Sam Pittman had wardrobe problems on Monday.
First, the Arkansas head coach’s belt broke and he had to borrow one from David Bazzel, founder of the Little Rock Touchdown Club. On the way from Fayetteville, he noticed that he was wearing the same tie he wore a year ago when he opened the LRTDC season.
In front of hundreds of spectators, he loosened his tie, took it off and said: “I don’t want to experience a season like that again.”
Arkansas was 4-8 overall and 1-7 in SEC play last season. The Razorbacks lost five games by one touchdown or less.
Despite the clothing issues, Pittman left no doubt that he believes this season will be better.
“I love this team,” he said several times.
He named names and talked about improvements, which is why the Hogs have 39 new players this year. Pittman used the transfer portal to answer some questions on both sides of the ball.
He also talked about leadership, a better locker room and this team controlling itself.
From beginning to end, Pittman was the same guy who had come to Arkansas four years ago, and by the time he finished his speech, most of the several hundred people in attendance believed him.
One thing that has always stood out about Pittman is his likeable personality.
It has a down-to-earth, old-fashioned charm that goes down in the South like ham and beans. What you see is what you get.
He is respectful and honest. He has a self-deprecating sense of humor and is comfortable in his own skin and probably even more comfortable in his role as head coach.
Sure, there’s speculation that he’s under fire after last season’s record, but there was so much going on that he continued to make personnel changes. In fact, only one assistant coach has been with him all four seasons, Scott Fountain, who coaches special teams and is an associate head coach.
As expected, Pittman has become more involved in the offensive line, so much so that he calls himself an assistant to line coach Eric Mateos, who was his assistant at Arkansas.
Pittman touched on topics ranging from name, image and likeness (NI hell, as he called it) to how the offense will develop plays that work, not necessarily analytics.
“Analytics is a damn book,” he said. “It doesn’t have to face the media. Analysis is good, but winning is better.”
Apparently he accomplished what Jimbo Fisher failed to do last year at Texas A&M: Pittman handed the offense over to Bobby Petrino, whom Fisher relegated to the press box.
There seems to be a real comfort zone between Pittman and Petrino.
“Bobby was great,” he said.
He talked about quarterback Taylen Green, who transferred from Boise State and is coached daily by Petrino, a quarterback development coach who has optimized Green’s throwing motion.
Although the meeting took place in a packed ballroom at the DoubleTree Hotel, it felt as if Pittman was having a personal conversation with everyone in their room.
For him, this season is definitely at least a glass half full, maybe even more.
“You better get your tickets,” he said. “This team will be fun to watch.”
At the end of the lunch, Bazzel asked a few questions, the last of which was about Pittman’s participation in the Kentucky Derby and his position as winner.
Pittman is close friends with the Hambys of Hot Springs, who co-own Kentucky Derby-winning Mystic Dan.
“When you’re with friends you love, the feeling is unbeatable,” he said.
He was also happy about the fact that he had won $3,700, but most importantly, during the 38 minutes he radiated confidence and enthusiasm for this team and showed that he really loves them.
