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Tell Me About Arkansas


Vic Mackey

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  • 4 weeks later...

https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/10086146-alex-collins-dies-at-28-former-rb-played-5-nfl-seasons-with-ravens-seahawks.amp.

Damn shame. No cause revealed yet. He’s had his issues.

He was a beast at Arkansas, and ran thru the SEC. He was a physical back with technique and looked like the kind of back that could have a good career in the nfl. He had some flashes but just never performed consistently.

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THE PERFECT DAY FOR ARKANSAS HC SAM PITTMAN: AVOID STARBUCKS THEN ENJOY POPEYES CHICKEN AND A COLD BEER

by TREY WALLACE.   August 23, 2023

 

Arkansas head football coach Sam Pittman might not get a lot of downtime as the leader of an SEC football program, but he still has dreams of what a perfect off-day would entail.

Heading into a season full of expectations with returning quarterback KJ Jefferson and stud running back Raheim ‘Rocket’ Sanders, the Razorbacks are primed to cause problems in the SEC West. More so, their schedule presents an opportunity to build-off the last few years in Fayetteville, with hopes of giving Alabama and LSU a run for a division title.

But while there’s talk of what the season will look like for Arkansas and expectations from the fans, Sam Pittman has become a fan favorite around college football. Whether it’s the no-nonsense approach or his ability to relate to the fans, along with other coaches arounds the country, he’s just a southern boy at heart.

Perfect Day For Sam Pittman Involves Fried Chicken And Beer

You don’t have to look far to realize how much Sam Pittman loves being the Razorbacks head coach, as the massive hog statue outside his lake house shows. In a relatable sense, he also doesn’t have to mince words about what a perfect off-day would look like for the Arkansas head coach.

Speaking with Marty Smith and Ryan Mcgee recently, Pittman explained to the pair what he would do if given the chance to have a relaxing day on the water. Having fun at the expense of his wife, Pittman mentioned that she has yet to figure out how to work the new coffee machine at the house, leading to an hour long drive to Starbucks, taking time out of his so-called perfect day.

Ok, this is obviously true for a lot of folks. Heck, if I knew how to make a coffee that resembled one from the popular shop, I’d most likely save a decent amount of money per month. But that’s a story for another day. Another key ingredient of the afternoon is a stop at Popeyes to pickup a bucket of chicken, along with a couple of sandwiches.

In true Sam Pittman form, the Arkansas head ball coach would have each point of the day consist of a cold beer, especially on his ride around the lake. This also includes a stop at ‘Sam’s Pizza’ for a slice, then wrapping up the day with a swim, while the Razorbacks fight song plays in the background.

 

Just don’t expect Pittman to be calling the hogs late into the evening. He mentioned that age has caught up to him, and he hits the bed around 9pm.

As the coach was describing this day, it’s not hard to smile when you hear him discuss his dream scenario, though I’m pretty sure his summer nights involve this scenario.

We all know how tough the SEC will be this season and the tall task Arkansas faces, but it’s nice to hear these coaches talk about their days like regular Joes.

In the case of Sam Pittman, he’s certainly not putting on an act. Unfortunately for him, the next off-day he gets will come in about seven months. But I’m sure he’ll find time for a cold beer, or two.

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  • 1 month later...

Dan Enos might have been the worst hire as an OC on P5 history. He’s been pure shit, had taken a productive offense and killed it while getting into shitball social media battles with students. When asked if he was adapting his offense for the talents his players had he emphatically said he was running his offense. Should have been fired with that.

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I didn't realize his resume was such shit.  Dude is 55 years old and his entire career is a bunch of 1-3 year stints at mid majors.  Not sure why he was hired except him and Pittman are friends.  Both him and Pittman are mid 50's career position coaches who are in way over their heads.

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Defeat of Florida increases buyout of Arkansas coach Sam Pittman by more than $5 million

Story by Craig Meyer, USA TODAY  • 1w

Arkansas’ 39-36 overtime win Saturday at Florida snapped a six-game losing streak and kept the Razorbacks’ slim hopes for bowl eligibility alive for another week.

For Sam Pittman, it did something else.

With the victory against the Gators on Saturday, the Arkansas coach improved his record since the start of the 2021 college football season to 19-16, and guaranteed that he will finish the 2023 season with a mark of at least .500 dating back to the 2021 season-opener.

Because of that, if Pittman is fired without cause at the end of this season, he will be owed 75% of what he his owed on the remainder of his contract, according to the terms of his agreement with Arkansas.

Sam Pittman contract details

Pittman's win over Florida is a notable distinction that is worth millions for Arkansas.

According to the terms of Pittman's contract, obtained by the USA TODAY Network, he will be owed no less than $16.1 million if the university fires him without cause on Dec. 1, 2023. Had he fallen below the .500 win percentage threshold since the start of the 2021 season, he would have been owed only 50%, worth roughly $10.7 million. In either case, he would have to make a good-faith effort to find another job, the income of which would be subtracted from Arkansas' buyout.

Pittman is scheduled to make $6.35 million in 2023 through Dec. 31, including a $5.25 million salary that includes $500,000 in annual salary, $4.5 million in additional compensation for speaking engagements and a $250,000 bonus for winning seven games in 2022. His pay ranks him 22nd among all FBS coaches and 10th among the SEC’s 14 coaches.

At the time he signed the contract, the Razorbacks were rolling under Pittman: In 2021, Arkansas went 9-4 and defeated Penn State in the Outback Bowl to reach its highest win total in a decade. The Razorbacks followed that breakthrough campaign with a disappointing 7-6 mark in 2022, a season in which it got off to a 3-0 start and rose to No. 10 in the US LBM Coaches Poll before losing six of their final 10 games.

This season has been even more difficult, with Arkansas at 3-6 following the win against Florida. That decline has raised questions about Pittman’s job status and his future at the school as he nears the end of his fourth season at the helm.

 

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So the Pittman contract has full mitigation for each remaining year of the contract. So he would have to get a job. He was a year away from retiring at Georgia, has always said this was his last job, and just looks and sounds done.

The only leverage the AD has is to offer him a retirement settlement, say 10 mil, without mitigation, and the ability to retire to his Lake Hamilton house and drink beer and watch fried chicken. Or fire his ass and set him up with a o line job at some North Dakota directional school.

He sounds awful in these pressers. Says he has no answers, doesn’t know what to do, etc. I think the idea of rebuilding next year is nothing he wants . I expect him to retire after this FIU game and then finish against mizzou.

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10 minutes ago, Texzilla58 said:

So the Pittman contract has full mitigation for each remaining year of the contract. So he would have to get a job. He was a year away from retiring at Georgia, has always said this was his last job, and just looks and sounds done.

The only leverage the AD has is to offer him a retirement settlement, say 10 mil, without mitigation, and the ability to retire to his Lake Hamilton house and drink beer and watch fried chicken. Or fire his ass and set him up with a o line job at some North Dakota directional school.

He sounds awful in these pressers. Says he has no answers, doesn’t know what to do, etc. I think the idea of rebuilding next year is nothing he wants . I expect him to retire after this FIU game and then finish against mizzou.

Yeah, restructure and let Pittman retire after this season while saving the Univ of Arkansas money... allow him to leave gracefully.  

 

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1 hour ago, Texzilla58 said:

So the Pittman contract has full mitigation for each remaining year of the contract. So he would have to get a job. He was a year away from retiring at Georgia, has always said this was his last job, and just looks and sounds done.

The only leverage the AD has is to offer him a retirement settlement, say 10 mil, without mitigation, and the ability to retire to his Lake Hamilton house and drink beer and watch fried chicken. Or fire his ass and set him up with a o line job at some North Dakota directional school.

He sounds awful in these pressers. Says he has no answers, doesn’t know what to do, etc. I think the idea of rebuilding next year is nothing he wants . I expect him to retire after this FIU game and then finish against mizzou.

And then Arkansas announces Barry Odom returning to be the HC

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6 minutes ago, Jasper_Jester said:

Do they owe him back pay for the $18 M they didn't pay since he was fired for cause? If you would rehire the guy knowing what you know, how is the original firing still justified?

The previous firing can be justified, as can the current hiring.  He deserved to be fired, but its been 10 years, he's learned, changed, been employed by four universities without issue, blah, blah.

Not to mention its not the same position.  He's an assistant coach, not running the football program and making hires.

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The three programs you can always count on to step on their own dicks are Aggy, Barn, and Arky.

Best case scenario here for the ultimate implosion is they fire Pittman mid season, Petrino takes over as HC in the interim, they win a few games, and then they sign him to a long term deal with a big buyout.  

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Petrino on his year at Texas A&M: "Jimbo wanted to keep his terminology, and I didn't sleep for months"

DOUG SAMUELS      58 MINUTES AGO

One of the most intriguing storylines heading into this past fall's college football season was the partnership between Jimbo Fisher and then-new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino.

Fisher had brought in the renowned offensive mind to help revamp the Aggies offense in what turned out to be a make-or-break season for Jimbo.

However, there was no shortage of questions on how the play calling relationship was going to work. 

From a coaching perspective, are you going to ask your entire roster to learn something new, or just ask the new coordinator to adapt? Neither approach is proven to be better than the other.

Was Jimbo going to give up control and let Petrino bring in his system? Was Petrino going to call the offense using Jimbos system and terminology? Was it going to be a blend of both?

Fisher danced around those questions during every conceivable opportunity to provide clarity, and after a 6-4 season the Aggies parted ways with him while acknowledging they'd have to pay a ridiculous buyout.

Petrino has since landed back in Arkansas as the offensive coordinator for Sam Pittman, and yesterday he joined Razorback Daily and shared some perspective on his brief tenure with Jimbo.

"I'm going to put in the offense that I know," Petrino shared on his plans for the Razorbacks.

"Last season I went into A&M and Jimbo wanted to keep his terminology, and I didn't sleep for months. It was hard. I was studying every night, trying to figure this out, and wondering why are we calling it this way?"

"But I have an offense that I am very familiar with and understand inside and out and calling it will be much easier, and going quicker. The players are going to have to work hard at understanding it."

Petrino goes on to share that they have a process involved that will see them install the offense three times before they kick off the fall season.

"Psychologists say that if you learn something three times, you better have it."

If Petrino is able to come in and have success with Pittman at Arkansas right away, loyal Aggie fans will have more fuel to always wonder what could have been with the Aggies if Jimbo had just relinquished some offensive control.

 

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