The pressure on Arkansas coach Sam Pittman reached a new level after Saturday’s 32-31 loss to Memphis, leaving his future with the Razorbacks in doubt.
Pittman, who led Arkansas to winning records in three of the past five seasons, has struggled to recapture momentum. The Razorbacks are off to a 2-2 start in 2025, dropping Pittman’s overall coaching record at the school to 32-33. The uneven results have fueled speculation that a coaching change could be imminent.
If Arkansas chooses to move on, one former head coach who already sits on Pittman's staff wants back in. Razorbacks offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, who guided the team from 2008-11, is positioning himself as a potential interim option, according to CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello.
Is Bobby Petrino preparing himself to take over as interim if Sam Pittman is fired at Arkansas? #BobbyPetrino #SamPittman #ArkansasFootball #CollegeFootball #CFB pic.twitter.com/s5yFXLyLbi
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) September 21, 2025
Petrino, 63, returned to Fayetteville ahead of the 2024 season after stints at Missouri State, UNLV, and Texas A&M. Even though he's working the phones, don't expect Arkansas' administration to do anything abrupt.
Razorbacks defensive coordinator Travis Williams was viewed as the most likely interim choice a year ago, but with his group struggling and Petrino’s offense showing promise, the sentiment appears to be shifting. “There’s a lot more push for maybe Petrino should be the interim head coach,” Marcello said on the “College Football Insiders” podcast.
Petrino’s first tenure at Arkansas produced a 34-17 record, highlighted by double-digit wins in 2010 and 2011. His abrupt firing in 2012 came following a scandal stemming from a motorcycle crash and left a complicated legacy.
Now, 13 years later, the possibility of Petrino once again leading the Razorbacks show how far Pittman’s tenure has fallen. It's also the unpredictable nature of modern college football.
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