There were a handful of head coaches who entered the 2025 season on a blazing hot seat, and few in that group could match the heat felt by Arkansas’s Sam Pittman.
After a 56–13 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday, the end finally came for the definition of an old-school offensive line coach, ending a bumpy tenure with a 32–34 overall record. Pittman gave the program his all while providing some much needed stability in Fayetteville, Ark., but ultimately could never reach the height he hit when going 9–4 and finishing in the top 20 during his second season.
Now the Razorbacks will embark on one of the more interesting searches this cycle. Things will be complicated if other SEC jobs are open in more desirable locations, but this is still a Power 2 gig with resources available and a passionate fan base.
It will also be interesting to see how things play out given the politics involved. Athletic director Hunter Yurachek will be making his third football hire, and an Arkansas head coaching search is always an exercise in pressure campaigns. That’s how Chad Morris and Pittman each got hired. How much will boosters and former players have a say? Given that John Calipari is currently the basketball coach in the most recent high-profile opening at the school, chances are quite a bit more than normal—even by SEC standards.
Who could the Hogs turn to? Here are 12 candidates who could be a great fit at Arkansas.
Bobby Petrino, Arkansas offensive coordinator
Immediately following Pittman’s dismissal, the Razorbacks announced Petrino would take over in the interim. Some notable boosters greased the wheels for Petrino’s return despite a truly unfathomable ending to his head coaching tenure in Fayetteville. He remains a threat to pull a Scott Frost or Rich Rodriguez and add a second full-time stint at Arkansas. He went 34–17 and led the team to a pair of top-12 finishes the first time around and has so far put out a good enough offense to earn him the job long-term.
Jon Gruden, former Raiders head coach
Grumors are going to be hanging over all of the non-marquee openings at Power 4 schools this cycle and especially in the SEC, where the former Raiders and Buccaneers head coach expressed interest in leading a program. Arkansas would love to make a splash hire and this would certainly be it, especially as one of the few schools who might overlook the reason why he’s no longer a coach given that they happily employed Petrino again.
Jon Sumrall, Tulane head coach
It’s only a question of which SEC job Sumrall wants at this point, with the Hogs likely needing to sell him that they might be the best option. This is a better gig than his alma mater at Kentucky, and there are plenty of resources to win and compete right away, but the dysfunction above the head coach may wind up being a factor against leaving New Orleans for this one.
Rhett Lashlee, SMU head coach
It would be expensive to lure Lashlee home given the recent contract he got from the Mustangs, but this is going to be the name to watch if there’s a drawn-out search. He’s from Springdale, Ark., was a backup QB for the Razorbacks and coached at the school before. He’s better positioned to win big in the ACC right now, but that overlooks the allure of this SEC job for a native son.
Jeff Traylor, UTSA head coach
Traylor figures to be in the mix for several jobs in the region after doing a great job in San Antonio with the Roadrunners. He’s a former assistant coach for the Razorbacks and has plenty of experience in big time programs so it’s not quite a daunting jump up from the American to the SEC. The longtime Texas high school coach also brings a ton of ties the Hogs need to their most important recruiting pipeline.
Alex Golesh, USF head coach
The Bulls head coach is going to be in play for similar jobs given his success this season. He has the benefit of being around Tennessee for a few years as it got things turned around from a similar spot to where the Razorbacks are in. He has a fun offense to watch and could help expand the recruiting footprint given his ties to Oklahoma, the Midwest and, of course, the state of Florida.
Ryan Silverfield, Memphis head coach
If you can’t beat him, hire him? The Hogs are very familiar with what Silverfield has done with the Tigers after Memphis beat Arkansas earlier this season. He’s another offensive line coach, which might work against him, but he’s only 45 and has a wealth of experience as both a head coach and as an NFL assistant.
Lance Leipold, Kansas head coach
Though Leipold’s name has been bandied about as a potential Big Ten coach given his ties to the region, he’s just the kind of coach the Hogs should be inquiring about. He’s winning at a program where that’s even tougher to do than Arkansas and, at 61, could listen to a big payday and the chance to prove himself in the SEC.
Dan Mullen, UNLV head coach
As a former SEC West head coach, Arkansas is plenty familiar with what Mullen can do in a job like this. He improbably took Mississippi State to the top of the polls after all, and his Florida tenure looks fantastic in retrospect given the way things have gone in Gainesville, Fla., after he left. He will probably need to convince the powers-that-be that he’ll have a strong general manager involved as well, but it’s hard to tick off more boxes than Mullen, especially in light of making UNLV a MWC contender in his first year after leaving ESPN.
Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky head coach
Is this finally the year where Helton gets a big-time job? He’s been involved in some similar searches in the past but could be a really good fallback option if bigger names say no. He’s won at least eight games in five prior seasons at Western Kentucky and is on his way to a sixth this year with one of the C-USA favorites. He’s been in the SEC before and would bring just the type of wide-open offense that could get folks excited.
Gus Malzahn, Florida State offensive coordinator
There’s an alternate reality where Malzahn is several years into his tenure at Arkansas already, with the school dancing around the Gus Bus several times before when hiring other coaches. He was on the verge of retirement when in charge at UCF but seems reenergized by the way things have gone calling plays at Florida State. He’s tight with several key figures around the program, is a former walk-on under Ken Hatfield and has more SEC experience than he knows what to do with. There may not be many jobs that would tempt him to get back into the big chair again but if there is one, it’s this one.
Barry Lunney Jr., Illinois offensive coordinator
Former players lobbied hard for Pittman to get the job a few years ago, and there will likely be some chatter among the same group for Lunney, who grew up in Fort Smith, Ark., and was a starting quarterback for the Hogs in the 1990s. He’s also a longtime assistant at his alma mater and was even an interim coach for a pair of games, so he knows what he’s getting himself into. Lunney won’t be the top option, but sentimentality will certainly be used in keeping his name in the running.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 12 Candidates for Arkansas Football Coaching Search After Sam Pittman Firing.
