Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Sam Pittman

How Sam Pittman built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Sam Pittman is an American college football coach currently serving as the head coach at the University of Arkansas. Before Arkansas, he was the associate head coach and offensive line coach at the University of Georgia. Pittman's career has largely focused on coaching offensive lines at various college programs since the mid-1990s. He's also recognized for his strong recruiting abilities within college football.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1980: Played Defensive End at Pittsburg State

In 1980, Sam Pittman began playing defensive end at Pittsburg State University.

1983: Named NAIA All-American

In 1983, during his senior year at Pittsburg State, Sam Pittman was named a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-American.

1986: Offensive Coordinator at Beggs High School

In 1986, Sam Pittman became the offensive coordinator at Beggs High School in Beggs, Oklahoma.

1987: Head Coach at Princeton Junior-Senior High School

From 1987 to 1988, Sam Pittman served as the head coach for Princeton Junior-Senior High School in Princeton, Missouri.

1988: Head Coach at Princeton Junior-Senior High School

In 1988, Sam Pittman was the head coach at Princeton Junior-Senior High School in Princeton, Missouri.

1989: Head Coach at Trenton High School

From 1989 to 1990, Sam Pittman served as the head coach at Trenton High School in Trenton, Missouri.

1990: Head Coach at Trenton High School

In 1990, Sam Pittman was the head coach at Trenton High School in Trenton, Missouri.

1991: Offensive Line Coach at Hutchinson Community College

In 1991, Sam Pittman was hired as the offensive line coach at Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, Kansas.

February 1994: Hired as Northern Illinois Offensive Line Coach

In February 1994, Sam Pittman was hired as the offensive line coach at Northern Illinois University.

1994: Prior role as Offensive Line Coach

Sam Pittman had previously worked as the offensive line coach at Northern Illinois from 1994-1995.

1995: Moved to University of Cincinnati as Tight Ends Coach

In 1995, Sam Pittman moved to the University of Cincinnati as the tight ends coach, joining Rick Minter's staff.

1995: Prior role as Offensive Line Coach

Sam Pittman had previously worked as the offensive line coach at Northern Illinois from 1994-1995.

1996: Offensive Line Coach at University of Oklahoma

In 1996, Sam Pittman left Cincinnati to become the offensive line coach at the University of Oklahoma under coach John Blake.

1997: Rex Ryan Followed Pittman to Oklahoma

In 1997, Rex Ryan followed Sam Pittman to the University of Oklahoma after Blake reshuffled his coaching staff.

1998: Moved to Western Michigan University

In 1998, after Oklahoma fired Blake, Sam Pittman moved to Western Michigan University to join Gary Darnell's staff as offensive line coach.

1999: Left Western Michigan for University of Missouri

At the end of 1999, Sam Pittman and Bill Cubit departed Western Michigan to take up the same positions at the University of Missouri under Larry Smith.

2000: Moved to the University of Kansas

In 2000, after Missouri fired Larry Smith, Sam Pittman moved to the University of Kansas under Terry Allen.

2000: Arkansas First New Year's Day Bowl Victory Since 2000

In 2022, the Outback Bowl victory gave Arkansas their first New Year's Day bowl victory since 2000.

2001: Terry Allen Fired

In 2001, after the team went 3-8, Terry Allen was fired as the coach of the University of Kansas.

2003: Returned to Northern Illinois

In 2003, Sam Pittman returned to the coaching ranks as the offensive line coach at Northern Illinois, the same job he had held in 1994–1995.

2004: Promoted to Assistant Head Coach

In 2004, Northern Illinois promoted Sam Pittman to assistant head coach.

2006: Joined North Carolina Coaching Staff

In 2006, Sam Pittman departed Northern Illinois to join new University of North Carolina head coach Butch Davis' staff as offensive line coach.

2010: Considered for Head Coach at Northern Illinois

In 2010, Sam Pittman was considered a potential head coach at Northern Illinois after Jerry Kill departed for the University of Minnesota.

2011: Took Offensive Line Coach Job at Tennessee

After the 2011 season, Sam Pittman took the offensive line coach job at the University of Tennessee under Derek Dooley.

2011: Considered for Interim Head Coach at North Carolina

In 2011, after Butch Davis was dismissed due to an academic scandal, Sam Pittman was considered for the interim head coach job at North Carolina, which eventually went to Everett Withers.

2013: Joined Arkansas Coaching Staff

In 2013, Sam Pittman joined new University of Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema's staff as assistant head coach/offensive line coach.

2015: Became Offensive Line Coach at Georgia

After the 2015 season, Sam Pittman departed Arkansas to become the offensive line coach at the University of Georgia under new head coach Kirby Smart, requiring Georgia to pay a $250,000 buyout.

2015: Biggest Offensive Line in Football

In 2015, Sam Pittman coached one of the best offensive lines in college football, including the biggest line in all of football, to include the NFL at Arkansas.

2015: Arkansas First Bowl Victory Since 2015

In 2022, the Outback Bowl victory gave Arkansas their first bowl victory since 2015.

2017: Georgia Won SEC Championship Game

In 2017, Sam Pittman's second season at Georgia, the team won the SEC Championship Game and reached the College Football Playoff National Championship.

December 8, 2019: Announced as Head Coach at Arkansas

On December 8, 2019, Sam Pittman was announced as the new head coach at Arkansas, replacing Chad Morris.

2019: Promoted to Associate Head Coach

In 2019, Sam Pittman was promoted to associate head coach at Georgia, with a salary of $900,000 per year, making him the highest-paid offensive line coach in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision.

2020: Bruce Polen Reflects on Pittman's Recruiting Skills

In 2020, Bruce Polen, Pittman's former defensive coordinator, reflected on Pittman's natural affinity for recruiting during his time as a student.

2021: Successful Season as Head Coach

In 2021, Sam Pittman led the Arkansas Razorbacks to a 9-4 record and a tie for third place in the SEC West Division, marking only the second time in 10 years the team had won as many as eight games in a season. The team won all three trophy rivalry games in the same season and broke several losing streaks.

2022: Coaching Staff Changes

After the 2022 season, Sam Pittman made significant changes to his coaching staff, including firing the strength and conditioning coach and mutually parting ways with the defensive backs coach, as well as losing several assistant coaches to other programs. He also welcomed new coaches to fill the vacant positions.

2022: Outback Bowl Victory

In 2022, Sam Pittman's Arkansas team played in the Outback Bowl, defeating Penn State 24-10. This gave Arkansas their first bowl victory since 2015 and their first New Year's Day bowl victory since 2000. QB KJ Jefferson was named the bowl game MVP and Pittman was named the AFCA Region 2 Coach of the Year.

2022: 2022 Season Summary

In 2022, Sam Pittman's third year as head coach at Arkansas, the team started ranked No. 19 and had a series of ups and downs, finishing the regular season with a 6-6 record after losing four games by a total of 9 points. They won the 2022 Liberty Bowl against Kansas in triple overtime with QB Jefferson named the MVP.