Arkansas’ firing of Sam Pittman draws strong response from Greg McElroy

The Arkansas Razorbacks parted ways with head coach Sam Pittman on Sunday, ending his five-year tenure in Fayetteville. The decision came one day after a 56-13 home loss to Notre Dame that dropped the Razorbacks to 2-3. Pittman, who finished with a 32-34 overall record, was known for his down-to-earth personality and his role in stabilizing the program following the Chad Morris era.

Offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino was named interim head coach. Petrino, who led the Razorbacks to consecutive double-digit win seasons before his dismissal in 2012, has already begun reshaping the staff. According to reports, he dismissed three defensive assistants on Monday morning and expressed interest in being considered for the permanent role. Athletic director Hunter Yurachek emphasized that the program’s goal remains to compete for championships within the Southeastern Conference.

The move to dismiss Pittman adds Arkansas to a growing list of major programs making in-season coaching changes. Pittman became the fourth Power Four coach fired in September, joining Brent Pry at Virginia Tech, DeShaun Foster at UCLA and Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State.

Greg McElroy Reacts To Arkansas’ Coaching Change

Greg McElroy addressed the news during his Always College Football podcast, placing Pittman’s dismissal within the broader coaching carousel. McElroy highlighted the timing of Arkansas’ decision, pointing to the NCAA’s redshirt rule as a key factor.

“After five games, these are when these decisions are likely to be made, because you can play in up to four games as a player and still redshirt,” McElroy said. “We’ve seen some teams pull the plug earlier — DeShaun Foster at UCLA, Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State, Brent Pry at Virginia Tech. But around the five-game mark is when athletic directors are going to start dropping the hammer, because once players have played five games, they can no longer redshirt. That’s when you’re probably going to make a move. And you hate it. I love Sam Pittman to death. I think the world of him. It just wasn’t going in the right direction.”