Arkansas Razorbacks football coach Sam Pittman has just three more losses until his record falls below .500 after an embarrassing defeat to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday in Fayetteville.
Pittman’s buyout was negotiated to give him $9.8 million if he had a winning record, but that number falls to $6.9 million in the event he has a losing record. That contract structure, as noted by CBS Sports’ Will Backus, presents the team with a difficult decision as the bye week approaches.
“While the offense has taken significant strides, the defense remains a complete mess. Entering Saturday's slate, Arkansas ranked near the bottom of the SEC in pass defense (213.5 yards per game), rush defense (157.5 yards per game) and scoring defense (23.5 points per game). Those defensive struggles have the Hogs spiraling. But what would it actually cost for Arkansas to pull the plug on Pittman? He's got a unique contract structure that could force the administration into a tough decision,” Backus wrote.
“Pittman is currently 29-26 since 2021, so it would take at least four consecutive losses to decrease his buyout. Arkansas has a bye in Week 6 -- adding another dimension to any decision the university makes -- and has to travel to play No. 15 Tennessee in Week 7. Five of Arkansas' last seven opponents are ranked.”
Tennessee, Texas A&M, Auburn can get Sam Pittman fired by Arkansas
The Razorbacks’ next three games are against teams that have been ranked this season: a road matchup at the Tennessee Volunteers, followed by two home games against the Texas A&M Aggies and Auburn Tigers.
The Tennessee game is a revenge opportunity for Josh Heupel’s Vols after a stunning 19-14 upset last year. Ditto for Hugh Freeze’s Tigers, who were stunned by the Hogs at home after making a quarterback switch from Payton Thorne to Hank Brown. Thorne was reinserted during a 24-14 win for the Hogs. Mike Elko’s squad, on the other hand, beat the Razorbacks 21-17 in a game decided in the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium in the Southwest Classic.
Pittman isn’t guaranteed to stick around if he can win one of these matchups, but he will undoubtedly be fired if he loses all three.