Five teams that benefit from Sam Pittman’s firing at Arkansas

The Arkansas Razorbacks decided to part ways with head coach Sam Pittman on Sunday, September 28, after six seasons with the program and a 32-34 overall record. Former Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino will serve as the interim head coach until the Razorbacks hire a permanent head coach, but in the meantime other schools could benefit from the uncertainty around Arkansas’ program.

Memphis

Notre Dame will get credit for ending the Sam Pittman era with their 56-13 take down of the Razorbacks on Saturday, but this situation really became a reality the week before when Memphis upset Arkansas by a 32-31 final. Any time a non-Power Four school upsets a team from the SEC is noteworthy, but when you factor in the proximity of these two schools and the opportunity for a 5-0 Memphis team to use this firing to motivate their team and their recruiting efforts, the Tigers are certainly one of programs that will benefit, at least in the short term, from Arkansas’ decision to remove their head coach.

Mississippi State

The only team in the SEC that Pittman had a winning record against, Mississippi State will not shed any tears seeing the Arkansas head coach leave his post. The Bulldogs lost their first two games against Pittman-coached Arkansas teams before getting two back. Last year, however, Arkansas went into Starkville and silenced the cowbells with a 58-25 thrashing. Mississippi State is set to visit Fayetteville again this year on Nov. 1, and catching a team in transition in the final month of the season sounds better than facing one that is fighting for their head coach’s job.

Missouri

Arkansas is set to face Missouri for their regular season finale on Nov. 29 at home. No matter how the rest of this season transpires for the Razorbacks, this will be a team that has assistant coaches thinking about their next job and players considering their own futures, possibly in the Transfer Portal, come season’s end. That sounds like a good recipe for a Missouri team that is currently undefeated and could be fighting for a College Football Playoff spot when they travel to Fayetteville. Also consider that Missouri hosted four-star 2026 linebacker JJ Bush for an official visit before he committed to the Razorbacks, and could be back in contention after Pittman’s dismissal.

North Carolina

The North Carolina Tar Heels are in a rebuilding period of their own under first year head coach Bill Belichick. Pittman was the offensive line coach in Chapel Hill from 2007-2011, his longest consecutive stint with any program outside of Arkansas. Current North Carolina offensive line coach Will Friend does not have particularly deep connections to Belichick or the University of North Carolina. That does not mean the new Tar Heels head coach is just going to move him out, but with Pittman’s experience and recruiting connections, it would be an interesting match and potentially a move that appeals to Pittman.

SMU

With SMU’s move to the ACC, the Mustangs are going head-to-head with more Power 4 conference programs on the recruiting trail than they have in the past. With a campus located in the Dallas-Forth Worth Metroplex, there is plenty of talent in SMU’s backyard, but there are also a lot of contenders for those prospects. Fayetteville is just a five-hour drive from Dallas, and Arkansas was a frequent recruiting opponent for the Mustangs. Class of 2026 recruits Dequane Prevo and Cameron McGee both took official visits to SMU despite being committed to Arkansas. With Pittman’s firing, the Mustangs may get another chance at signing those prospects.