Sam Pittman fired at Arkansas; Bobby Petrino takes over on interim foundation

Arkansas fired soccer coach Sam Pittman on Sunday, a day after the Razorbacks had been trounced by Notre Dame 56-13 and moved to 2-3 on the season.

Bobby Petrino, who served as offensive coordinator underneath Pittman, was named interim head coach. He beforehand held the top teaching position from 2008-11.

Pittman was employed as Arkansas’ coach in December 2019. He had a 32-34 general file and led the workforce to 3 bowl sport victories.

“I need to thank Coach Pittman for his service and dedication to the College of Arkansas all through his time as head coach,” athletic director Hunter Yurachek stated in an announcement Sunday.

“From Day 1, you may inform how a lot this chance meant to him. Right now, nevertheless, I really feel a change is critical to place our student-athletes and program in the perfect place to achieve success. The objective for our soccer program is to be extremely aggressive throughout the Southeastern Convention and compete for a nationwide championship. As we transfer ahead within the means of discovering our subsequent head coach, I’m sure we will present the required assets to our employees and workforce to succeed in our objectives.”

Yurachek stated a nationwide seek for a head coach will start instantly, including Petrino will likely be thought of for the full-time job.

Pittman, 63, started his teaching profession as a graduate assistant at Pittsburg State, his alma mater, in 1984 and held quite a lot of assistant teaching jobs on the offensive facet till getting his first shot as a head coach at Arkansas.

Instantly earlier than accepting the Arkansas job, he was on the employees of Kirby Good at Georgia. He additionally labored as assistant head coach and offensive line coach at Arkansas from 2013-15.

Petrino has a 119-56 file as head coach at Louisville (2003-06, 2014-18), Arkansas (2008-11) and Western Kentucky (2013). He additionally coached Missouri State to an 18-15 file from 2020-23 earlier than it grew to become an FBS program and spent 13 video games as the top coach of the Atlanta Falcons in 2007. With a 3-10 file, he abruptly resigned to take the Arkansas job.

The primary go-round at Arkansas for Petrino, now 64, ended when he was fired after it was found he was having an affair with a younger employees member within the athletic division.

–Subject Degree Media