What Does Sam Do if Hunter Simply Says No to Reported Numbers?
With the news over the weekend Sam Pittman's new agent, Jimmy Sexton, sent a big request over, the curious part is who has the leverage?
Somehow, with Pittman's proclamation last week that he didn't want his loyalty tested and "I’ve said this is my last job and it’s damn sure going to be that."
So Sam's best argument is pay him a reported $50 million over seven years or he retires? In other words, walk away from $3-4 million a year and retire.
Tom Murphy has been out in front with the contract talks and talked about it with Tye Richardson and Tommy Craft on The Morning Rush on Monday morning.
By all reports, Arkansas athletics director Hunter Yurachek was already prepared to give Pittman a new contract, even before this season started.
Apparently going 8-4 over one season and getting a Top 20 recruiting class has given Pittman the confidence to go ahead and ask to double the amount in a current contract that still has a few years left to run.
Don't get all this mixed up. Pittman probably isn't talking directly with Yurachek about this. The main guys that are the subjects of these things have other people doing the talking back and forth in the background.
But it is the typical coach's December extortion scheme after having a year that exceeds folks' expectations in August. None of that is particularly surprising.
When Sexton got involved, this is the expected course all of this was going to head. Don't blame the agent because that's his job. Don't blame Pittman because, hey, it never hurts to ask.
What is different about this one is Pittman really sunk his leverage into Lake Hamilton behind his new house there when he said it's "damn sure" going to be his last job.
The Hogs are paying one coach millions because he recruited fairly well but couldn't win games and just finished a court battle with one who got a big extension and huge buyout in the after-glow of beating the Longhorns in the Texas Bowl following a 6-6 season.
Now Pittman wants to double his money every year after one season with eight wins and a highly-regarded recruiting class. His overall record is at .500.
Sam Pittman gambling he's best option Hogs can have.
Ted McClenning/allHOGS Images
Don't bother with any "almost" arguments. You are what your record says you are and "almost" doesn't count.
What Pittman has done in the past means nothing for the future. It will either be better or worse. Staying the same doesn't hold up well for very long.
Especially in a conference where everybody else has as much money as the Hogs and is doing the same things to be better.
This highly-touted recruiting class is going to land the Hogs squarely in the middle of the recruiting rankings in the SEC this year.
All of that means the wins and losses will come down to over-achieving and coaching.
Pittman is simply gambling Yurachek doesn't think he can find anybody better at those two things.
It will be interesting to see the response.
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