Sam Pittman, a former assistant at Arkansas, has emerged as a top candidate to be the Hogs’ next head football coach, sources told ESPN.
Pittman has most recently been the associate head coach and offensive line coach at Georgia and is widely viewed as one of the best recruiters and offensive line coaches in the SEC. Several former Arkansas players, some of whom have played in the NFL, have sent letters of support to Arkansas officials expressing support for Pittman.
Pittman was promoted to Georgia’s associate head coach in February and is the highest paid offensive line coach in the FBS with an annual salary of $900,000.
Pittman is credited with recruiting and building an offensive line that helped the Bulldogs win the SEC East each of the last three seasons. In 2018, the Bulldogs signed the top two guards in the ESPN 300 (Trey Hill and Jamaree Salyer) and the No. 3 tackle (Cade Mays). Last year, Georgia signed No. 1 center Clay Webb. The Bulldogs have commitments from four offensive linemen in the 2020 ESPN 300 — No. 1 tackle Broderick James, No. 2 center Sedric Van Pran, No. 11 tackle Tate Ratledge and No. 19 tackle Chad Lindberg.
Bulldogs junior Andrew Thomas is the highest rated tackle prospect available in the 2020 NFL draft, according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.
Pittman was the assistant head coach, offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Arkansas from 2013-15 before joining Kirby Smart at Georgia. Pittman, 58, also coached at Tennessee and North Carolina before going to Arkansas in 2013.
Arkansas had also talked to Lane Kiffin and Mike Leach, among others, about its head coaching job.
Pittman would replace Chad Morris, who was fired earlier this season after less than two years on the job.
Arkansas has lost 19 straight SEC games dating to the end of the 2017 season.
ESPN’s Mark Schlabach contributed to this report.