a fullback or if they try to throw the ball 70 times per game, then he's going to kick their, um, backsides, every time.

College coaches in Texas, including Texas Tech's Kliff Kingsbury, whose Patrick Mahommes led Red Raiders took down the Razorbacks in Fayetteville a few months after the clinic, used it against Arkansas whenever they could – especially if there was a microphone at hand.

“I’m the son of a Texas high school coach," Kingsbury said during a press conference. “Texas high school coaches, probably 90% of them run the spread offense, so to walk in there and say that ... it definitely rubbed me the wrong way.” 

Pittman's a technique, schemes, x's and o's kind of guy, especially when it comes to blocking. He was in his best element on Thursday. 

Regardless of how Saturday goes, Thursday night's talk might be the most impactful thing Pittman does in regard to the long term success of his program.

Arkansas divider

HOGS FEED:

HOW "40 MINUTES OF HELL" CAME TO BE UNDER RICHARDSON AT ARKANSAS

DAVIS RECEIVES ONE OF THE HIGHEST ACCOLADES A HOG CAN RECEIVE AND HE PROBABLY DOESN'T EVEN KNOW IT

WHAT WILL SPRING PRACTICE REVEAL ABOUT HOW HOGS WILL LOOK IN THE FALL

RELIVE THE DAN ENOS ERA AT ARKANSAS TO GAIN INSIGHT ON WHERE THE RAZORBACK OFFENSE IS HEADED

RAZORBACKS' ANTHONY BLACK RESPONDS PERFECTLY TO LSU SLAP

HOGS' COACH SAM PITTMAN HAS BECOME A TRUE HEAD COACH WITH MODERN ERA WISDOM

RAZORBACKS TAKE NEXT STEP IN EVOLUTION DURING WIN OVER LSU

RAZORBACKS FINALLY ABSORBING DEFENSIVE LESSON MUSSELMAN HAS BEEN TEACHING

HOGS TEAM WAS ONCE SO GREAT THE COACH SCHEDULED A 3-GAME SERIES WITH THAT GENERATION'S VERSION OF THE 90S BULLS WITH JORDAN, PIPPEN

IF NICK SMITH COMES BACK, HE MAY NOT BE A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR FOR RAZORBACKS

WHICH TEAM THAT STARTED LEAGUE PLAY 11-1 ENDS WITH NCAA BERTH

SCOUTING REPORT SAYS RAZORBACKS HAVE GOTTEN BETTER, BUT WHAT ABOUT LSU AHEAD OF TUESDAY NIGHT?

NEWEST ITERATION OF HOGS' BASEBALL EXPECTED TO BE LED BY PITCHING

LET'S NOT OVERLOOK ANTHONY BLACK, WHO IS LEADING THIS RAZORBACK TEAM RIGHT NOW

WALSH, DAVIS FINDING CONFIDENCE, DEFINING ROLES KEY TO HOGS' WIN OVER OLE MISS

BREAKING DOWN ALL 33 FOULS CALLED AGAINST ARKANSAS AT MISSOURI

DAN ENOS HIRED FOR REASONS OTHER THAN PLAY CALLING

WHAT MIKE NEIGHBORS LEARNED IN CLOSE LOSS AT LSU HE WILL PROBABLY WANT TO USE WITH HOGS

SEC ADMITS THEY MESSED UP REVIEW, BUT NOTHING ELSE AND NO MENTION OF CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE HOGS

HOGS STILL CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO CLOSE OUT A WIN, FALLING TO MISSOURI

A COUPLE OF POSSIBILITIES FOR RAZORBACKS' OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR OPENING

BRILES REPORTEDLY HEADED TO TCU, BUT WHO MIGHT FOLLOW?

MUSSELMAN SAYS LARGE SEC CROWDS POSSIBLY THE ISSUE WITH HOGS

WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR RAZORBACKS TO HAVE AN ARGUMENT TO REACH NCAA TOURNAMENT THIS YEAR?

Arkansas divider

Return to allHogs home page.

Want to join in on the discussion? Click here to become a member of the allHOGS message board community today!

Follow allHOGS on Twitter and Facebook.


Published
Kent Smith
KENT SMITH

Kent Smith has been in the world of media and film for nearly 30 years. From Nolan Richardson's final seasons, former Razorback quarterback Clint Stoerner trying to throw to anyone and anything in the blazing heat of Cowboys training camp in Wichita Falls, the first high school and college games after 9/11, to Troy Aikman's retirement and Alex Rodriguez's signing of his quarter billion dollar contract, Smith has been there to report on some of the region's biggest moments.