Pittman proving to be calming influence for Arkansas during interesting times
Whether it’s actually an ancient proverb or just credited back a few hundred years to avoid criticism we are obviously getting every bit of the old “may you live in interesting times.”
No, not getting into politics or opinion of everything going on in the world today. Others can do what they wish with the plethora of topics outside of sports.
But it has been interesting watching new Arkansas coach Sam Pittman navigating the various crossroads and forks he’s had to endure over the last six months or so.
It’s even more interesting when you realize he didn’t have to be here.
He was the associate head coach and offensive line coach of a team that had played for (and probably should have won) a national championship a couple of years before and things don’t appear to be changing anytime soon at Georgia.
Yet, Pittman did one of his best sales jobs ever selling himself into the Razorbacks’ football job after a decade-long slide into the absolute bottom of the sport.
Since he hasn’t even gotten to coach a practice yet we’ll see how the wins and losses work out. No way I’m going out on that limb with this team because it’s impossible to begin projecting anything.
Pittman’s calmness through a wild six months that’s seen some fairly unprecedented things in terms of a global pandemic, heated politics and civil unrest has been the most interesting thing.
“He was probably one of the best coaches that handled it well,” Rakeem Boyd said last week after seeing how Pittman and assistant coaches were at a Fayetteville demonstration. “During that time, I was very proud of Pittman. He reached out to a couple of players. That’s big.”
There were no photo opportunities other than some candid shots folks took during that time. If there’s been any complaints from players it hasn’t been public.
Straight up is the recurring phrase you hear from players that stayed through the coaching change from the previous coaches. If there was a recurring phrase about that staff was what they said to the players seemed to have a floating theme. We got that in the media, too.
That’s a polite way of saying some here before would climb a tree to tell a lie before standing on the ground to tell the truth. Players just want coaches to be consistent and straight up.
In case you’re wondering, the sports world is brutally honest at times.
“Most coaches aren’t going to give it to you straight on a plate,” Boyd said. “They are going to sugarcoat everything. With Pittman, he’s going to set you straight. He’s going to tell you you’re going to get it done, and if you don’t there will be consequences.
“You know what I mean? He’s kind of an old school type of coach. I really like it.”
The guess is how he’s handled everything is pretty much summed up by the fact there haven’t been any big headlines like we’ve seen around some other places of coaches grabbing headlines.
How the team is doing with the health pandemic is probably an indication of Pittman’s calmness. He can’t control it, so he doesn’t worry about it.
Plus, he’s trusting his team to be men and treating them that way.
“If they want to have a football season, it’s realistic to ask them to stay away from people,” Pittman said last week. “We choose to trust and believe in our team and that they’re grown men.”
For fans, this should be a hopeful clue into what could translate to players on the field. This team has not played anywhere near its talent level the last two years.
Pittman will have them prepared but the players have to perform.
And if they don’t, as Boyd said, there will be consequences.
Rogers’ de-commitment from Razorbacks part of shuffling we’ll see this year
In a season that offers no handbook on how to handle, three-star Little Rock Parkview quarterback Landon Rogers re-opened his recruiting after committing to Arkansas in April.
Considering the unprecedented surge of committed players during this time of college football coaches having to figure out new ways of evaluating and landing pledges there will be others.
Rogers tweeted his decision early Saturday afternoon:
Respect my decision…. Thanks Hog Family❤️ pic.twitter.com/vQGEKVhg38
— Landon Rogers (@15LandonRogers) July 4, 2020
Rogers had offers from Kansas and Houston in addition to multiple FBS schools.
And this doesn’t mean he won’t be coming to Fayetteville.
“I want to make sure I’m making the right decision,” is the key line from his announcement.
Apparently somebody has talked him into taking another look, but the Razorbacks won’t be starting from scratch.
He had over 2,200 total yards of offense, throwing for 1,661 yards, 19 touchdowns and only two interceptions while competing 54.4 percent of his throws. He also averaged 6.3 yards per carry on the ground, getting 584 yards and scoring 10 times.
The Hogs also have a commitment from San Antonio Cornerstone Christian quarterback Lucas Coley, who is also a three-star recruit, ranked 18th as a dual-threat by the 247Sports.com composite ranking system that had Rogers at No. 32.
According to the recruiting lists out there, Arkansas still has 12 commits for the 2021 class.
But this will be a different year.
Everybody is going to lose some pledges. It’s going to be part of the process this recruiting season.
Of course the flip side to that is the Hogs and Sam Pittman are probably going to pick up some folks, which they already have done.
There will be more.
Norvell on Wolfpack’s experience being a positive through ‘virtual’ offseason
Nevada coach Jay Norvell told Derek Ruscin and Zach Arns (Ruscin & Zach) Thursday afternoon on ESPN Arkansas his team’s experience has made things a little easier with learning, installing new things virtually.
Hogs flip Georgia linebacker from Nebraska as 13th commitment for 2021
Arkansas picked up a commitment Thursday evening from Georgia three-star linebacker Christopher Paul who had pledged to Nebraska until a few weeks ago.
Paul made the announcement via Twitter:
HOGS IM COMING HOME!!!! ✊??❤️
#21PitCrew #RecruitmentShut?? @CoachRhoades44 @Coach_Odom @CoachSamPittman @nate_smith_9 @FBCoachJSmith @ChristophetSr @BradHarber1 @CConnerdc pic.twitter.com/6WpSLfcyuK— Christopher “POOH” Paul Jr. (@PoohPaul4) July 2, 2020
At a position short on numbers the past few years, Sam Pittman and defensive coordinator Barry Odom are working to change that.
The Razorbacks added three linebackers from high school and a graduate transfer in Levi Draper from Oklahoma with two years of eligibility left.
The three high school linebackers are Kelin Burrie (6-0, 205) from Harvy, Louisiana, Helen Cox, Atlanta Woodward Academy’s Jacorrei Turner (6-2, 205) and J.T. Towers (6-2, 205) from Joe T. Robinson.
Musselman on new assistant coach, roster, schedule, even haircuts (no, seriously)
Razorback coach Eric Musselman talked at a Zoom press conference late Thursday afternoon about new assistant coach David Patrick and other topics down to even his haircut (that’s near the end).
Musselman hires Riverside head coach as Hogs’ associate head coach
FAYETTEVILLE — California-Riverside head coach David Patrick was named associate head coach at Arkansas, according to a press release from coach Eric Musselman on Wednesday afternoon.
Patrick was a finalist for two national coach of the year awards this past season.
“He will fit seamlessly into our basketball family,” Musselman said in the release. “His basketball knowledge is excellent and he is someone I have great comfort discussing all the intricacies that go with building a winning program.”
Musselman and Patrick previously worked together at LSU, helping the Tigers reach the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Patrick was also responsible for the recruitment of 2016 number one overall NBA Draft pick Ben Simmons, while at LSU.
Here is Patrick’s comment that was also included in the release:
“I am honored to be reuniting with Coach Musselman at the University of Arkansas,” Patrick said. “I am incredibly grateful for my time as head coach at UC Riverside and want to sincerely thank every single person that I had the pleasure of working with during my time there. I especially want to thank (Director of Intercollegiate Athletics) Tamica Smith Jones and the administration at UC Riverside for giving me the opportunity of serving as their head coach, as well as our student-athletes, for without you, I would not be in this position. The chance to help lead the historic Arkansas program, be close to home, and return to SEC basketball was one that my family and I could not turn down. We cannot wait to get down to Fayetteville and I cannot wait to get to work to continue pushing the Razorback program forward.”
Prior to the season being cut short due to COVID-19, the Highlanders received invitations to play in the College Insider Tournament (CIT) and the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) postseason tournaments.
A Melbourne, Australia, native and current assistant coach for the Australian Men’s National Basketball Team, Patrick helped lead the Australia Boomers to a fourth-place finish in the 2019 FIBA World Championships.
In 2019 Patrick also helped guide the Boomers to a historic 98-94 win over Team USA for the first time in history.
Patrick coached NBA champions and Australian National Team guards Patty Mills and Matthew Dellavedova during their collegiate careers at Saint Mary’s College (Calif.) Patrick’s reputation as a savvy and experienced recruiter is attributed to his ability to attract top talent.
At LSU, he was integral in landing the nation’s number five and number three-ranked recruiting classes of 2013 and 2015, respectively.
Patrick posted a 27-38 record at UC-Riverside, the best two-year start in school history. He inherited a program that won just nine games the season prior to his arrival and quickly turned the program around.
The Highlanders won 17 games last season, which tied the most wins in Division I program history. The Highlanders led the Big West Conference and ranked eighth nationally in scoring defense (60.6 ppg).
The squad additionally led the Big West in 3-point field goal attempts (722) while ranking second in the league in defensive rebounding (27.03 avg.), field goal percentage defense (.404), rebound margin (+5.5), 3-point field goals made (7.9 per game/254 total) and total rebounds (35.78 per game/1,145 total).
In his first season at UC-Riverside, the Highlanders broke several program records including 279 three-point shots made, culminating in a Big West-best .379 three-point shooting percentage (ranked 28th nationally).
Prior to his time at UC Riverside, Patrick made an immediate impact in his two seasons as assistant head coach at TCU, playing a significant role in the second-largest turnaround in program history.
The 2016-17 Horned Frogs went 24-15, good for a 12-game improvement over the previous year. The final win of the season came in the championship game of the NIT (National Invitation Tournament), an 88-56 victory over Georgia Tech that gave TCU its first ever postseason championship.
The 24 wins were also the second-most in school history. The following season (2017-18), TCU went 21-12 and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 20 years, earning a number six seed.
Patrick spent four years at LSU, the final two as assistant head coach, helping the Tigers reach the 2014 NIT and 2015 NCAA Tournament.
He served as a scout for the Houston Rockets for two seasons (2010-12) and as an assistant coach for four years at Saint Mary’s (2006-10). During his tenure in Moraga, the Gaels had school record-setting seasons in 2008 and 2010.
Both teams finished with 28-win seasons and the 2010 squad made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. He began his coaching career at Nicholls State (2005-06).
Patrick was born in Bermuda and grew up in Australia. He played one season at Syracuse, with his team reaching the 1996 NCAA Championship game, and then was a point guard at UL Lafayette from 1997-2000.
He also played four years professionally in Australia, England and Spain.
Following a stint playing with the Australian Junior National Team, Patrick came to the United States in 1994. As a high schooler, he was selected as the Louisiana Player of the Year after leading Trafton Academy to the state quarterfinals.
That same year, he was named the district’s MVP, earned a First Team All-Parish selection, and was chosen to participate in the Louisiana State High School All-Star Game.
Patrick is married to the former Cassie Frank of Oberlin, La., and they have two daughters.
THE PATRICK FILE
Personal
• Hometown: Melbourne, Australia
• High School: Chapel Trafton (Baton Rouge, La.)
• Alma Mater: UL Lafayette (2000)
Playing Experience
• 1995-96: Syracuse – reached 1996 NCAA Final Four (national runner-up)
• 1996-2000: UL Lafayette (then known as Southwestern Louisiana) – sat out the 1996-97 season per NCAA transfer rules; reached the 2000 NCAA Tournament
• 2000-01: Canberra Cannons (Australia’s National Basketball League)
• 2001-03: Chester Jets (British Basketball League)
• 2003-05: Amics del Bàsquet Castelló (Spanish Basketball Federation)
Coaching Experience
• 2005-06: Nicholls State (Assistant Coach)
• 2006-10: Saint Mary’s (Calif.) (Assistant Coach) – 2008 & 2010 NCAA Tournaments (2010 Sweet 16); 2009 NIT
• 2010-12: Houston Rockets (Personnel Scout)
• 2012-14: LSU (Assistant Coach) – 2014 NIT
• 2014-16: LSU (Assistant Head Coach) – 2015 NCAA Tournament
• 2016-18: TCU (Assistant Head Coach) – 2018 NCAA Tournament; 2017 NIT Champion
• 2018-20: UC-Riverside (Head Coach) – 2020 Finalist for two national Coach of the Year awards
• 2019-Present: Australian National Team (Assistant Coach)
• 2020-Present: Arkansas (Associate Head Coach)
Information from Razorback Sports Communications is included in this story.
Kjerstad with Orioles’ general manager and area scout that followed him
Baltimore general manager Mike Elias along with former Razorback Heston Kjerstad and area scout Ken Guthrie press conference Wednesday morning.
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