Pittman details logistics of Saturday, gives update on health
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FAYETTEVILLE — With his positive COVID-19 test now confirmed, Sam Pittman is on Day 3 of self isolating at home.
The first-year coach said during Wednesday’s weekly SEC coaches teleconference that his wife, Jamie, is staying the main house after testing negative, while he quarantines in a guest house out back.
Although described as asymptomatic in the UA’s press release, Pittman admitted he experienced some soreness in his back late Saturday, but thought it was just from standing up all night because, as he said, “I’m not the picture of health.”
Other than that, though, he is feeling fine physically. Emotionally, he’s still coming to grips with the fact he’ll probably be watching Saturday’s game at No. 6 Florida only with his bulldog, Lucy, and won’t be with the team Friday and Saturday - moments he described as “priceless.”
“I’d be lying to you if I said I’m not somewhat depressed,” Pittman said. “That’s why you get into coaching, to go see your kids play, see their faces, see them play.
“I was looking forward to visiting with Coach Mullen. I’ve never talked to him. I enjoy those times before the game, and obviously I wanted to see in person the Florida team that we’re playing.”
It will be the first time in his career, which spans more than three decades, that Pittman has ever missed a game. Through the years, he had only missed two or three practices, but it was because of a death in the family and not because he was sick.
However, he believes it should be an “easy transition” for defensive coordinator Barry Odom to slide into the interim head coaching role because of his experience as Missouri’s head coach the last four years.
That opens one of the 10 spots in Arkansas’ on-field coaching staff, so Pittman said he has asked the compliance department to fill it with defensive quality control coach Michael Scherer, a former linebacker and graduate assistant under Odom at Missouri.
Not only has Odom - who will be moving from the press box to the sideline - been a head coach before, but he’s led a team into Gainesville, Fla., before, even beating the Gators 40-14 in 2016. Offensive coordinator Kendal Briles also has experience in The Swamp, coaching there at Florida State last season.
“I think it helps - it’s more of a comfort of the staff,” Pittman said. “Again, I truly believe the kids react however the coaches react and I think there’ll be some type of comfort level going in there just because Kendal and Barry have been there.”
SEC rules prohibit Pittman from contacting the team within 90 minutes of Saturday’s 6 p.m. CT kickoff, so he said he’ll address the team Friday night via Zoom and then let the the rest of the staff take over from there. Odom will handle the pregame speech.
As he has all year, Pittman shifted the focus away from himself and reiterated that he felt Odom would do a great job. However, he did admit that he will miss being around the team.
His goal, despite how different things are for him, is to keep things as consistent as possible this week as the Razorbacks prepare for the Gators.
“It's weird, you know?” Pittman said. “Once I send them off to practice in my meeting, then I just wait. I wait until they post the practice on my laptop. It's just different.
“I don't want the kids to think any different of it. If they do, Florida will beat the heck out of us. So we have to be locked in on everything but me. I can promise you that. I think we've done a good job with that."