Sam Pittman’s got pretty deep perspective on the Southeastern Conference, with a dozen years’ experience at schools ranging from his current post as Arkansas’s head coach to assistant roles at Georgia, Missouri and Tennessee.
So when Pittman was asked Wednesday on the SEC coaches’ teleconference what questions he would want answered for the current vacancy atop the Auburn program, it was worth listening to his reply. The Tigers on Monday fired Bryan Harsin after Harsin posted a 9-12 record through less than two drama-filled seasons.
“Do you have love for the university?’,” Pittman said as his first question in a search. “I would like to know if they had SEC experience, if they’ve been in the league. It’s a different league, and obviously to turn any program around you’ve gotta recruit well.
“And I would probably ask who your coordinators are [that a candidate would hire] and who the top recruiters are that you could bring in to recruit the Atlanta area and those things.
“Luckily, I don’t have to be in those interviews. But love for the university, can he recruit and if he knows the area. Auburn will be able to do that. They’ve got a really strong tradition.”
Pittman also was asked about why sometimes the “obvious” choice is not the best choice for a program’s next head coach – an element of which Pittman can likely relate after his hiring at Arkansas was something of a surprising move three years ago.
Since then, all Pittman has done has been return the Razorbacks to national relevance, spend numerous weeks last season and this ranked in the national polls and tally wins against ranked opponents who have ranged from then-No. 15 Texas and then-No. 7 Texas A&M to No. 23 Cincinnati at the onset of this season.
“Well, the obvious choice is for the public. The obvious choices might be the most popular choice,” Pittman said. “Popularity, from what I understand, doesn’t win any football games.
“I think athletic directors have to understand the feel of a person. Is this a permanent job or are you trying to step into it and turn it around and leave? Or do I feel like this program is the Taj Mahal [and a potential permanent destination].”
Pittman said from personal experience that his own enthusiasm and genuine interest in a position has typically revealed itself in the interview process.
“I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a job in an interview that I didn’t know if I really, really wanted,” Pittman said. “If I haven’t known that, I don’t think I’ve gotten a job.”
Mostly, Pittman has focused on his own challenges ahead for the Razorbacks, who this week host No. 23 Liberty and former Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze.
The past two seasons’ non-conference schedules for Arkansas have included the aforementioned game against Texas, a bowl game against Penn State and contests this season against Cincinnati, BYU and Liberty. All five of those programs were ranked at the time they met the Razorbacks or have been ranked extensively this season.
As such, Pittman has not been able to play his reserves in game settings nearly as much as he would like but has instead modified the way the Hogs have approached practice.
“We’ve been here 31 games and we’ve total subbed twice in 31 games,” Pittman said. “A lot of it has to do with continuing to the build program, and a lot of it has to do with who we play. (Liberty) will be our third team non-conference that been ranked in the top 25. Makes it difficult. Honestly it’s about morale at practice, too. If you don’t feel like you’re ever gonna get in the game as a 2 and things of that nature, that’s hard. Two of 31 that’s basically what we’ve done wholesale-wise. We’ve gotta get better and that will allow our 2s to get on the field more. …
“I believe you do (have to make adjustments in practice). I’m not Knute Rockne, but I believe you do to get through the grind of the SEC West, along with what currently has been our non-conference schedules. I think that’s the smart thing to do. We did it last year, we lost three in a row and kind of went back to we better get our best players healthy. Seemed to work for us last year, hopefully it does this year.”