Advertisement

Arkansas hires Georgia assistant Sam Pittman as head coach

Sam Cooper
·College football writer

Another SEC job has been filled.

Arkansas has hired Georgia offensive line coach Sam Pittman as its next head coach. Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel first reported earlier Sunday that Pittman had emerged as a leading candidate for the opening in Fayetteville.

Pittman, 58, has led consistently top-notch offensive line units during his time at Georgia and is known as one of the better recruiters in the SEC. Pittman, who has been at Georgia for the past four seasons, had a previous stint at Arkansas. He served as the Razorbacks’ assistant head coach, offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator from 2013-15 under Bret Bielema. Pittman has also had stints as an assistant at Tennessee, North Carolina, Missouri and Oklahoma, among others.

FAYETTEVILLE, AR - SEPTEMBER 5: Offensive line coach Sam Pittman of the Arkansas Razorbacks watches the team warm up before a game against the UTEP Miners at Razorback Stadium on September 5, 2015 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Miners 48-13. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
Sam Pittman spent three seasons as the offensive line coach at Arkansas from 2013 to 2015. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

“Sam Pittman has been an integral part of successful teams that have competed at the highest levels, including for SEC and NCAA championships,” Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek said.

“Sam knows the Southeastern Conference inside and out and is one of the nation’s best recruiters. His connections throughout football will enable him to build a quality coaching staff. In his previous tenure, Sam and his wife Jamie fell in love with the state of Arkansas and with Razorback fans. They know what a special place this is and are excited for the opportunity to come back to the Home of the Razorbacks.“

Pittman replaces Chad Morris, who was fired midway through his second season. The Razorbacks program sunk to new lows under Morris, who did not win a single SEC game during his tenure. Overall, Morris went just 4-18 at Arkansas. The Razorbacks finished 2-10 in each of the past two seasons.

The decision from Arkansas leaves just one opening left in the SEC: Missouri. However, Yahoo Sports reported earlier Sunday that Missouri is nearing an agreement with Eliah Drinkwitz, the head coach at Appalachian State.

More from Yahoo Sports: