Money owed to Dan Enos complicates plans for Sam Pittman
Arkansas coach Sam Pittman had to do it. He had to fire his friend.
Pittman had worked with Dan Enos back in the Bret Bielema era and the offense at that time was strong, with Enos calling the plays and Pittman handling the offensive line. A reunification for 2023 was curious, but had some optimistic.
Instead, Enos made it through only eight games before Pittman, now running the show, fired him. Technically, by university language, the sacking was for convenience. In actuality, Pittman did it to have a chance to save his own job.
He probably did.
Someone had to answer for Arkansas’ 2-6 record. It only made sense that the offensive coordinator, the owner of the 121st-ranked offense in FBS, take the proverbial bullet. Fans had called for action for weeks and after Saturday’s 7-3 loss to Mississippi State, Pittman could wait no more.
Enos was hired for $1.1 million a year on a three-year deal when he signed to take the gig. Arkansas owes him the rest of his first-year salary, then the $1.1 million plus each corresponding pay raise ($75,000 a year) for the next two. The amount is not massive, but it’s also not exactly cheap.
That, too, should give Pittman some breathing room. The cost to buyout the head coach’s contract would be at least six times more than that. If both Enos and Pittman were to go in the same year, Arkansas would owe almost $8 million a season in buyouts, plus they would be paying the likely $6.5 million (or so) to the new head coach and another $1.2 million, give or take, to a new offensive coordinator. That’s a lot of dough, even for the donor class.
Arkansas total offense
Yards per game: 305.9
SEC rank: 14th out of 14
FBS rank: 121st out of 133
Arkansas passing offense
Yards per game: 196.9 yards per game
SEC rank: 12th out of 14
FBS rank: 104th out of 133
Arkansas rushing offense
Yards per game: 109 yards per game
SEC rank: 12th out of 14
FBS rank: 109th out of 133
Arkansas' leading passer
Completion percentage: 65.5% (6th in SEC)
Yards passing: 1,547 (8th in SEC)
Touchdowns: 14 (tied for 3rd in SEC)
Interceptions: 7 (last in SEC)
Rating: 139.35 (9th in SEC)
Arkansas leading rusher
Carries: 79 (12th in SEC)
Yards: 260 (22nd in SEC)
Touchdowns: 1 (tied for 45th)
Arkansas leading receiver
Receptions: 43 (4th in SEC)
Yards: 520 (9th in SEC)
Touchdowns: 4 (tied for 9th in SEC)
Arkansas offensive line
Rushing offense: 109 yards per game (12th in SEC)
Sacks allowed: 21 (tied for 12th in SEC)
Tackles for-loss allowed: 61 (14th in SEC)
