The Arkansas dismissed the football coach Sam Pittman on Sunday, one day after the Razorbacks were beaten by Notre Dame 56-13 and moved to 2-3 this season.
Bobby Petrino, who was an attacking coordinator under Pittman, was appointed interim head coach. He previously held the role of chief coaching from 2008 to 11.
Pittman was hired as coach of Arkansas in December 2019. He had a global file of 32-34 and led the team to three Bowl game victories.
“I would like to thank the Pittman coach for his service and his dedication to the University of Arkansas throughout his head coach time,” sports director Hunter Yurachek said on Sunday.
“From the first day, you could say how much this opportunity meant. For the moment, however, I think that a change is necessary to put our students athletes and our program in the best position to succeed. The objective of our football program is to be very competitive as part of the next southeast conference and to compete for a national championship.
Yurachek said that a national research for a head coach will start immediately, adding that Petrino will be taken into account for full-time employment.
Pittman, 63, began her coach career as a graduate assistant to Pittsburg State, his Alma Mater, in 1984 and occupied a variety of assistant coaches jobs on the offensive side until he obtained his first shooting as a chief coach in Arkansas.
Immediately before accepting the employment of Arkansas, he was one of Kirby Smart’s staff in Georgia. He also worked as assistant head coach and offensive line coach at Arkansas from 2013 to 2015.
Petrino has a record of 119-56 as a chief coach in Louisville (2003-06, 2014-18), Arkansas (2008-11) and Western Kentucky (2013). He also led to the Missouri State to a 18-15-2023 18-15 file before becoming an FBS program and spent 13 games as a head coach of the Falcons of Atlanta in 2007. With a 3-10 file, he suddenly resigned to take the Arkansas post.
The first round at Arkansas for Petrino, now 64, ended when he was dismissed after discovering that he had a liaison with a young staff member of the athletics department.
– Field level media
