Bruce James: “Arkansas needs to look for new football coach”

Former Razorback calls for new coach during Wednesday segment on Channel 7, rips into Pittman in radio segment

Author:
Jacob Davis and Kent Smith
Updated:
Nov 16, 2023 5:19 PM EST
Original:
Nov 16, 2023

In this story:

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Media and former players alike have openly shared their displeasure with the current state of Razorback football. However, none may be more pointed in his comments than former Razorback Bruce James who took to Channel 7 in Little Rock and also the central Arkansas radio waves to preach his case for starting over.

“Are we going to start over, or are we going to patch this thing up and go a different way next year with a new coordinator on offense?” James said.

If Arkansas decided to retain Pittman for another year, it would hold onto quite a bit of money — $16 million to be exact. The main question would be who the Razorbacks bring in to improve the stagnant offense. Coaches are a confident bunch and never believe they will fail at any job.

“Me, personally, I think you need to look for a new football coach,” James said. “When they come in as a new coach, it’s going to take them two or three years to get their people in, get their recruits in.”

Earlier in the week, James caught the attention of fans after an on-air argument with former Arkansas sports information director Rick Schaeffer following Schaeffer's on-air announcement that he had it on good authority that Pittman will be back next season.

"I'd hate to be him coming back next year trying to recruit because every team that we're going to play, everybody in the SEC is gonna say he's a dead man walking," James said on 103.7 "The Buzz" Tuesday morning. "... Hugh Freeze can coach circles around a lot of people.His evaluation is part of coaching. Our head coach evaluated players that are up there now watching movies. Our head coach has not gone out and got a center. You talking about these small schools that have great players and all. We cannot go buy a center somewhere in the United State? That's on the head coach. Every bit of this is on the head coach because he's the head guy."

For James, Pittman's value went down the second former defensive coordinator Barry Odom left for Las Vegas. His view is Odom's value wasn't in scheming the defense. It was his ability to guide Pittman

"You cannot tell me that kids should have telephones and using them at halftime in an SEC dressing room. You cannot tell me that you've got a TV on and you've got players that you've recruited back there watching a movie, and getting your A## kicked in Fayetteville."

Schaffer tried to take up for Pittman, providing the excuse that those were walk-ons in a different dressing room. However, James refused to stand for such a narrative.

"It doesn't matter," James said as the passion ramped up in his voice. "Did they have Razorback helmets on? Did they have Razorback jerseys s on? Were they part of the team? Did they run through the A?"
"Yes. But they were not.."
"OK. Nuff said. Don't tell me any more. If you're gonna go and let them watch a movie or they want to watch the movie, they don't need to be there."

Even though the transfer portal provides coaches a quicker way to turn a program around than it did three years ago, James isn't confident Pittman can use it to get things turned around. In his mind, the chance of success actually goes down next season with conference realignment.

“Looking at the future with Texas and Oklahoma coming in, it’s getting tougher every week,” James said. “But I’m for replacing [Pittman].”