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Arkansas Fires Head Coach Sam Pittman After Blowout Loss to Notre Dame

The Razorbacks are just 2–3 to begin the 2025 season.
Michael Kadlick|
The Razorbacks are just 2-3 to start the 2025 season.
The Razorbacks are just 2-3 to start the 2025 season. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

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Arkansas Razorbacks

The Arkansas Razorbacks fired head coach Sam Pittman after a brutal 2–3 start to the 2025 season, the school announced Sunday.

The move comes just one day after the team's third straight loss—a 56–13 blowout home defeat to the No. 22 Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

According to the release, offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino has been appointed as interim head coach. Petrino has been the Razorbacks' OC since last season and previously served as the team's head coach from 2008 to '11. Petrino is on the short list to fill the position permanently.

Pittman, 63, was hired as Arkansas's head coach in late 2019 and over five seasons amassed just a 32–34 record while leading the Razorbacks to three bowl games (all wins). His team finished in the AP Top 25 just once (No. 21 in 2021).

Arkansas is on a bye this coming week, but will head to Tennessee on Oct. 11 for a matchup against the No. 15-ranked Volunteers at Neyland Stadium.

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Mike Kadlick
MICHAEL KADLICK

Mike Kadlick is an NFL writer for Sports Illustrated. He’s also a New England Patriots reporter for CLNS Media, where he hosts the Patriots Daily podcast and covers the beat from Gillette Stadium. Before joining SI, Kadlick worked at WEEI sports radio in Boston. He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. When Kadlick’s not covering football, he can be found running, spending time with his wife and dog, and enjoying all things pizza.

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