Sam Pittman

Head coach, Arkansas, 2020 to 2025

Now

Career arc

Stature score reached, by season of his head-coaching careerFBS medianArkansasLSULSUMissouriMissouriDynastythe sport's summitBlue Bloodpermanent top tierPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyArkansas when he took over: 32.8 (National Program II), its final 2019 readingtook overArkansas, 2020: 3-7, National Program IIArkansas, 2020: 3-7, National Program II20203-7Arkansas, 2021: 9-4, National Program II20219-4Arkansas, 2022: 7-6, National Program II20227-6Arkansas, 2023: 4-8, National Program II20234-8Arkansas, 2024: 7-6, National Program II20247-6Arkansas, 2025: 2-3, National Program IIArkansas, 2025: 2-3, National Program II20252-3-0.1best: 2021gray dashed: rival programs · ○ the program when he took over · Dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Bowls and playoffs: 3-0

2021Outback BowlW 24-102022Liberty BowlW 55-532024Liberty BowlW 39-26

Report card

Above the median on both sides of the ball — 73rd percentile offense, 56th percentile defense.

Arkansas, every completed season graded against the whole field, then averaged.

Offense

B+
of which —73rd
efficiency — 73rd percentile success rate, 2020–25
B+76th
Standard-downs success
B67th
Passing-downs success
A82nd
Trench push (line yards)
B+78th
Red-zone scoring rate
B+72nd
Power-success (short yardage)
C44th
Ball security (giveaways per game)

Defense

B-
of which —56th
56th percentile SP+ defense, 2020–25
B-59th
Front-7 havoc
B+74th
Secondary havoc
C+46th
Stuff rate (run defense)
C-39th
Takeaways per game

Each season is his team’s percentile among every team with that stat (the share it beat), averaged over his completed seasons here; a mid-season takeover year and the season in progress aren’t graded. Letters: A+ 90th percentile and up, A 80, B+ 70, B 60, B− 50, C+ 45, C 40, C− 30, D 15, F below.