Sam Pittman speaks at 2024 SEC Media Days (Main Room)

good morning welcome to Thursday at SEC football media days and we'll begin our day with the head coach at the University of Arkansas Sam Pitman who's entering his Fifth Season as head coach of the Razer backs Sam played defensive end at Pittsburg State where he was an Nai NAIA All-American and twice earned All Conference recognition earned his bachelor's degree at Pittsburgh state and he was inducted into the Pittsburgh State athletics Hall of Fame in 1998 he won a shotput State title as a high school student back at Grove High School among as many talents he is uh able to play the piano and guitar something that he was required to do by his parents all of his he and his siblings learned how to play an instrument he also played the tuba in high school he has a new puppy named latte who's chewing things up welcome to the stage University of Arkansas head football coach Sam Pitman [Music] morning everybody my buddy Jim Cheney said nii means never an ineligible athlete and that's how I got into school but I don't know about all that thank you Mr sanki appreciate it what a wonderful job he does uh for us um we are prepared um never is there a moment where we're going uh we find out something from uh the media from uh a different uh conference and uh we are very very lucky very fortunate to have Mr sank as our leader um I want to tell story about Monty kein and uh he was a defensive coordinator at Arkansas 1977 78 and 79 Lou Holtz was the head coach in those three years um with his expertise of coaching defense the Razer backs finished three 11 and eight in the National polls when coach kein was a defensive coordinator 1978 The Grove Ridge Runners played the Miami wogs coach kein came over to the game now I always knew I wanted to be a coach and uh coach kein came over to the game and he was there to see Todd Barry Todd Barry was a number one ranked quarterback in the state of Oklahoma he was not there to see any of the Grove Ridge Runners um we lost a game late 21-6 and Charlie Cooper our head football coach there at Grove um coach kein came in and asked could he talk to the team and he came in and he said some unbelievable things about our toughness and our fight and our grit and I remember you know the impact that his speech that it made on me and I thought you know as I become a coach how we can change lives and and how we can be meaningful to Young athletes young people uh by the way that coach kein talked to us that day I'll never forget that as long as I live the other thing I want to say is about Coach Sabin uh when coach Savin had interest in me uh it changed Jamie and I's life it changed our life financially it changed our life uh in myself having confidence in my my ability um and then whenever I went to um the head coaches meeting it goes in alphabetic order and I sat right next to coach Sabin and and uh I'm not saying he took me under his wing but I was nervous uh sitting next to him I'm sure I asked him more questions than what he might wanted to answer but he answered every one of them and uh I think there's a reason why I went and worked for Kirby at Georgia I think it had a lot to do do with Coach Savin U Derek douly started that at Tennessee but uh coach sav's a goat and he is uh uh someone that our league is going to miss dearly and I just want to talk about that I want to thank Hunter Ur um you know we work with a great group of of people at Arkansas and um you know Mike and Bucky and Dave and Cal and Shauna and Jordon and Courtney um just wonderful people to work with Chris Johnson uh just won the National Championship uh in women's track and just a great group of people and uh it's it's really about what the state of Arkansas's uh all about and uh we brought tayen green Andrew Armstrong and Landon Jackson here all three of those guys have Texas ties um taton green uh obviously is our quarterback uh transferred in in January uh Bobby patrino went out and handpicked him uh he's perfect for what coach patrino wants to do for our offense and he's got great great leadership skills he's a wonderful athlete and I'm I'm excited for you guys to meet him today Andrew Armstrong is also from from Bishop Dunn here in Dallas um a wide receiver he was our top production wide receiver uh last year uh he's excited to be back in Dallas uh you'll enjoy him as well Landon Jackson leted our team in sacks let our team in tackles for losses last year he was also a captain for us last year uh he's he's uh right here from Pleasant Grove High School in East Texas and uh we're happy to have those three with us they have they along with a lot of guys are developing a culture along with Ben saers and the streak staff that that is like no other I'm so excited about this football team and I'm excited about the talent level but I'm also excited about the culture about the way these guys treat each other the way they talk to each other the way they go out with each other the way they compete against each other over the past four years we've been invited to three bowl games two of the the last three years at some point in the season we've been ranked in the top 10 I love this team I love our coaches our expectations are as high as they've ever been for this season coming up if we can take four and 20 to 9 and four we can deal with 4 and8 too and that's what we're going to do I'm very excited about the Arkansas Razer backs coaching staff we have a new coordinator Bobby patrino you guys are very familiar you're if you're familiar with football you're familiar with Bobby patrino uh did a wonderful job at the University of Arkansas and and other places been a head coach in the National Football League as well uh Bobby has been a great resource for me uh not only is I think he's a a wonderful offensive coordinator he also was a very successful head coach and so there's a lot of times where I'm able to run things by him and we decide collectively at times what's for the University of Arkansas football team Ronnie Fouch our new wide receiver coach com in from Missouri state has done a wonderful job Kobe Smith was with the Miami Dolphins he's our new running back coach and Eric mataas is our new offensive line coach Eric matteas has done a wonderful job with our offensive line and I'm very excited about that group special teams wise we we return our two Snappers and Stein and no we have a kicker battle going on between uh Shipley Ramsey and veto our punter will be Devon Bell returning from last year satna we're very excited about him as a returner on offense we have a lot to improve on we think we address that in a portal with four offensive linemen and three portal running backs obviously went out and got a quarterback as well our our wide receiver group group is returning uh but I think the most improved part of our football team this spring was our offensive line I'm excited about that group defensively we were much improved a year ago we fewest yards allowed since 210 best pass defense since 214 and led the nation in defensive touchdowns with five we have to finish the season we did not do that well we've got to figure out how to win the close games and we lost five games by a touchdown or less we've got to figure that out we feel like we're well on our way to getting that accomplished I like the new schedule format I think we're going to be able to see uh you know every team in our Stadium over the over a fouryear span and we'll be able to go to every team uh stadium in the SEC this year home with Tennessee LSU old medon Texas and Away with auburn Texas A and Mississippi State and Missouri we play seven preseason top 25 teams uh that's how it is in SEC they also have to play the Arkansas Razer bags we're excited about a non-conference opponents this year we go to Oklahoma State week two it's I I really like that uh game it's three hours away they have a great program great coach um excited about going over there to Oklahoma State 13 returning starters five on offense six on defense and two on special teams we added 17 high school scholarships Edition and 22 through the portal that were scholarship players 2024 season's a fresh start we've been working tirelessly to address the areas we need Improvement our players have shown remarkable resilience and commitment this off season we know our deserve a team that competes at the highest level we're committed to making that happen the support from our Razorback Community is not wavered it fuels our drive to turn things around our focus is to embrace the hog which means we need to be tough we need to be together we need to be consistent accountable and do it with pride I think we've accomplish that this summer we accomplish that through the Spring ball every setbacks opportunity for a comeback we've embraced that mindset I believe in our players and our staff and our state and our direction that we're heading in and I we're going to rise to the challenge for a great 2024 season with that I'll take questions thank you coach Pitman if you have a question please raise your hand we'll bring a microphone to you Daniel Nolan or KD uh and please state your name and affiliation so we'll come all the way up here to the front start here on the second uh row right here on the aisle Trey hey coach Trey bitty hog Sports 247 Sports I know you guys look dayto day into that first game but I am curious you've seen the schedule what do you think about playing your first five games in five different venues I don't know if any other team in the country is doing that and um yeah just what do you what do you think about that challenge and have you given it much thought well yes we we've obviously talked about the schedule the the the deal with that Trey is is you know as long as we are involved in the game in Dallas and we're involved in in the game in Little Rock uh we're going to have home games this one in Dallas is a away game but we're going to have home games that are away from our University and um I to remember I think we had a stretch in there where we had maybe it's two years ago where we had three home games on the schedule but we played in Razer back Stadium one of those you know five games uh that over the three three of the five were home um all I can say is we're going to try to embrace that um you know last year we had the the away away games right there in a row what what was it at Alabama at LSU you know on the road uh we need need to do a better job of of than what we did a year ago um the difference is a little bit too Trey is the time you know there'll be at 11:00 there'll be at noon there'll be a night game so we'll certainly have to get ready for that I do know that our first two games are going to be at night and then uh in the morning and then our third game is going to be in the afternoon so we'll have covered all those so then the fourth and fifth time we go to a new venue at least we should have been able to cover the time frame of the game and the schedule that was with the kids coach we're going to go straight right in front to the right near aisle good morning coach morning Cody claran on Texas football last time Texas played Arkansas it was not a good outcome for Texas they come back to fville this fall and coming into the SEC adds a new layer of the Rivalry Steve sarkeesian was quoted saying Arkansas hates Texas more than they like themselves I just want to know what your response to that statement is well um I will say this we hadn't played Texas for years and we we played them a couple years back it was the most excited our fan base has been in a while um so I would say he's probably right you know the the difference is is Texas is certainly a different team uh than what we played that was his first year there and now you know obviously he's a great coach great guy and uh U Got a wonderful football team but U I'm glad that uh we're going to play them at home again you know I don't know if that's fair because they came there two years ago but um it's a early morning game um so but he's probably correct you'd have to ask the old hats of Arkansas but he's he's probably right coach will go straight in front of me uh my table Barry Barry traml Tulsa World Hey Barry how you doing good to see you Sam uh got a 12 team playoff now a lot more access to what people would consider a successful season what does that do for a program like Arkansas well I think it gives you life I I do you know um we're all striving to getting the play playoffs including the university Arkansas and uh you know when you lose a game and it's a four team you know you got problem Georgia last year you know one of the best teams in the country didn't get in the playoffs lost one game and uh uh so this is going to give uh I think you're going to see better football towards the end of the year because you're going to see some two two win teams get to the college playoffs or two loss excuse me two loss teams getting the college playoffs and I just think it's going to it's going to continue to keep your team alive As you move forward think you're going to see better bowl games out of it better teams in bowls uh I think it's I think this 12 team is going to make a a big significant difference in college football coach we'll go to the section over to our right in the middle coach Emily Grace McCord from the next round last season we saw flashes of just how good your Arkansas Team can be this season how do you maximize on that potential well that's a great question I I I think this ours is all about consistency and finishing uh again we lost five ones score games but I think you're going to say that next you're going to say you either W them or you know what I mean it you're not going to beat somebody by 21 it's hard uh in this league so I think it's going to be consistency um better game planning um we've got to be able to run the football but I think we can capitalize on that I again I really like this team I really do and and uh that's not I'm not trying to win media days I'm you guys know me I'm just going to tell you how I feel and I really like this team and I think with the culture and the tightness of the team I think you can win those games a little bit easier than if it's the other way which will stay the center aisle right along the near aisle coach Pitman JY Armen wcz and radio Huntsville Alabama when you were hired by Arkansas you were considered the best offensive line coach in college football football after you self scouted and hired Eric Matos could did you put a finger on what what caused the struggles along the offensive line last year what how did you guys game plan to attack the portal and improve that area of the football team yeah Fair very fair um um talent wise um we we we had to do better recruiting um and you talked about my o line background uh uh somewhat uh well we've got to get better there we wanted to attack we had to go out and get two tackles we have a player in cudas that I really like he lost his confidence out there he was the best we had but he lost his confidence out there we move him inside he's a heck of a player he's one of the strongest guys on the team Junior Carmona Blackstock and Nicholls those three guys they're a little bit like TN Green in that his leadership is incredible but they are too and when you have guys that don't just want to play on the old line but they want to lead and they want to say hey look bro we got to go we got to go we got to go we got to go we got to do this we extra here when you have those guys in there which we have uh leading like that I think that you can get a lot better Eric Matas is different because he doesn't only you know hey you need to talk to him you need to talk to him it's not not necessarily about the play that he messed up it's about hey what's going on at home he's trying to there's different roots to the problem it may not be just between the ears it may be life it may be home it may be girlfriend and that's why I found Eric is just great at that because the kids know he loves them and he thinks about them and he cares about them and therefore they're going to play hard on I hope that was a trait that I had when I coached the offensive line I don't know if I did or not but I I wish I hope that I had the trait that Eric has cuz he can make kids play harder and better by the way that he talks to them and the way he treats them coach we'll go in this section in front of me Midway back Kirk hey coach Steve Molton WCN Alabama hope you're doing well doing great I I believe I heard you right when you said uh 17 high school players in this recruiting class but also 22 out of the portal so I wanted was wondering the uh just evaluation of the portal and who you consult with to just it feels like that was I wasn't expecting a larger number out of the portal rather than High School sometimes what ends up happening is you're going high school so our our goal every year is try to get to 20 okay we did not but we want to try to get to 20 out of high school the next thing you do is go okay how many scholarship do I have I need three old l I need 2D linemen I need and and our guys at Arkansas ask me that all the time they ask me okay where you going to go there's the next number and then what you hope you get is a trade for a trade in other words you hope that if it's April and you get to you you'd be fine if you you don't need anybody else you'd be fine somebody goes in the portal you trade that position for that position that's what happened this year that's where the eight came in at the seven at the end which made that number uh somewhat larger it we'll stay in that same section uh about four rows hey Sam KK BS from the Houston Chronicle KT uh we'll talk to about the college football playoff a minute uh 17 games for the two final teams uh do you think conferences should get rid of the championship games to take one game off the schedule and also would you like to see the the teams at host games adopt the NFL model and just keep hosting until the final championship game well I'd like to get to the damn SEC Championship game is what I'd like to do you know uh you know I'll say this uh the game has hurt the league in the past I don't think it and I don't know if that's fair I don't know if Greg Mr sanki would agree with me but but you know I remember when I was at Georgia it hurt us and then obviously this last year it hurt Georgia um uh I it's not going to now obviously um will there'll be some communication about that probably but don't you want to see who the conference Championship who who's the winner you know uh so uh I would personally I'd hate to see that game go um I know 17 is a long season um but I do think this I think whoever's a top seed has an opportunity to to host I think that would be they've earned it throughout the year I think that would be the best way to do that coach we'll go in the center section uh until you get to the Bowl situation and then we cannot cut any of the bowls out none uh those are those are a way to get better and get your younger kids practicing so and I'm talking about I don't mean orange rose and all that I mean Liberty Mayo we we need to continue to keep those okay we'll go straight down the middle L Sam Carter Yates with Dave Campbell Texas football you brought three guys who played Texas high school football here today there are now two universities from Texas in your conference how is that going to affect recruiting for y'all well we you know we try to put a 6-hour radius around faille and so obviously Dallas is in in that radius and of course we jump on down to Houston littleit about eight but um Texas there's so many kids down here that can play if you look at our state you know we just don't have a populated state so you know we may have anywhere from six to eight uh kids that can play football in the SEC at least in our opinion that doesn't make us right but at least in our opinion and you may you know you come into Dallas and you'll get what do you think 50 probably SEC players at least just in this area so the more we can get on the team obviously the more familiar the more stories we can have uh the better off we'll be the better we can do here Dallas East okay we'll go right up front here in front of me hey Sam Tom Murphy Arkansas Democrat Tom you added Bobby patrino to your staff already had a big name in Arkansas I'm wondering how your mesh with him might be better than what it was that last year at Texas S&M man that's hard to say because I'm not positive what happened over at A&M here's what I know I hire people I give my opinion but it's he's the offensive coordinator Travis a defensive coordinator and that's his responsibility Eric M is the old line coach now I'm the oldest GA in the country I'm helping him I would I would want to work for me I would want to work with me if I was an offensive coordinator because I'm going to let you go go get them now I've got my ideas and I'm going to come in I'm going to have my tape up there and I'm GNA go okay this is I see this I see this I see this but I would think if you asked Bobby and Travis and Scott Fountain they' say he gives me the freedom to run what I think is the best and I don't know about A&M I don't know that I just know that we've given him the freedom to go score points I'm for a couple more we'll start in the section in front of me near the back hey Sam Conor oara Saturday down south uh speaking of Bobby for those of us that don't get to see you on a daily basis and see your interactions with him what's it been like having Bobby back and fed pH it's been great I mean he's passionate about the he loves the Hogs he likes to win he likes to score points you know so it's been great um again I mentioned it before U I had Barry before that I could uh bump some uh head coaching questions off of as they get older it's the questions aren't as many but um uh or as I get more years of being a head coach but I got it's like a security blanket I got Bobby there I had Barry there I have Bobby there that I can run run off things and both those guys are not hey we need to do this we need to do this we need to do this I'll ask them a question and I want their opinion and they know it and we'll agree on it or we won't but we're both grown men and if we do we do if we don't we don't we'll move on down the road but that's been very beneficial to me and I really like him and I have a lot of respect for him so it's it's just a he spends more time in my office than anybody and I apologize to him but I say hey Bobby come you know and I don't know if he likes it or not but I do make him talk to me a lot okay we'll take one final question right in front here on the near aisle third row Colin hey Sam Colin Wilson with the Action Network last year you and I discussed the hire of Travis Williams how aggressive he was from UCF and you said not a lot of covers is going to be needed it looks like 52 plays came in cover zero but with this defensive line and how talented they are is the plan to be even more aggressive with blitz maybe even more covers Z than 52 you know I had a question earlier today about you know close games tight games some of our discussion has been about our aggressiveness during the end of games defensively um you know I think Travis uh did did a wonderful job for us last year uh but I don't want to handcuff him either you know so 52 of those plays um will it go up probably but I do think we're a little bit better at corner and a little bit better in the safety uh spot to be able to cover zero cover true man uh that we can do that coach Pitman thank you for your time this morning thank you everybody appreciate you Go hogs