What’s the narrative that’s looming for the Arkansas Razorbacks in 2025? Last season, Sam Pittman managed to bring down the heat on his coaching seat, wrapping it up with 7-6. Pittman’s boys became better last season. But turns out that the heat is back. That’s when Paul Finebaum chose to stir the pot.

“I’m hesitant to say anything too positive because I just don’t know if the program is moving enough,” said the ESPN analyst. According to Finebaum, Pittman is “living on the hot seat” for long time. Going by his predictions, seven wins is feasible for Pittman’s Arkansas. In such a scenario, the head coach’s $12 million buyout has picked up the buzz. Other than the buyout, more tension looms for Pittman. Thanks to Jon Gruden, who stirred up some more fear for the Arkansas head coach.   

Gruden and controversy walk hand in hand. The former head coach resigned from the NFL over offensive emails in 2021. He has now raised his interest in stepping into college football, much like Bill Belichick. And more than others, Pittman’s heart must already be pounding in fear. On August 9, Fox Sports Radio host Aaron Torres shared a clip on X from Gruden’s interactive session. “I’m being honest with you. I do not bullshit, either. I want to coach again. I’d die to coach in the SEC. I would love it. I would f–king love it,” said the ex-Las Vegas Raiders head coach. 

Even if Pittman tried to mark himself safe from overthinking, it wouldn’t be possible. As in the caption, Torres wrote, “Yo, @RazorbackFB. Make the damn call 🤯🐗.” While the gates of other SEC teams might open for Gruden, chances loom high for Pittman losing his head coaching role because of the nuclear levels of heat in Fayetteville. The 63-year-old Hogs’ head coach is one more mediocre season away from getting the axe. Should Pittman blame Torres for spreading unnecessary confusion and fear? No way.

After all, the Razorbacks’ equipment team sent Gruden a large care package. While he did not have experience in coaching the Arkansas team directly, Gruden got lucky to coach former Razorbacks in the NFL. Now, he has openly claimed to be holding a seat in Pittman’s squad. “I was concerned about being a college coach because I would have ya on the death penalty probation within six months. But now that you’re paying players, and I know a bank with $27 billion. I’d love to have the Arkansas job, I’ll tell you that,” claimed Gruden. On that note comes up Pittman’s buyout.

Right now, Arkansas will owe $19.9 million to Pittman over the final three years of his contract. However, if the Razorbacks decide to get rid of him during the offseason, the buyout will be $12.1 million. But the fans do not care about the money and already want Arkansas to show Pittman the exit door.

Razorbacks fans no longer want to see Sam Pittman in the head coaching seat

While filling the head coaching seat, names like 68-year-old Butch Davis, the former Razorback and former Miami head coach, had been picked up. But Hunter Yurachek had already been wooed by Pittman after hearing good things about the former Georgia offensive line coach. Gone are those days. As a fired-up fan wrote, “@HunterYurachek time to make the call boss man.” Yurachek had made the call to inform Pittman. Since, he was the one who made the move, fans are now pressuring him to take down Pittman from the pedestal.

Looks like Pittman is driving a wagon on wobbly wheels. Thanks to their former OC and quarterbacks coach Dan Enos, who led to a slowdown in the Razorbacks camp in 2023 as their run game dropped by 100 yards. A fan thus urges immediate action, “As a Razorback Foundation Member, please @HunterYurachek.” That’s because Pittman failed to bring back the golden times. As of 2024, the Razorbacks’ offense ranked 10th in the nation with a 459.4 total yards per game average.

When Yurachek hired former head coach Bobby Petrino as the team’s offensive coordinator in 2023, Razorbacks fans got excited. But soon the AD clarified that Petrino is not going to take Pittman’s seat. So a fan believes that the AD will stick with the head coach: “Yurachek would get in a bidding war and lose to Mississippi State or Vanderbilt.” In that case, Gruden can be taken as Jeff Lebby or Clark Lea’s replacement. The Commodores’ head coach is already on CBS Sports’ infamous hot seat watch list.

Under Pittman, the Razorbacks failed to pull off an eight-win season. The last time they secured a nine-win season was in 2021. A fan went on to say, “Fire Hunter Yurachek and bring in someone that distances the state and the athletics department of the state like Houston Nutt. He is Arkansas!! He is amazing and we need him or someone of that caliber to bring this program back to a 8 or 9 win team. We want change. Bring it now.” Yurachek might never consider Gruden in Pittman’s place. After all, the closest he came to Arkansas in his coaching career, at least geographically, was his stint as a graduate assistant at Tennessee nearly 40 years ago.

Sam Pittman’s Arkansas has hit a slump in the NIL race. So much so, that Hunter Yurachek suggested 10,000 households across the state of Arkansas to give $100 a month all year long. Making fun of such a plan, a fan noted, “@HunterYurachek would lose to another school over 100k bro can’t even get up to standard times with revenue sharing or NIL. What makes you think he could do this lol. 😂.” As per the reports, Arkansas is still running short of $10-11 million to reach their dream amount $20.5 million that would usher in a massive change. With so many things on his plate, will the AD afford to bring a new face for the head coaching seat?