FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Given that Sam Pittman had never been a head coach before taking the Arkansas job, it was inevitable that he would have a lot to figure out. However, no one anticipated that he would have to learn almost everything so quickly.
Pittman was hired just a week before early signing day and had to contend with a pandemic only a few months into his tenure. He’s not the same coach he was initially, but then again, much about the job has changed, including his in-game thinking.
“We got a lot of time to answer that question,” Pittman said during his initial fall camp press conference Tuesday afternoon. “We learn all the time. I go back to some of the decisions. I’m just going to let my mind and my eyes see what I see and go from there. The one thing about it is if you’re always worried about ‘what if something happens wrong with what you decide,’ then you’ll never take a chance.”
In other words, while analytics are valuable, Pittman trusts his gut feelings. Football history is full of legendary plays called on gut feelings that worked. The ones that don’t work are quickly forgotten.
“Be positive in the preparation, understand where we’re going to go if we decided to do something,” Pittman said. “If we decide to go for it, understand where we’re going.”
The headsets during a football game today sound like a sub-committee meeting in Congress, with many voices presenting different ideas. Pittman has the final veto or approval authority on big decisions, a role that likely won’t change even with new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino calling plays.
“Are we confident?” Pittman asked. “If I hear a doubt of confidence on the headset, just say, ‘Okay, let’s punt the ball or kick the field goal,’ whatever it may be.”
A significant part of making gutsy decisions is having everyone else confident that it will work. Having a staff he trusts and is comfortable with is crucial, as is having Petrino’s experience in making successful decisions.
“Not just the football staff, but the overall staff and the importance of all what they do,” Pittman said. “I have a better grasp of NIL than I had before and handling that better. There’s a lot of stressors in our job. You’ve got them, too. Trying to eliminate as much stress helps you make better decisions. I feel really good. I feel good about where we’re at. I feel good about the staff.”
Although they haven’t played a game yet, this is a positive sign. What this means come November is still unknown. Too many losses can change everyone’s attitude, but Pittman now has the experience to handle setbacks.
Being prepared to take hits, knowing that not everything will work, is part of the job, even for the greatest in the game’s history.
“I’m still going to make mistakes,” Pittman said. “In other words, you’re going to make a decision that’s going to turn out and not be the correct one. I have more patience than I used to have. I’m not as much of a dictator as I used to be. I’ve learned a little bit that way. Hope so.”
When Pittman was hired, it was clear it would take a few years to figure things out. This was before the pandemic and the introduction of free agency for players being paid like professional athletes.
Cut Sam some slack. Expecting him to know everything from the start was unrealistic. He’s learning on the job, despite over 30 years of experience with some of the greatest football minds, none of whom taught him everything they knew.
