No matter how you plan those future years, dot the I’s and cross the T’s, life still can throw a challenge your way, and you are back to the drawing board. Head coaches in college football have now accepted this reality, at least in terms of dealing with the players and navigating the ever-changing world of college football. But what happens when everything is going smoothly for you, and suddenly your body is not in sync with the goals that you have in mind? It can sometimes force very drastic decisions, and a similar situation has led an SEC head coach to do the same.

Well, the head coach we are talking about is the Arkansas Razorbacks’ Sam Pittman. He is in his 6th season in 2025 and has produced mixed results. The program has seen some highs, but Pittman’s overall 30-31 record makes things murky. That said, the head coach did inherit a program that had seen just eight wins prior to his arrival in three seasons. But still, the progress made in five seasons isn’t quite significant, even if the team finished 7-6 last year. But Pittman’s woes became more pronounced after his health concerns surfaced.

We saw Pittman limping in games last year, and he didn’t even appear on the sidelines against Missouri but rather sat in the coach’s box. Things became a bit transparent when the head coach announced hip troubles and said that he was to undergo surgery after the season. So when the season ended, the head coach finally followed through with the hip replacement surgery and was recovering well, too.

“I am walking at least 20 yards, maybe a little bit further, on my own. I do use the walker some, which I can scoot around pretty fast walking on that. But I believe I can stand up for a lengthy period of time. I believe that I’ll be walking on my own no later than a week,” said Pittman to On3. But now, it seems there’s new speculation regarding Pittman’s health.

As per the latest report by On3’s Pete Nakos, the Arkansas Razorbacks head coach, Sam Pittman, might retire shortly after undergoing hip surgery. “There was speculation last season that Arkansas’ Sam Pittman could retire. He underwent hip surgery this offseason and is now walking 2 miles daily.” Nakos quoted the head coach, saying, “I have three years, and I always said that I wanted to coach through that obligation. After that, I don’t know.” The verdict is clear: the head coach is determined and is paying no heed to those speculations.

In terms of fan scrutiny, the head coach’s performances haven’t helped his case, and fans may well be not too sad when he finally retires. For instance, Pittman’s disappointing 2023 season, when he finished 4-8 overall, subjected him to widespread backlash, and fans weren’t too happy about the results. In 2024, there were improvements, including Pittman’s fourth bowl game at Arkansas. Still, the losses against Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, and Missouri stung, since they all resulted in narrow-margin defeats. This was the reason why ESPN noted that the head coach couldn’t “slide back” in 2025, and if that happens, it may be the last season for Pittman. Still, the question comes: is the head coach speculated to retire this year due to health concerns?

Sam Pittman opens up on retirement speculations

Well, ever since the hip surgery, the head coach has seen drastic improvements in his health. But that doesn’t hide the fact that rumors of him retiring are still fresh, which started in late 2024. Before the surgery happened, Pittman reported having “bone-on-bone” pain, which affected his ability to walk freely on the sidelines. But now, with the recovery going in swiftly, the head coach is confident that he will make the field in the 2025 season.

“Everybody’s got an opinion, mine’s the only one that really matters. Part of that saying was the way I looked. I had a hip that was terrible. I probably looked older than I am. I’ve been out walking two miles a day now, and I feel great. I love my job and this team. Everybody in this business is going through the same thing with portal rosters. It just seems to get magnified at times in our state. My goal is to coach, at least through what my contract is,” said Sam Pittman. So this year and maybe one or two years more, we could see Pittman being the head coach of Arkansas.

Pittman’s contract runs till 2027 after the head coach signed an extension in the 2022 season. But the extension has a caveat, and that is, Pittman will need to lead the program to seven wins, including a bowl game against a top 5 team, to continue till 2027. The head coach is currently on a $5.25 million per year salary and, by the looks of it, is determined to continue. But will his body keep up with his desire to coach?