Tag: arkansas razorbacks football

Sam Pittman thrilled to see Georgia OTs taken in NFL Draft

Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman was excited for the selections of Georgia Bulldog linemen Andrew Thomas and Isaiah Wilson.

Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman was genuinely excited for his former players when they were selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Prior to becoming the latest head coach at Arkansas, Pittman coached offensive line for the Georgia Bulldogs.

Pittman excelled in recruiting during his time in Athens. He landed loads of talent along the offensive front. He coached 4th overall pick Andrew Thomas (New York Giants) and 29th overall pick Isaiah Wilson (Tennessee Titans).

Watch Pittman’s excitement for his former players:

Pittman’s connection with his former linemen is father-like. His joy for Andrew Thomas and Isaiah Wilson is incredible. Pittman helped develop both prospects and shared his love for both of them.

Pittman is an excellent hire for Arkansas. He’ll rebuild their offensive front, which was once intimidating. His personality is another reason the Razorbacks will attract top talent again.

Pittman’s not done celebrating the selections of his former Georgia Bulldog players. Offensive guard Solomon Kindley is projected to be selected in the next couple of rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft.

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Georgia football staff loses another key member

The Georgia Bulldogs have lost another staff member to the Arkansas Razorbacks. This time, it’s one of Georgia’s own.

Following the departure of beloved offensive line coach Sam Pittman, now head coach at Arkansas, the Georgia Bulldogs have lost another staff member to the Razorbacks.

This time, it’s one of Georgia’s own.

Fernando Velasco, who played on the Dawgs’ offensive line from 2003 to 2006 and in the NFL from 2008 to 2016, joined his alama mater’s staff in 2016 as player relations coordinator. He was quickly promoted to director of player development, a position he held for the past three years.

He is the fourth staffer to follow Pittman to Fayetteville, joining special teams coordinator Scott Fountain along with strength and conditioning coaches Jamil Walker and Ed Ellis.

According to his twitter, he will maintain his position of director of player development for the Hogs.

Fernando Velasco is a verified Damn Good Dawg and we wish him the best of luck in the future. That is, until he’s recruiting away from his home.

Details: Sam Pittman’s new Arkansas contract

Former Georgia football OL coach Sam Pittman signs new head coach deal with the Arkansas Razorbacks. See the details of the signing here.

Georgia lost a good one yesterday as offensive line coach Sam Pittman signed a deal with Arkansas to become the Razorbacks’ new head coach.

Pittman, who has played a critical role in beefing up the Georgia offensive line through recruiting and coaching, is getting paid well by the Hogs.

Related: Sam Pittman’s departure is a huge blow for Georgia

Pittman contract is a five-year deal that starts at $3 million annually, per Steve Berkowitz of USA TODAY Sports.

At Georgia, Pittman was valued incredibly high by Kirby Smart, earning $900,000 per year as a position coach.

Berkowitz provided all the info necessary on Pittman’s new contract.

 

 

This is a huge loss for the Bulldogs but is understandable looking at the business perspective of the deal.

We wish coach Pittman and his family nothing but the best as he embarks for Fayetteville next season.

Once a Dawg…always a Dawg.

Sam Pittman’s departure a big blow for Georgia football

Sam Pittman leaving Georgia for Arkansas is a big blow for Kirby Smart and UGA football.

Georgia offensive line coach Sam Pittman accepted the position of head coach at Arkansas over the weekend, piling on to what was already a sad few days for Bulldog fans.

For Pittman, it’s a heck of an upgrade, though. To go from offensive line coach to head coach at another SEC school is not something that you see often.

There’s no arguing that losing Pittman won’t hurt the Bulldogs. People may say that we’ll be fine, which we will, but the loss of Pittman will be noticeable. The guy is a recruiting mastermind and did something never seen before in Rivals’ recruiting history, according to Nikki Chavanelle, who covers Arkansas for Rivals.

You don’t just replace that kind of recruiting.

While at Georgia, Pittman put an emphasis on size.

Georgia’s entire line this season weighs in heavier than the average NFL offensive lineman (314.8 lbs) and allowed just 12 sacks all season.

Whoever replaces Pittman will be fortunate to inherit arguably the best returning offensive line in college football next season, but it’s hard to imagine there is anybody out there who reel in the big-hitters that Pittman did on a consistent basis each year.

For 2020, Pittman is the No. 3 ranked recruiter in all of college football, according to 247Sports’ recruiter rankings.

The other thing Pittman emphasized was depth. And this season at Georgia, the Dawgs had a group of second-stringers who could start just about anywhere in the country. And thank God we did.

Injuries happen on the line. A high volume of 300+ men in a congested space. Yeah, injuries will happen.

But Pittman prepared for that, and that’s why we were so deep at offensive line. Whoever we hire next as offensive line coach, if there’s one thing I hope he focuses on its depth.

In Pittman, Arkansas gets more than a great recruiter and teacher. They also get some of the greatest videos to ever hit social media.

I’ll miss a lot about Pittman, but none more than these classics.

Georgia Football’s Sam Pittman: emerging as Arkansas coach candidate

Georgia Bulldogs offensive line coach Sam Pittman has emerged as a potential candidate for the head coaching vacancy at Arkansas. Pittman has been extremely successful in recruiting talented offensive lineman to come play in Athens. This wouldn’t be …

Georgia Bulldogs offensive line coach Sam Pittman has emerged as a potential candidate for the head coaching vacancy at Arkansas. Pittman has been extremely successful in recruiting talented offensive lineman to come play in Athens.

This wouldn’t be Pittman’s first stint in Arkansas:

This is not what Georgia needs to start their off-season. Pittman has recruited the best of any positional coach at UGA. It is worrying that Pittman is considered the top candidate. He’d be a tough guy to replace and I’d imagine Georgia won’t let him go easily. Pittman could likely wait and find a better job than joining Arkansas at arguably the worst point in their program’s history.

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