As the Arkansas Razorbacks stepped into a new season, back in January this year, they signed new contracts with seven coaches. The list included defensive coordinator Travis Williams, co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson, special teams coordinator Scott Fountain, and many others. Seven months down the line, Sam Pittman and Co.’s efforts are yet not over to bolster the coaching roster. This time, someone got an upgrade. That’s none other than David Bowen. But what makes Pittman make this change even after Bowen carries the burden of a faulty past?

On August 26, Matt Zenitz tweeted, “Arkansas is set to name David Bowen as its new director of player personnel, sources tell @CBSSports. Had been the team’s assistant DPP. Before Arkansas, he was Texas A&M’s director of college scouting. Has also worked at LSU, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi State.” It has been a month since the Arkansas director of player personnel, Jovon Hubbard, responded to Auburn general manager Will Redmond’s call and chose to move out and join the Tigers. And to fill Hubbard’s place, Pittman found Bowen to be the best fit.

After all, he has been an experienced veteran of the SEC with coaching chapters at power programs like Texas, Florida, LSU, Georgia, and Mississippi State. What makes Pittman trust Bowen more is the fact that he has remained loyal to Arkansas in his position as the assistant DPP since spring 2024, even when other schools have come inquiring about his services.

The Razorbacks have qualified for bowl games in four of Pittman’s five seasons at the helm, a job he took over in 2020. That’s when the program went winless in SEC play during two seasons under Chad Morris. This time around, Pittman would like to hit the dart in the bull’s eye. That’s where Bowen’s experience also counts.

Pittman’s Arkansas marks Bowen’s 5th SEC stop. He served in the Georgia Bulldogs’ recruiting office from 2015-17. Later in 2017, he served at Mississippi State in similar roles. His Florida stint as a recruiting specialist in football ran for 18 months. LSU then hired him as the assistant director of player personnel at LSU for three years. Bowen’s next stop was Texas A&M, where he served as director of college scouting for the Aggies.

Other than Bowen’s own talents, Pittman also counts on him because of his mentors. Oregon’s Marshall Malchow, former Ohio State and now-LSU top personnel executive Sam Petitto, and LSU general manager/No. 2 athletics director Austin Thomas have been Bowen’s guiding force. However, his resume consists of a dark chapter as well. While he served at LSU as the assistant DPP, the Tigers endured a big financial loss.

During the three years he held the role, the program’s expenditure has exceeded revenue, bringing their total revenue over expenditure from 2021-23 to zero. Amidst the Bowen praise, how brave of Pittman to take the risk of roster change, with his own plates full with so much pressure.

Hot seat alert for Sam Pittman?

Already, there is a narrative looming for Pittman that he is running on borrowed time. As ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum said, “I forgot he was in trouble. That guy has been living on the hot seat the last three years.” Later on, Outkick’s Trey Wallace walked the same path. He appeared on That SEC Podcast, where host Cousin Shane asked, “If you were to give me your top three hot seats, like most likely, who would they be right now?” “Probably Pittman, [Billy] Napier, and then [Mark] Stoops,” answered Wallace.

Forget competition from outside; the Arkansas program only makes Pittman’s seat hotter. Thanks to their Arkansas AD Hunter Yurachek and Arkansas men’s basketball coach John Calipari, who are happy with the basketball team’s progress. Last season, they wrapped up with a 22-14 overall record. On the other hand, Pittman’s Razorbacks’ 2024 run got stunted in a 7-6 loss.

But even then, some people step into Pittman’s shoes to realize how hard it is. For instance, Fox Sports analyst RJ Young is confident of the head coach’s calibre. On the Adapt and Respond podcast, he shared, “I think Sam Pitman has shown over and over again, give him a team that he thinks he can go win with, and he will. He won nine games a couple of years ago. Last year, they beat Tennessee, who had beaten Oklahoma, who made the college football playoff, then they got absolutely stomped out by an Ole Miss team that ended up getting a win against Georgia.”

Sam Pittman is indeed a daredevil. Already, the Razorbacks’ head coach’s job is tough, given they play in the SEC, yet they cannot afford to spend at par with teams like LSU, Alabama, and Tennessee. With a weak NIL fund, Pittman still added 31 transfers this year. Now, with David Bowen on board, let’s see how the gamble pays off.