It's Clear Where Pittman Sees Priority for Razorbacks' Offense This Season

He's turned into maybe Hogs' highest-paid grad assistant for a particular position on team and whether that's good or bad

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — In the train wreck of the Arkansas Razorbacks' disastrous season last year, the thought was coach Sam Pittman wasn't going to tolerate that for another season. That’s why changing offensive line coaches wasn't a particular surprise.

New coach Eric Mateos does get a pretty good graduate assistant. Pittman spent decades as one of the top offensive line coaches in the country, Now he may be the highest-paid GA in Razorback history. It's not unusual for head coaches to end up in that role if they're comfortable with other aspects of a particular side of the ball. That's why he brought in Bobby Petrino as the offensive coordinator.

"[Pittman] was an offensive line coach, and that was kind of the main reason why I wanted to come here," transfer lineman Fernando Carmona said. "He told me that he was going to be with the offensive line more and he's really stuck to that word. He's just been getting over there, just giving us some gold nuggets to really take with us.

"We got Eric Mateos as our O-line coach. He's coming over there, and he's bringing in his own ideas. Just having those two is like having two offensive line coaches. It's tremendous because you're always learning something and you have four eyes on you at all times. So, you can't really complain. You can't really mess up."

New Arkansas Razorbacks line coach Eric Mateos with coach Sam Pittman during a spring practice in Feburary at the indoor practice field in Fayetteville, Ark.

Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images

Pittman has a reputation as an offensive line coach. He only has four years as a head coach and that's the position most coaches across the country think of first when they hear him. There are few others with the number of players in the NFL who count him among being a reason he's there. Oh, he recruited players at other positions over the years, including being a key member of what Kirby Smart has built with the Georgia Bulldogs.

None of this is criticism. It's actually a good sign. Nick Saban used to say he was the highest-paid grad assistant in the country, working closely with the defensive backs during a couple of decades with the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Smart works with the Bulldogs' secondary primarily. Other successful coaches get there by being a specialist with one particular position group by paying attention to the details. It tends to follow them on their progression.

Now everybody just wants similar results with the Hogs as a head coach. Even Pittman knows this is a crucial year for him and doesn't plan on still being the coach of the Razorbacks in 30 years, but he would like to retire to Hot Springs on his own terms. That means simply he wants to choose when he retires, not get fired.

It would be a first at Arkansas since 2007 when Houston Nutt left and went to Ole Miss. You can say he was forced out, but he wasn't fired. Look up the record. Pittman would probably like to break that trend by picking how — and when — leaves. Being more involved in the offensive line was a positive sign things may be improving. How much we won't know for a few months.

HOGS FEED:

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• Razorbacks launch big push for Arkansas Edge

• Van Horn counting on shift in rotation to provide edge against No. 9 LSU

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