Anonymous SEC coaches open up about Sam Pittman, Arkansas football in 2024
![Nov 18, 2023; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman prior to the game against the FIU Panthers at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports Nov 18, 2023; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman prior to the game against the FIU Panthers at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_1948,h_1095,x_0,y_86/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/218/01hzd2nckbh3q5abqbka.jpg)
In public, coaches are always so rehearsed, so calculated when they talk to the media. It's hard to get genuine answers out of them. With word being placed under a microscope, it's easy to understand why they do it. However, behind closed doors — or in this case, behind the veil of anonymity — coaches are much more candid about things.
Athlon Sports published an article where anonymous SEC coaches spoke about the other teams in the league. In some cases, they were full of praise. Ole Miss, Georgia, and Texas were all thought of highly. Other teams like Florida and Arkansas didn't receive the same love.
Their comments about the Razorbacks were a mixture of the truth and over-exaggerations, but nearly all were negative.
What SEC Coaches had to Say about Arkansas
Sam Pittman on the hot seat
Some comments were completely warranted. One coach talked about Sam Pittman's job being the hot-seat job of the SEC.
"This is the hot-seat job for the SEC heading into the season. Sam [Pittman] is such a well-respected guy across this industry, you really feel for him having a guy like [new offensive coordinator Bobby] Petrino, who the fans and boosters probably think should be head coach, coming in underneath him. That’s the SEC right there."
The coach makes a great point about former head coach-turned-offensive-coordinator Bobby Petrino. While there's no evidence that Petrino is out for the head coach's job, fans have floated the idea of him taking over for Pittman after this season since the first rumors he was up for the job.
Regardless, it's a do-or-die situation for Pittman, and Petrino was his Hail Mary pass. We'll just have to wait until the end of November to see if it's caught.