The University of Arkansas decided to part ways with head coach Sam Pittman after the Razorbacks’ 56-13 thumping by Notre Dame in Week 5 of college football. Pittman was in the middle of his sixth season in Fayetteville, compiling a 32-34 record with just three winning seasons, though he did go 3-0 in bowl games.
The question now is who will take over for Arkansas next season? Several names are already floating around, including interim and former Razorbacks coach Bobby Petrino, who is considered a longshot, according to Pig Trail Nation’s Mike Irwin. One of the top names is SMU’s Rhett Lashlee.
Razorback fans, however, may not want to get their hopes up.
“What I’m told about Lashlee: Worries that the Arkansas job is a potential career killer,” Irwin posted. “Has strong support in Dallas. Much easier to win/make playoffs in the ACC. Would need big, big money to even consider Arkansas. Still, he is the popular choice right now.”
The natural connection is that Lashlee was Arkansas’ backup quarterback from 2002 to 2004, though a shoulder injury ended his playing career early. He later returned as a graduate assistant in 2006.
Still, Lashlee’s profile has risen well beyond nostalgia. He’s likely to be a hot commodity for most, if not all, Power Four jobs that come open this cycle. That means Arkansas will be in stiff competition if it hopes to land him.
Rhett Lashlee Has Rebuilt SMU
Since becoming the Mustangs’ head coach in 2022, Lashlee has completely revitalized the program. He’s 31-14 overall with consecutive AP top-25 finishes.
He has also guided SMU to back-to-back conference championship game appearances — first in the American and then in the ACC. After leading the Mustangs to their second straight 11-3 season in 2024, Lashlee earned an ACC Coach of the Year honor as SMU made the College Football Playoff in its first year in the conference. The Mustangs fell just short against Clemson in the ACC title game.
This year, SMU is back in the mix. Despite a 2-2 record, neither of its losses has come against ACC competition. The Mustangs lost 48-45 in double overtime to Baylor in Week 2 and 35-24 to TCU in Week 4, both Big 12 opponents. They begin ACC play against Syracuse on October 4.
Arkansas Could Be Competing With Another SEC Team for Rhett Lashlee
If Arkansas wants to bring Lashlee back to his alma mater, it may have to battle another SEC program depending on how things unfold.
If Auburn, which is 3-2 and 0-2 in the SEC, continues to slide under Hugh Freeze, Lashlee will likely be one of the top names for that job. Lashlee began his coaching career at Auburn as a graduate assistant in 2009 and 2010, then returned as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2013 to 2016.
The Auburn opening would be far more attractive than Arkansas for the same reasons Irwin laid out. The Tigers have shown they can compete at the highest level, with a national title in the last 20 years. Auburn would also likely offer more resources and bigger money to give Lashlee a better shot at building an SEC contender.
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