College Students, get a year of HawgBeat coverage for just $11.95. Request details via email from your school account (.edu) to nchavanelle@yahoo.com.
Not a subscriber? Subscribe for free for 30 days w/code HAWGS30
NEW USERS | RETURNING USERS
FAYETTEVILLE — The SEC has been hammered by COVID-19 this week, with four games postponed because of outbreaks at LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri and Texas A&M.
Luckily for Arkansas, only one of its Sunday tests came back positive, but it still drew national headlines because it was head coach Sam Pittman.
A subsequent test taken Monday confirmed the diagnosis, meaning the first-year coach will have to quarantine for 10 days. Not having him on the sideline, though, will serve as extra motivation for the Razorbacks when they take on No. 6 Florida on Saturday.
“When I heard about it, I was obviously devastated,” center Ricky Stromberg said. “It sucks for him, but it just puts even more of a chip on our shoulder because we're going to go play for him.”
It was unexpected news for Arkansas players, who said Pittman has been a vocal advocate of wearing masks and taking other precautions to ensure no one catches the virus.
“I feel like I was mainly just shocked because Coach Pittman, he’s the main one talking about safety and everything else,” defensive end Zach Williams said. “I think everyone was surprised he got it because he’s probably the main one washing his hands and doing everything he’s supposed to do.”
Fellow defensive end Eric Gregory added that he and his teammates have a lot of confidence in the coaching staff, which they consider the best in the SEC and one of the best in the nation.
However, Pittman has still had a virtual presence over the last few days and hasn’t skipped a beat.
“Coach Pittman is still involved with the Zoom meetings and stuff like that, so really it’s like he never left us,” Gregory said. “He’s still giving guys pointers and great coaching and looking out for us…so it’s really not a big loss.”
The most notable difference with Pittman self isolating at home is, obviously, his absence from practice. He previously told reporters that he wouldn’t try to lead practice via Zoom like Alabama head coach Nick Saban.
Instead, Pittman said he’d allow his assistants to run practice like usual and then he would just watch film of everything immediately after. That has led to some sense of normalcy as the Razorbacks prepare to face the Gators.
“It was obviously not the ideal situation with Coach Pittman, but practice has been the same,” quarterback Feleipe Franks said. “It’s important we go get that work in and those guys have done a great job of not letting it cloudy our minds and just going to work.”
While Pittman is out, defensive coordinator Barry Odom will serve as the interim head coach.
All of the players interviewed after Tuesday’s practice mentioned his experience as the head coach at Missouri for four seasons. They don’t believe the additional duties will stress out Odom because he’s done it in the past.
“I think he’ll handle it pretty well,” Williams said. “He seems very meticulous on the things he’s supposed to do. He does things right and I just feel like he won’t really have a problem with it.”
Kickoff against Florida is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT Saturday and the game will be televised on ESPN.
