By: Aidan Loney

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV) – Coming off a 56-13 home loss to Notre Dame, Athletic Director Hunter Yuracheck decided to make a mid-season change by ending the Sam Pittman era of Razorback football. Offensive Coordinator Bobby Petrino was named the interim head coach for the rest of the season. 

Pittman exits Fayetteville with a 32-34 record in his six seasons at the helm. Pittman took over for Chad Morris after the Hogs went 2-10 in 2018 and 2019. Pittman’s tenure peaked in 2021 when the Razorbacks went 9-4, including an Outback Bowl win over Penn State. Arkansas was as high as #8 in the AP Poll and won every trophy game that season (Texas A&M, LSU, Missouri). Arkansas was looking for stability in Sam Pittman, which he provided, but his time has ultimately run its course as the Hogs are coming off two very poor results by losing at Memphis and Notre Dame by 43 at home. In their last four home games against FBS competition, they have lost by a combined 109 points (LSU, Ole Miss, Texas, Notre Dame). The Hogs have the most fumbles in the FBS since Pittman took over, with 114 in 66 games. Combine all of these reasons, and it was enough for Yuracheck to decide to move in a different direction for head coach. 

There are a lot of different directions Arkansas can go for its next head football coach. Between rising head coaches as well as some longshot hopefuls, Arkansas will get an early start on picking who they want to lead them in 2026. But it will ultimately depend on whether these candidates view Arkansas as a clear step up from where they’re currently at, and if the big donors. Let’s dive into who Arkansas should be taking a look at. 

Rising head coaches:

SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee 

Lashlee will likely be the first name people bring up for the Arkansas head coach search, but for good reason. Lashlee grew up in Springdale, Arkansas, played for the Razorbacks from 2002-04, and was a graduate assistant at the U of A in 2006. He is in his 4th season at SMU, coming off a College Football Playoff appearance and back-to-back 11-win seasons. Arkansas is likely going to push hard for Lashlee given his proven track record and local ties. SMU has plenty of donors willing to pay to keep him, but Arkansas has plenty more willing to offer enough to get him to come back to Northwest Arkansas. This job should be Lashlee’s if he wants it. 

Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall

Sumrall will be another hot name on almost everyone’s coaching board lists for any job that opens up. Sumrall is entering his second season as head coach at Tulane, coming off a runner-up finish in the American, finishing 9-5. The previous two years, Sumrall was the head coach at Troy, with 11 and 12-win seasons and back-to-back Sun Belt championships. Sumrall spent 4 seasons as a linebackers coach in the SEC at Kentucky and Ole Miss, so he has experience recruiting in the SEC. Sumrall will likely have his pick of schools for his next coaching job, so Arkansas may not be top of mind, but Yuracheck should give Jon Sumrall a call. 

South Florida head coach Alex Golesh

South Florida emerged onto the scene this season by beating then-ranked #25 Boise State and #13 Florida. Golesh was the offensive coordinator at Tennessee in 2021-22 and led the #7 and #1 scoring offense, respectively. The Bulls were 4-29 in the three years before Golesh, so he has turned that program around in a big way. Golesh is another candidate with SEC coaching experience and one of the brightest offensive minds in college football. Depending on how South Florida finishes their season, Golesh could be the leading candidate for coaching jobs that open up, including Arkansas. 

Longshot hopeful: Jon Gruden

Jon Gruden made headlines in August by saying he would “die” to coach in the SEC. So naturally, any SEC job that opens up is going to have fans clamor for their school to hire Gruden. Gruden made his mark in the NFL by winning a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003. Gruden was the primary Monday Night Football analyst for ESPN from 2009-17 before he returned to the Raiders in 2018 until 2021. Gruden has never been a head coach in college, so the landscape of recruiting, NIL, and the transfer portal would all be very new to him. This would be an expensive target for the Board of Trustees and everyone would need to be on board for this hire to happen. If Arkansas wants to ignite the fanbase, there’s no better way than to hire the former Super Bowl champion.