- Arkansas fired head football coach Sam Pittman after a 2-3 start to the season.
- Pittman’s tenure ends with a 32-34 record over six seasons with the Razorbacks.
- Potential replacements include coaches with Arkansas ties like Gus Malzahn and Rhett Lashlee.
September isn’t over but another college football coaching job is opening with Arkansas firing coach Sam Pittman one day after a 56-13 home loss to No. 21 Notre Dame that saw the Razorbacks fall to 2-3 on the season.
Pittman went 32-34 during his six campaigns and failed to successfully build on the momentum of a nine-win season in 2021. That’s been the history of a program that has slowly slid down the pecking order in the SEC as it has failed to find consistent results since Bobby Petrino had back-to-back seasons of double-digit wins in 2010 and 2011.
Athletics director Hunter Yuracheck recently lamented the school’s inability to financially compete with other programs. Still, this is a job with a strong fan base and enough resources and tradition to have high expectations of winning. The Razorback should be able to lure a coach either looking for elevation from a Group of Five job or an assistant from a Power Four school.
Who are some of the possible hires? Here’s our look at the top candidates:
Gus Malzahn, Florida State offensive coordinator
A name consistently connected with the Arkansas job for two decades, Malzahn has only coached one season at the school after successful coaching stints at multiple high school programs in the state. That tenure as the Razorbacks offensive coordinator in 2006 preceded similar jobs at Tulsa and Auburn. He is best known for his time as Auburn head coach when he took the Tigers to the Bowl Championship Series title game in his first season before departing after his eighth year. Malzahn spent four years at Central Florida before moving to his current job with Florida State last offseason. With 105 wins and 10 bowl appearances, he’s an experienced hand with Arkansas roots.
Jon Sumrall, Tulane
If the goal is to hire the hottest Group of Five coach, then Sumrall would be the prime candidate for Arkansas. A former Kentucky linebacker, he had extensive experience as an assistant before taking the Troy job in 2022. He led the Trojans a 23-4 record in two seasons before being hired in Tulane. The Green Wave went 9-5 last season and should be contenders for this year’s College Football Playoff in the American with Power Four wins over Northwestern and Duke already this season. Is Arkansas the job that will lure him to make the jump to the Power Four or could he look for better opportunity?
Rhett Lashlee, SMU
This might be the dream hire for the Razorbacks. Lashlee is a former Arkansas quarterback and graduate assistant that played for Malzahn in high school. His coaching career took off while leading offenses at Auburn, SMU and Miami. He returned as the head coach of the Mustangs in 2022 and led them to the College Football Playoff in his third season. Should he want to return home, this would seem to be a slam dunk, but Lasheee will need to weigh the pressure that comes with that decision and if he feels like he can win at the highest levels there.
Ryan Silverfield, Memphis
Silverfield already had an informal interview in front of Arkansas and its fans when the Tigers defeated the Razorbacks two weeks ago. He’s been able to pick up the baton from Mike Norvell, who left for Florida State, and won consistently with the Tigers. Memphis is 25-5 across the past three seasons and have established itself as one of the top Group of Five programs in the country.
Mike Gundy
Gundy was just fired by Oklahoma State but his profile of consistently punching above his weight at a similar program in the Big 12 as Arkansas’ place in the SEC could make him an attractive candidate. Things got stale quickly in Stillwater before his firing. That shouldn’t obscure the fact the Cowboys were in the Big 12 title game two years ago with Texas and Oklahoma still in the league. Whether Arkansas is comfortable about Gundy’s ability is able to operate in NIL environment is a concern as is Oklahoma State’s recent struggles at quarterback.
Bobby Petrino, Arkansas offensive coordinator/interim head coach
His memorable departure before the 2012 season was a tipping point for the program. Petrino, after that off-field scandal, has slowly rebuilt his career. He spent a year at Western Kentucky, had a mostly successful tenure at Louisville that included Lamar Jackson winning the Heisman Trophy and had assistant stops at UNLV and Texas A&M. Before being hired to lead the Arkansas offense for the past two seasons, he was the coach at Missouri State. Petrino, who was named interim head coach following Pittman’s firing, would provide continuity and offensive punch. But is the baggage of the past too much to make him a serious contender?