After going in 7-6 last season, the firing rants already began for Sam Pittman, but now, just five games into the season, he’s out of the program. That’s right, after a disastrous loss of 56-13 against Notre Dame last week, the Razorbacks’ record fell to 2-3, and that’s when they decided to part ways with Pittman. The worst part is despite going in 2-0 in the season, he couldn’t hold on to it for much longer. Now, former Fayetteville HC and Arkansas OC Bobby Petrino took over the position, and he’s making sure to turn things around since the start. His move? Bringing in a former NFL DL coach with over two decades of experience into the team.
Look, defense has been an issue for Arkansas since the start of the season, as they have allowed 425 yards, which is the worst in the SEC, and also 30 points per game through 5 weeks. That’s what pushed Bobby Petrino to fire defensive coordinator Travis Williams, DL coach Deke Adams, and co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson despite a promotion. It’s not like all were on board with this decision, as Petrino addressed while talking to media about how his players are upset with the firing of Williams, who’s also a two-time All-SEC LB at Auburn.
But the numbers show how bad their defense is right now. That’s exactly why Petrino hired Jay Haynes to hold up his team’s bickering condition. And ESPN’s Chris Low confirms this news on his X handle: “Bobby Petrino is adding veteran NFL assistant Jay Hayes as Arkansas’ DL coach, sources tell On3. Hayes was with the Bengals the longest and has coached some top DL, including Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap. Hayes also coached in college at Notre Dame and Wisconsin.”
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