Arkansas football gives coach Sam Pittman five-year deal worth $6M annually

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman has a new deal that will pay him $6 million this year and is scheduled to increase annually after hiring big-name agent Jimmy Sexton.

The five-year deal is retroactive to Jan. 1 and runs through Dec. 31, 2026. Pittman would receive an additional year if Arkansas wins at least seven games in any season under the contract.

“Arkansas is where I want to be, this is my dream job,” Pittman said in a school release Thursday. “I am so grateful for our University and Hunter for believing in me, our coaches and staff and the program we’re building. We are all excited to continue to build on what we’ve done and continue to make our fans and the whole state of Arkansas proud of our football team.”

In addition to his basic annual compensation of $5 million, Pittman is accruing annual retention payments for remaining with Arkansas that will start at a rate of $1 million for this year and increase by $100,000 in each of the contract’s remaining years.

Pittman is not scheduled to actually receive his first retention payment until Dec. 31, 2024, when he would be entitled to a total of $3.3 million. However, if he is fired before that date for any reason — including a contract violation — or if he retires, he would be owed an amount based on the number days he had worked under the new agreement. Pittman would forfeit the accrued retention pay amount only if he left Arkansas for another coaching, recruiting or analyst job.

Entering last season, Pittman was paid $3 million annually, which ranked 12th among the 13 SEC coaches at public universities. The new deal puts him eighth.

Arkansas finished 9-4, including 4-4 in SEC during the 2021 season and defeated Penn State in the Outback Bowl. The Razorbacks were 3-7 in Pittman's first season in 2020 playing only SEC teams.

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Pittman's initial contract went through 2024, but an agreement last May essentially reset his contract, extending him through 2025. The Outback Bowl berth in 2021 triggered an automatic extension through 2026.

“Coach Pittman and his staff have done a tremendous job quickly restoring the pride and belief in our football program,” athletic director Hunter Yurachek said in a school release. “There is no doubt, Coach Pittman has proven to be the right man to lead our football team. He has earned this opportunity with the success he and his staff have had on the field and on the recruiting trail. Last fall, we won four trophies, including one for our victory in the Outback Bowl, and enjoyed our best season in a decade, and I believe we’re just getting started.”

Hiring Sexton in December showed Pittman's desire to rework his deal. Sexton represents other big-name coaches such as Alabama's Nick Saban, Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin, Georgia's Kirby Smart and more.

Just a few days after Pittman confirmed he had hired Sexton, Pittman's representation reportedly proposed a seven-year deal worth about $50 million.

Arkansas already extended the contracts for both offensive coordinator Kendal Briles and defensive coordinator Barry Odom. Briles now earns $1.25 million, a $250,000 increase, while Odom makes $1.85 million, an increase of $100,000. Both deals run through the 2024 season.

Christina Long covers the Arkansas Razorbacks. You can email her at clong@swtimes.com or follow her on Twitter @christinalong00.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman agrees to new 5-year, $6M contract