Change is sweeping through Fayetteville as the Arkansas Razorbacks football program undergoes one of its most dramatic overhauls in recent memory. In a whirlwind sequence of events following a humbling 56-13 home defeat to No. 22 Notre Dame, the university parted ways with head coach Sam Pittman and key defensive staff, ushering in a new era under interim head coach Bobby Petrino.
The decision to dismiss Pittman, who compiled a 32-34 overall record and a 14-29 mark in the SEC, was announced on Sunday, September 29, 2025. Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek addressed the media alongside Petrino at Reynolds Razorback Stadium, laying out the rationale for the move and the immediate nine-week plan for the program. Yurachek praised Pittman’s early successes—most notably a 9-4 campaign capped by an Outback Bowl victory in 2021—but emphasized the team’s inability to sustain momentum in the fiercely competitive SEC. "I think we all watched the same thing here at Razorback Stadium on Saturday in front of an incredible crowd in an incredible atmosphere before a national television audience against the first time playing Notre Dame. Our performance was just unacceptable. It wasn’t a Razorback football performance that any of us were proud of and that ultimately falls at the feet of the head coach," Yurachek said.
Petrino, returning to the program he led from 2008-2011 with a 34-17 record, wasted no time putting his stamp on the team. Less than 24 hours after being named interim head coach, he dismissed defensive coordinator Travis Williams, co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson, and defensive line coach Deke Adams. Williams, a Broyles Award nominee in each of the past two seasons, had overseen a defense that, despite flashes of promise, struggled mightily in 2025. The Razorbacks allowed at least 30 points in three of their four games against FBS opponents and ranked 113th nationally in scoring defense. Adams and Woodson, both multi-year staffers, were also let go as part of Petrino’s sweeping changes.
Petrino’s decisive moves extended to the rest of the coaching staff. Chris Wilson, previously the assistant defensive line coach, was promoted to interim defensive coordinator. Wilson brings a wealth of experience, having coordinated defenses for the Houston Roughnecks in the UFL, the Houston Gamblers in the USFL, and collegiate stints at Colorado and Mississippi State. He also boasts a Super Bowl ring from his time as defensive line coach with the Philadelphia Eagles. Che Hendrix, who joined Arkansas in 2025 after a successful run as head coach at Boerne High School (71-19 record), was elevated to safeties coach.
On offense, Kolby Smith stepped up as offensive coordinator, though Petrino will continue to call plays on game days. Smith, in his second season guiding the Razorbacks’ running backs, played under Petrino at Louisville and brings NFL coaching experience from his four-year stint with the Miami Dolphins.
During Monday’s press conference, Petrino acknowledged both the excitement and apprehension among the players following the shakeup. “It’s a special place,” he said, reflecting on his return to Arkansas. “That’s why I’m so fortunate that I was able to come back here, and I think that we’ve got to get it back to that special place where everybody in the state is behind the Hogs and everybody is proud of the Hogs, and that’s our job. We’ve got to go out on the field and give the energy and the competitive spirit and show the heart that we have in playing the game of football so everybody can be proud of us. And that’s what we’ve got to try to do here the next nine weeks is make sure that we can unify the state.”
Petrino outlined his immediate priorities: retooling the defense through fundamental drills and renewed focus on tackling, pursuit, and turnovers. “The best case scenario is we come out tomorrow and we work hard and we practice hard and we get well-prepared in how we’re going to change the defensive structure and how we’re going to go about running to the football and tackling well,” he explained. “We’ve got to go back to some individual drills, tackle circuits, pursuit circuits and turnover circuits, and do the little things that make the difference in the game.”
He also stressed the need for offensive improvement, especially after a stretch where the Razorbacks managed just 10 second-half points over a three-game losing streak. “Offensively, we’ve got to get back where we get the ball across the 50-yard line and we go score touchdowns like we were early in the season. That hurt us the last three halves that we weren’t able to convert touchdowns when we crossed the 50-yard line, so we’re going to continue to work hard on that,” Petrino said. Special teams, too, are under the microscope, with Petrino noting the absence of game-changing plays in that phase so far this season.
Yurachek, meanwhile, confirmed that a national search for the next full-time head coach is already underway, with a search firm engaged to ensure confidentiality and thoroughness. He made clear that Petrino is a candidate for the permanent role, but stressed the importance of demonstrating “great leadership” over the remainder of the season. “I told him, I don’t expect him to come in with some magic pixie dust, and we’re going to go 7-0 the rest of the way with the schedule that we have. But I want to see a team that is much more competitive than we were, especially on Saturday,” Yurachek stated.
Arkansas’s coaching search is drawing considerable attention, with the experts at HawgSports, the 247Sports affiliate, identifying several intriguing candidates. Among them is Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall, who has compiled a 23-4 record at Troy and a 13-6 mark at Tulane since 2023. Though Sumrall has no direct ties to Arkansas, his success in the SEC footprint at Kentucky, Ole Miss, Tulane, and Troy makes him a compelling option. As of late September, Tulane sits at 4-1, their only loss coming against Ole Miss. “He has no known ties to Arkansas, but sources indicate he is very interested in the position,” reported Trey Biddy of HawgSports.
With the bye week providing a brief respite, the Razorbacks’ next test comes on October 11 against No. 15 Tennessee in Knoxville. The coming weeks will be crucial, not only for the team’s performance on the field but for the future direction of the program. As Petrino seeks to unify the locker room and reignite the competitive spirit that once defined Razorback football, all eyes will be on Fayetteville to see how this new chapter unfolds.
For now, the Razorbacks are a program in transition—searching for stability, identity, and a return to relevance in the unforgiving landscape of the SEC. The action is just getting started, and the outcome of this high-stakes reset remains anyone’s guess.
