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Pros and cons of Arkansas coaching job: Which one matters most?

Razorbacks football program needs someone like John Tyson to step up and lure top coach to UA
Bob Stephens|
Arkansas Razorbacks interim coach Bobby Petrino on the sidelines against the Auburn Tigers at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.
Arkansas Razorbacks interim coach Bobby Petrino on the sidelines against the Auburn Tigers at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Ted McClennning-allHOGS Images

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Arkansas Razorbacks

There are huge negatives Arkansas must overcome to convince a talented football coach to take over the Razorbacks program.

The position is not without positive elements as job responsibilities carry both promise and challenge.

But the upside may not be enough for top candidates to look past the obvious obstacles.

Here are a few of the most important drawbacks for the next guy who sits in Bobby Petrino's chair. That's the seat he inherited a month ago when coach Sam Pittman was fired and Petrino added "interim" to his job title.

  • Lower salary than most SEC coaches.
  • Lack of top talent among in-state recruits.
  • Lower NIL resources than other SEC schools.

It's hard to overcome that last one, which is intertwined with recruiting, whether that involves high school stars or older players in the transfer portal.

As for in-state talent, that runs in cycles but it's a fact the state of Arkansas doesn't produce as many SEC-level players as hotbeds like Texas, Florida, Georgia and even Alabama.

New coach must be a top-notch recruiter for Arkansas to win

So, whoever the new coach will be, he'll need to establish a recruiting foothold throughout the South, particularly in Texas and Florida.

Often, that's where the 5-star recruits play preps. Luring those ultra-talented stars and a dozen 4-stars to Northwest Arkansas each year is a key to returning to the national spotlight for reasons other than firing a coach or losing six straight.

Arkansas’ next coach must not only succeed on game days but also elevate the brand in recruiting and player development. For that to happen, a bigger pile of NIL money is required.

It's often about the money. Arkansas basketball didn't skip a beat because athletic director Hunter Yurachek replaced Eric Musselman with Hall of Famer John Calipari, hiring him away from Kentucky blueblood Kentucky.

Chicken king John Tyson was the key ingredient in that recipe for success. Paying Coach Cal a handsome $8 million puts him No. 2 among all college basketball coaches behind only Kansas' Bill Self, who earns $8.8 million.

Chipping in $5 million for the hoops program's NIL stash is what helped convince Calipari to move to Northwest Arkansas.

PIttman salary among worst in SEC; Arkansas must up the ante

While a $6.8 million salary is just fantasy for most of us, that's what Pittman was banking for this season.

For anyone earning $100,000 per year, it'd take 68 years to equal Pittman's payday. If you make $250,000 you'll be square with the Hogs' former coach in just 27.2 years.

I know, it's Monopoly money for most of us. But Pittman ranks just 13th among the 16 SEC coaches in salary in 2025; that put him 35th among all college coaches.

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman during warmups before the Hogs' game with the Arkansas State Red Wolves at War Memorial
Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman during warmups before the Hogs' game with the Arkansas State Red Wolves at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock earlier this season. | Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

Georgia's Kirby Smart is No. 1 at $13.3 million per season. Eight of the top 13 coach's salaries are paid to SEC guys.

There's an old saying: You get what you pay for. In this case, that's a factor. The only coaches earning less than Pittman work for Auburn, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.

Positives that will help Hogs hire a great coach

It's clearly a negative that Arkansas faces stiff competition from other Power 4 schools searching for a new coach. And from within the SEC, that is fierce competition.

Florida has also fired its coach and LSU might look to replace Brian Kelly once the season concludes.

Here are seven schools that already fired their coach this season:
Florida
Penn State
UCLA
Arkansas
Virginia Tech
Oklahoma State
Colorado State

Yep, I rank Arkansas as the fourth-best job from that list above, mostly due to the weather and other perks UCLA offers.

Arkansas must differentiate itself to top coaching prospects. From a candidate pool perspective, perceptions of fit, program momentum and especially administrative backing matter.

Here are the positive elements that make Arkansas a good landing spot for a great coach:

  • Facilities and resources
  • Conference affiliation
  • Fan base
  • Brand

Hog fans are hungry for a winner and bring tremendous support during the good times, both financially and when it comes to filling Razorback Stadium.

Even Pittman said the Hogs lack for nothing and the UA facilities and perks available to players are good enough to win in the SEC.

Playing in the SEC, the nation's toughest conference, is both good and bad. The affiliation brings prestige while the added attention and money pool are beneficial.

The Razorback brand is unique, well known, and even popular with a Super Bowl-winning coach.

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Bob Stephens
BOB STEPHENS

Bob Stephens won more than a dozen awards as a sportswriter and columnist in Northwest Arkansas from 1980 to 2003. He started as a senior for the 1975 Fayetteville Bulldogs’ state championship basketball team, and was drafted that summer in the 19th round by the St. Louis Cardinals but signed instead with Norm DeBriyn's Razorbacks, playing shortstop and third base. Bob has written for the Washington Post, Chicago Sun-Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, New Jersey Star-Ledger, and many more. He covered the Razorbacks in three Final Fours, three College World Series, six New Year’s Day bowl games, and witnessed many track national championships. He lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, Pati. Follow on X: @BobHogs56

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