14 Coaching Candidates to Replace Sam Pittman at Arkansas

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14 Coaching Candidates to Replace Sam Pittman at Arkansas

Former Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman.
(© Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images)

Steven Lassan · Athlon Sports

Sun, Sep 28, 2025 ·

6 min read

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Arkansas fired coach Sam Pittman on Sunday. Pittman's tenure in Fayetteville ends with a 32-34 record since the start of the 2020 season. Offensive coordinator and former head coach Bobby Petrino is the program's interim coach. Pittman's firing comes after a 56-13 loss to Notre Dame in Week 5. Prior to the blowout defeat to the Fighting Irish, Arkansas dropped back-to-back last-minute losses to Ole Miss and Memphis. Although the Razorbacks own one of the SEC's top offenses, the defense ranks as the worst in the conference.

PIttman took over at Arkansas following the disastrous tenure of Chad Morris and restored the program to respectability in the SEC. Under Pittman's watch, the Razorbacks posted a nine-win season (9-4) and earned three bowl trips since '21.

Who could replace Pittman at Arkansas? Here are a few names to watch in the search:

Candidates to Replace Sam Pittman as Arkansas head coach

Alex Golesh, Head Coach, South FloridaGolesh is expected to be on the shortlist for every major opening among power conference teams this year. He has SEC experience from a two-year stint as an assistant at Tennessee (2021-22) and has emerged as one of the top Group of 5 coaches in the nation since taking over at South Florida in '23. The Bulls are 17-13 under his watch, including big-time upsets over Boise State and Florida this year.

GJ Kinne, Head Coach, Texas StateKinne is one of the top rising stars in the Group of 5 head-coaching ranks. He's 19-11 since taking over at Texas State in '23, with back-to-back 8-5 campaigns (2023-24). The '23 appearance in the First Responder Bowl was the program's first bowl trip. The Bobcats are 3-1 through Week 5.

Rhett Lashlee, Head Coach, SMULashlee has a good thing going at SMU, but his name is expected to pop up in this search. He's an Arkansas native and played quarterback for the Razorbacks from 2002-04. In addition to his ties to the program, Lashlee is a proven commodity at the power conference level. He's 31-14 as the head coach at SMU and guided the program on a fast transition to the ACC after thriving in the American Conference from 2022-23.

Barry Lunney Jr., Offensive Coordinator, IllinoisLunney Jr. is a former Arkansas quarterback and has ties to the program as a former assistant from 2013-19. He also served as the program's interim head coach for two games in '19. Since that season, Lunney worked as UTSA's offensive coordinator (2020-21) and has called the plays for Illinois since '22.

Gus Malzahn, Offensive Coordinator, Florida StateA return to a head-coaching role seems unlikely for Malzahn after he resigned at UCF to take over as Florida State's offensive coordinator after the '24 season. However, considering Malzahn's extensive ties to the program as a former player and assistant, along with a successful run as a high school head coach, his name will be mentioned in this search. Malzahn went 68-35 as Auburn's coach from 2013-20. He's 105-62 overall at the FBS level.

Eric Morris, Head Coach, North TexasMorris has North Texas off to the program's first 5-0 start since 1959. He's 16-14 since taking over in Denton in '23, with a 24-18 mark as the head coach at Incarnate Word from 2018-21. Morris - a native of Texas - is regarded for his work on offense and with developing quarterbacks.

Dan Mullen, Head Coach, UNLVMullen is no stranger to life in the SEC after a 69-46 stint at Mississippi State from 2009-17 and a 34-15 run at Florida (34-15). Although Mullen was dismissed in Gainesville during the '21 season, he owns a 107-61 record overall as a head coach and is considered one of the game's top offensive minds. Mullen's ability to get the most out of the roster at a tough job could be appealing. Also, he's off to a solid 4-0 start in his first season in Las Vegas.

Bobby Petrino, Interim Head Coach, Arkansas
Petrino is no stranger to the top spot at Arkansas and will have a chance to make a case at the full-time job over the team's final seven games. He previously went 34-17 as the Razorbacks' head coach from 2008-11 but had a controversial exit in the spring of '12. Overall, Petrino is 137-71 as a head coach and has engineered one of the SEC's top offenses in Fayetteville this season.

Glenn Schumann, Defensive Coordinator, Georgia
Schumann has worked alongside coach Kirby Smart at Georgia since 2016, working his way from defensive assistant to coordinator. Under Schumann's watch, the Bulldogs have consistently ranked among the SEC's best on defense. The Georgia native has no previous experience as a head coach, but with stints under Smart and Nick Saban (as an off-field assistant), he's learned from two of the best in college football. Would Arkansas hire an unproven head coach? Or is going with a proven option the preferred path?

Ryan Silverfield, Head Coach, MemphisSilverfield replaced Mike Norvell after he departed to Florida State and has maintained Memphis' place atop the American Conference. The Tigers are 26-5 over the last three years, including back-to-back double-digit win seasons. Silverfield is 47-21 overall with the Tigers.

Will Stein, Offensive Coordinator, OregonStein has no experience as a head coach, but the Kentucky native is a rising star in the coordinator ranks. The former Louisville quarterback started his collegiate coaching career at UTSA in 2020 before taking over the play-calling duties with the Ducks in '23. Under Stein's watch, Oregon has finished in the top 20 nationally in scoring offense every year, including a No. 2 finish in '23 (44.2 points a game). Stein's name has already popped up in searches at Virginia Tech and UCLA and is expected to be a factor at other openings if Oregon's offense continues to thrive in '25.

Jon Sumrall, Head Coach, TulaneExpect to see Sumrall's name tied to every opening at the power conference level this offseason. The Alabama native is one of the nation's top rising star head coaches, guiding Tulane to a 4-1 mark so far in '25 and 13-6 overall since arriving last season. Prior to taking over in New Orleans, Sumrall went 23-4 with two conference titles at Troy. With stints as an assistant at Ole Miss and Kentucky (also his alma mater), Sumrall is no stranger to life in the SEC.

Jeff Traylor, Head Coach, UTSATraylor spent two years as an assistant at Arkansas (2018-19) and has extensive ties to the state of Texas - a key recruiting area for the Razorbacks. Since taking over at UTSA in 2020, Traylor is 48-22 overall and has not posted a losing season. Also, the Roadrunners are 31-8 in conference play and won two CUSA titles (2021-22).

Kane Wommack, Defensive Coordinator, AlabamaWommack is probably a longshot here, but it's worth noting he has ties to the program from a two-year stint as a player in 2005-06. From 2021-23, Wommack went 22-16 as the head coach at South Alabama. The Jaguars went 17-9 over his final two seasons, including a 10-win mark in '22. Wommack departed Mobile to work as Alabama's defensive coordinator prior to the '24 season.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Sep 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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