Arkansas
If worst happens, who replaces Sam Pittman at Arkansas
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Right now there is no reason to believe Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman is going anywhere at the end of this season.
Everything is pointing positive in Fayetteville. Pittman has a new hip, a returning quarterback, an improved offensive line led by an All-American, the vast majority of his staff returning and is in the midst of pulling together a fairly impressive recruiting class with numerous quality pieces for the future.
However, things happen. Key players get hurt, a ball bounces the wrong way, personal health takes a turn or there comes a point where the love just fades. It’s because of this athletics directors always keep a list of names handy for coaching candidates that is always on shuffle year-to-year and in some cases month-to-month.
Arkansas is special, yet difficult
Recruiting coaches to Arkansas is hard for administrators. The state is somewhat isolated from the talent it needs to recruit and the team also happens to play in the SEC, long proven to be a coach killer.
Not even Bret Bielema and his multiple Rose Bowls and Big Ten championship pedigree could survive the grind that is the SEC gauntlet. It takes someone quite unique to win at Arkansas.
The first thing fans need to do is to dump the usual names they always have to cycle through. Lane Kiffin isn’t leaving the comfort of Ole Miss to come to Fayetteville.
He’s king there, is in College Football Playoff contention, and seems quite content to see if he can become the guy who follows the guy who followed “The Guy” at Alabama. He also makes a lot more money than Arkansas can pay.
Also, despite how happy it made Arkansas fans to watch Jon Gruden unbox their gear on social media, he’s not coming to coach the Hogs. He may wear a red tie for 10 weeks straight just to mess with fans, but it’s not happening.
He has a well-paying low pressure gig right now and he is too hot for the Razorbacks considering everything surrounding his most recent firing.
Also, let’s officially hop off the Gus Bus. Sure, he is a much more viable commodity now that he is offensive coordinator down at Florida State, but that bridge has long since been burned from both ends.
So, with that established, let’s look at truly viable candidates.
The assistant coach route
With the money troubles Arkansas is having, hiring an assistant coach to the position is an option that has to be strongly considered. However, that means needing someone with SEC experience who has game planned against fellow conference members who can also recruit to Fayetteville at a high level.
That immediately makes this a list of one. Current Arkansas defensive coordinator Travis Williams has been a major reason the Razorbacks have turned their recruiting around of late.
Over the past few seasons, each time a player commits to the Hogs who normally would have no business landing here, Williams’ name pops up. When the Razorbacks go viral on social media, it’s Williams in the spotlight.
One instance is when he was all alone in the coaches office watching as linebacker Tavion Wallace shocked everyone by choosing Arkansas. Williams celebrated up and down the empty halls.
Arkansas DC Travis Williams was HYPED to land 4⭐️ LB Tavion Wallace 😂🔥 pic.twitter.com/N9ammxzuXK
— Rivals High School (@Rivals_HS) July 3, 2024
Then there was the time when he ended up all over national media, including the “Pat McAfee Show,” as he freestyle rapped alongside his players in the team meeting room. He’s a man players are drawn toward.
👀Arkansas DC: Travis Williams still has those 🔥BARS!👆🅰️🐗🏈#Razorbacks #Football
— Rabid Razorback Fans (@Rabid_Razorback) July 26, 2024
This past week he celebrated in his car with his daughter on social media when he found out Alabama 4-star high school linebacker JJ Bush is coming to the Hogs. Two years before that, it was 4-star Alabama high school linebacker Bradley Shaw around the same time he found out former 5-star linebacker Xavian Sorey was on his way to be a Razorback.
HUGE! 🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗🐗 pic.twitter.com/NzYKUdI0r2
— Coach T-Will (@T_WILL4REAL) July 2, 2025
His energy is infectious and he knows how to sell Fayetteville and the Arkansas program even during the former NIL environment when the staff had everything working against it. Plus, there’s an aura about him that makes it easy to picture him being a better head coach than he is a coordinator.
The positive qualities of Houston Nutt are all there. People want to follow him and he gets people’s blood going to where they think they can run through anything.
If the decision becomes an assistant coach, the line starts and ends with Williams.
The head coach route
This is an oddly short list also. There aren’t a lot of head coaches with SEC experience who can recruit to Arkansas and be competitive who aren’t already out of the Razorbacks’ price range.
That list includes UTSA coach Jeff Traylor and that’s about it. However, his SEC experience didn’t go well, and it’s hard to tell how much interest there would be in evoking Chad Morris’ name back into the Razorback lexicon once again.
So, that leads to another Traylor-like coach who may lack the desired SEC experience, but at least comes with a love of the Razorbacks and SEC football — Joey McGuire.
The name may sound familiar to Arkansas fans. He was the head coach of Texas Tech who took on Arkansas without either of his coordinators or any of his star players this past winter.
He is a legit Texas high school football coaching legend who has built quite a name for himself coaching the Red Raiders. He took over Cedar Hill in the early 2000s, a high school football program that was rock bottom and had never won a playoff game, and built a national power, making it to four Texas state championship games.
In his first season as head coach at Texas Tech, he took down both the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners, something that should heavily appeal to Arkansas fans. He then pulled back-to-back winning seasons, including an 8-5 finish last year, which showed enough progress to convince a prominent booster to pour money into the program to see what he can do.
What McGuire has done so far is convince the nation’s No. 1 portal class to come to Lubbock, Texas to play football. However, despite the wealthy benefactor, there are things Arkansas offers that could lure McGuire and his strong Texas recruiting ties to Arkansas.
First off, even though Pittman makes bottom of the barrel in the SEC for salary, it would be a 50% increase in pay for McGuire. Also, the man grew up in Texarkana as a true-bred Razorbacks fan.
The other factor is it is much easier to recruit Texas athletes, especially in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and East Texas, to Fayetteville than it is to Lubbock. The drive is far less taxing and it’s hard to meet someone from the area who didn’t fall in love with Northwest Arkansas upon arrival.
Neither of those things have ever been said from a North or East Texan after forcing themselves to drive to Lubbock.
Conclusion
So, that’s it. The list is sweet and concise.
That alone should help people understand to be careful what they wish for when it comes to the faction of the Hogs’ fan base who wants to see Pittman gone. There aren’t a lot of good options out there for Hunter Yurachek to consider who fall within the real of reality.
Best case scenario is Pittman retires with a team thriving on momentum and hands over the keys to Williams to keep the thing going. Otherwise, the Razorbacks may end up in another downward cycle that no one wants to experience again.
Arkansas
Arkansas basketball stars Meleek Thomas, Trevon Brazile selected in NBA Draft second round | Whole Hog Sports
Arkansas
Arkansas Athletics, CommunityAmerica Credit Union launch multi-year partnership including Razorback Stadium naming rights
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas Department of Athletics has signed a long-term partnership with CommunityAmerica Credit Union, marking a significant step in the credit union’s growing commitment to Northwest Arkansas. Facilitated by Learfield and Razorback Sports Properties, Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium will become CommunityAmerica Razorback Stadium beginning with the 2027 football season.
Rooted in more than 85 years of helping individuals and families achieve financial peace of mind and building on a 65-year legacy of service in Arkansas, CommunityAmerica is excited to engage with Razorback fans and support the communities they call home.
“This is so much more than a name on a stadium. It’s about becoming part of the Razorback Nation experience and helping fans, students, student-athletes and the communities we and the university serve,” said Lisa Ginter, Chief Executive Officer of CommunityAmerica Credit Union. “Our members are at the heart of everything we do and when we evaluate partnerships like this, it starts with what matters most to them. The University of Arkansas is a powerful source of pride and connection for people across the state and in many of our markets. This partnership underscores our long-term commitment to Northwest Arkansas, where we look forward to growing our presence and helping more families achieve financial peace of mind. We’re already deepening our roots with plans for a campus location and several new branches throughout the region.”
The multi-phased partnership extends beyond naming rights and designates CommunityAmerica as the Official Credit Union of Arkansas Athletics. CommunityAmerica will also serve as an official sponsor of Arkansas Athletics, supporting student-athletes and fans alike. The comprehensive partnership will also include the rebranding of the SEC Club inside Razorback Stadium as the CommunityAmerica Club, where fans enjoy premium amenities on gameday. As part of the agreement, CommunityAmerica will engage directly with Razorback student-athletes providing Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities, valuable financial education and programs to help them succeed both on and off the field.
“We are thrilled to welcome CommunityAmerica Credit Union as the Official Credit Union of Arkansas Athletics as one piece of a partnership that will benefit our student-athletes, fans and the state of Arkansas for years to come,” said Hunter Yurachek, Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics at the University of Arkansas. “Our vision in the Department of Athletics is to be our best and CommunityAmerica’s commitment to excellence as a trusted, people-driven financial institution mirrors that same vision. This partnership is just getting started but its impact will help shape our future.”
Beginning with the 2027 football season, the partnership will expand into its second phase with the naming of CommunityAmerica Razorback Stadium and the launch of CommunityAmerica Razorback Checking, Debit and Credit Cards.
With a legacy of serving members across Arkansas and nationwide, CommunityAmerica is ranked among the most trusted and innovative credit unions in the country and among the largest in the Midwest. CommunityAmerica is excited to engage and serve Razorback fans and members more deeply with a variety of financial products and services that align to their passion for the University.
“Our members are proud of where they live and what they stand behind, and for so many in Arkansas and across our shared communities, that means being part of Razorback Nation,” Ginter said. “As we look ahead to launching Razorback-branded products in 2027, we’re excited to offer experiences that celebrate that pride, strengthen relationships and deliver meaningful value for the people and communities we serve.”
“This is a historic partnership featuring an innovative brand with a passion and proven track record of supporting their community, paired with one of the leading college athletics programs in the country,” said Allison Fillmore, Senior Vice President, Business Development at Learfield. “Learfield and Razorback Sports Properties are excited to collaborate with Arkansas Athletics, which will enhance fan and student-athlete experiences for years to come.”
Razorback Sports Properties is the locally based Learfield team that is the exclusive multimedia rights holder for Arkansas Athletics and oversees all sponsorship agreements on behalf of the Razorbacks.
About the University of Arkansas Department of Intercollegiate Athletics
The University of Arkansas Department of Intercollegiate Athletics pursues its vision to “Be Our Best” while developing 465+ student-athletes into Razorbacks and Champions for Life. As members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the Razorbacks consistently compete at the nation’s highest levels while proudly representing the University of Arkansas and the entire state. Arkansas has established itself as one of the most competitive programs in the nation, winning nine NCAA titles and over 50 SEC Championships in recent years.
About CommunityAmerica Credit Union
CommunityAmerica Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial institution committed to helping members get on a path to thrive and achieve financial peace of mind. Founded in 1940, and with Arkansas roots dating back to 1968, CommunityAmerica has grown to meet the evolving financial needs of its members. With nearly $10 billion in assets and more than 600,000 members, the credit union is ranked among the nation’s 50 largest credit unions. It is the largest credit union in Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri, and one of the largest financial institutions with expanding operations in Northwest Arkansas. CommunityAmerica offers a full suite of financial products and services for individuals and businesses, including checking and savings, mortgages, loans, commercial banking, wealth management, retirement planning, and insurance. Federally chartered, CommunityAmerica serves members across multiple markets nationwide with branch locations in Arkansas, California, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, Tennessee, and Texas. Learn more at CommunityAmerica.com.
About Learfield
Learfield is the leading media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 12,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield’s presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences. With solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative marketing initiatives, NIL solutions, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors’ Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.
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