As Alabama looks ahead to filling its next offensive line coaching position, one familiar name has quickly risen to the top of the wish list for many Crimson Tide fans: former Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman.
How Sam Pittman Can Rebuild Alabama’s O-Line
Pittman, long regarded as one of the nation’s premier offensive line coaches, was fired by Arkansas in September after the Razorbacks opened the 2025 season with a disappointing 2–3 record. The move ended a four-plus year run as head coach in Fayetteville that ultimately produced more losses than wins. While the results as a head coach fell short of expectations, Pittman’s reputation within coaching circles has remained strong, and largely untarnished.
Simply put, Sam Pittman can coach offensive linemen.
That reputation didn’t disappear during his time as a head coach, and it certainly didn’t vanish during the 2025 season. In fact, Arkansas’ offensive line was one of the best units in the country this past year. The Razorbacks finished with a PFSN CFB offensive line team impact grade of 91.9, second nationally behind only Utah. That dominance up front fueled an offense that averaged 6.9 yards per play and 5.7 yards per rush, the latter ranking fifth in the country. Arkansas’ offense also finished inside the top five nationally in overall offensive impact grades.
Those numbers are staggering when viewed alongside Arkansas’ final 2–10 record. Even after being fired midseason, the offensive identity he helped establish, and the players he developed, continued to show up on Saturdays. That contrast underscores both the complexity of head coaching and the clarity of Pittman’s greatest strength: offensive line development.
Across a long and respected assistant coaching career, Pittman has coached offensive lines at Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Georgia. At Georgia, he played a key role in building dominant fronts that helped power the Bulldogs to the top of the SEC and the national stage. Along the way, he became known not only as an elite technician but also as an outstanding recruiter and developer of NFL-caliber talent.
Now 64 years old, Pittman has publicly stated that he is content with retirement. How strong his interest might be in returning to coaching, especially in a non-head coaching role, is unknown. If he does decide to re-enter the profession, Alabama likely wouldn’t be alone in its pursuit. Programs across the country would welcome the chance to add a proven offensive line coach with Pittman’s résumé.
Still, the fit with Alabama is easy to see. The Crimson Tide have long built their championship identity in the trenches, and Pittman’s philosophy aligns naturally with that tradition. This would not be a reclamation project or a gamble, it would be a return to what Pittman does best.
While his tenure as Arkansas’ head coach ultimately didn’t work out, that chapter shouldn’t overshadow decades of elite position coaching. In fact, the success of Arkansas’ offensive line in 2025 serves as a reminder that Pittman’s coaching acumen never faded. The results were there, even when the wins were not.
For Alabama, bringing in Sam Pittman would be about getting back to fundamentals: toughness, development, and physical dominance up front. Get him back to his roots on the offensive line, let him do his thing, and the Crimson Tide could once again set the tone where championships are so often won, at the line of scrimmage.