A Tale of Two Coaches
11.26.24 A look at Sam Pittman and Eliah Drinkwitz prior to Arkansas-Missouri football game this weekend.
Wally Hall believes Sam Pittman’s job was never in jeopardy. And maybe he is right.
Every morning in high school I would stumble to the kitchen table, read Wally Hall in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and eat something covered in syrup. Because I have a great mom.
This was during the first Clinton administration, when the internet was still a twinkle in Al Gore’s eye. In those days commentary on Arkansas sports was basically a one man show, and Wally Hall was that show. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
There is a world in which the Arkansas football team does not beat Tennessee this year. And Auburn’s head coach doesn’t pull the plug on his season after a bad loss by moving to a backup quarterback. And that quarterback doesn’t hand Arkansas a win. And Arkansas loses to Missouri. Again. If this were to have happened, I don’t believe Sam Pittman would be retained as the Arkansas head football coach. But maybe Wally knows better than me.
As an aside, I feel like someone in the Tennessee program read the linked article above where I wrote Josh Heupel is Buccee’s in human form and decided immediately they needed to change the conversation. How to accomplish such a feat? Partnering with Pilot Flying J to renovate their stadium. Personally, I think associating your stadium with a truck stop may be a mistake. A lot of low hanging fruit there for opposing fans.
Arkansas and Missouri – A Look Back
I think most Arkansas fans feel like Arkansas football should be the big brother in its relationship with Missouri. I certainly do. Let’s take a quick look at how the two programs have performed historically.
The Missouri Tigers School History
Seasons: 123 (1901 to 2024)
Record (W-L-T): 671-561-50
Adjusted Record (W-L-T): 673-559-50
Conferences: SEC, Big 12, Big 8, Big 7, Big 6, MVIAA, Ind
Conf. Championships: 12
Bowl Record: 36 Bowls, 16-20, .444 W-L% (Major Bowls)
Ranked in AP Poll: 11 Times (Preseason), 19 Times (Final), 277 Weeks (Total), 2 Weeks at #1
Ranked in CFP Rankings: 4 Times (Final), 16 Weeks (Total)
Stadium: Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium (cap. 71,004)
Arkansas Razorbacks School History
Seasons: 119 (1906 to 2024)
Record (W-L-T): 712-521-37
Adjusted Record (W-L-T): 713-520-37
Conf. Championships: 14
National Championships: 1964
Bowl Record: 44 Bowls, 17-24-3, .420 W-L% (Major Bowls)
Ranked in AP Poll: 27 Times (Preseason), 29 Times (Final), 432 Weeks (Total), 1 Week at #1
Ranked in CFP Rankings: 1 Time (Final), 6 Weeks (Total)
Stadium: Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium (cap. 72,000)
The two schools’ overall records look fairly similar. Slight edge to the Razorbacks.
But let us drill down into the numbers, say records since 2005. It gets pretty miserable for the Razorbacks. Missouri has a far better winning record overall, 157-97. Arkansas is a sad 122-125. Missouri’s worst season is 4-8. Arkansas has 8 seasons that bad or worse in the same time period.
Looking at the numbers is a stark reminder of how awful the last 20 years have been for Razorback fans.
Cain and Abel. Holmes and Moriarty. Joker and Batman.
For better or for worse the current coaches for Arkansas and Missouri are intertwined. Unfortunately for Arkansas fans, the results are more biblical and less The Dark Knight.
On December 8, 2020, Sam Pittman was announced as the Arkansas Razorback football coach. The following day Eliah Drinkwitz took over at Mizzou. They took over programs in vastly different positions.
Pittman took over for the dumpster fire that was Chad Morris, while Drinkwitz took over for current UNLV coach and former Arkansas Defensive Coordinator Barry Odom.
Comparing Odom to Morris is like comparing a Buccee’s bathroom to a Love’s Truck Stop bathroom. You might not want to live in a Buccee’s bathroom, but it's clean and serviceable. You run out of Love’s holding your nose, praying you won’t ever have to experience that level of disgust again. That comparison is probably a little hard on Love’s. They don’t deserve to be compared to Chad Morris.
And what has happened since then? Missouri head football coach Eliah Drinkwitz seems like a little bit of dick, sure. But his program has outperformed Arkansas during the exact time period the Pittboss has been in charge up on the hill.
Since 2020, Drinkwitz has gone 36-24 overall, and has a 21-20 record in the SEC. Sam Pittman has only managed an overall record of 29-30, with a rather abysmal 14-27 result in SEC games. But in the context of where the respective programs were prior to the two coaches being hired in 2020, Pittman may be overachieving as Razorback head coach.
It certainly does not feel that way for Arkansas fans.
Bestofarkansassports.com, looked at the top 6 wins of the Sam Pittman era here. I agree with those guys that win in the Arkansas-Missouri game this weekend would easily make it onto that list of most important wins in the Sam Pittman era.
I don’t think it’s overstating the matter to say Pittman has the opportunity to change the trajectory of both programs this weekend. A win this weekend would begin to set the world back in order. A first step, but a necessary step. Until Arkansas can start beating Missouri consistently, Arkansas is doomed to be mediocre.
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