Coach Extensions Prove Arkansas Falling Behind In Football

Arkansas has wasted more money on undeserved extensions than Ole Miss and Missouri.

Author:
Jacob Davis
Publish date:
Jan 1, 2024 11:44 AM EST

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — There might be a growing issue in college football right now and Arkansas cannot be excluded. With coaching salaries skyrocketing by the day, there better be good reason to shill money out.

For the better part of a decade, under two separate athletic directors, Arkansas has given its coaches raises whether deserved or not. While Arkansas was experiencing the most success it’s had in the SEC from 2006-11, raises and extensions were warranted. Especially if there was a chance to have a powerful blueblood poach the head coach.

The Razorbacks won a lot of games from 2009-11, going 29-10 overall, including 19-2 inside the state of Arkansas. Bobby Petrino roamed the Razorback sideline as the last coach who actually earned a raise and extension with the Hogs by winning games at an elite clip.

Following a 2010 season which saw the Razorbacks win 10 games and receive a berth in the program’s first BCS bowl game, Petrino earned a seven-year extension and a pay jump from $2.85 million to $3.65 million. Since that point, no other coach at Arkansas has reached the successful mark Petrino set.

When Arkansas won the Texas Bowl over arch rival Texas in 2014, athletic director Jeff Long gave Bret Bielema a hefty raise and extension with a huge buyout following a 7-6 season. The pay bump Bielema received put him on par with Georgia's March Richt. Yeah, the guy who won 10+ games nine times during his time with the Bulldogs.

Bielema maxed out at eight wins in 2015 before falling to seven in 2016 and four in 2017 before being fired and receiving a huge buyout. There was certainly promise of a turnaround coming, but no need to strap a football program to a coach who hadn't reached previous heights.

Sam Pittman, known media darling, won nine games in his second year on campus with Kendal Briles and Barry Odom assisting as coordinators. With a win in the Outback Bowl, Pittman received a brand new contract with incentives to push his salary to $6.37 million. Without them his team sunk to 4-8 overall, being embarrassed at home by 40+ points twice and lost five games by seven points or less. However, 2023 wasn't an outlier in games lost by one possession either. The Razorbacks have lost 14 games games by seven points or less dating back to the start of Pittman's tenure in 2020.

The Razorbacks have wasted more money on unearned raises for on-field success than any other in the SEC. That's why Arkansas continues to be the No. 13 in success since the conference expanded to 14 teams in 2012. The Hogs are ahead of only Vanderbilt in wins, going 60-87 during the past 12 seasons.

A pair of head coaches, hired at the same point as Pittman, who had to deal with Covid restrictions, opt-out's among other issues have been extended and given raises for actually performing on the field – not just being close.

Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz earned a pay bump to $6 million with an 11-win season and 14-3 victory in the Cotton Bowl over No. 7 Ohio State. The Tigers reached their third double digit win season since joining the SEC in 2012. This comes in a season when it was prove it or lose it. Nothing was easy during the rebuild of Missouri considering Drinkwitz had to filter through a few coordinators before finding the right fit to catapult them to a New Year's Six bowl game. Props to the Alma native for sticking to the process.

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin with complete support and serious NIL backing, is doing what the Hogs did from 2009-11. The Rebels are doing things never done in program history, winning 11 games for the first time. Kiffin has won the same amount of games in Oxford that Petrino did while in Fayetteville. While Kiffin already makes Top 10 money at $9 million, he received an extension on his contract in length. However, there have been no details released on the extension. It's noteworthy that the state of Mississippi can only offer four year contracts to state employees.

Due to the standards the two coaches have now set it’ll be interesting to watch how the 2024 season plays out. Expectations of College Football Playoff berths for Missouri and Ole Miss are within reach, all while Arkansas just wants to make a bowl game. Not xactly where the Razorbacks thought they would be 12 years ago.