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Tennessee football: Ranking all SEC coaches for 2020

By Caleb Calhoun

GAINESVILLE, FL- SEPTEMBER 21: Head coach Jeremy Pruitt of the Tennessee Volunteers looks on during the first half of the game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 21, 2019 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FL- SEPTEMBER 21: Head coach Jeremy Pruitt of the Tennessee Volunteers looks on during the first half of the game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 21, 2019 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images /

Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Arkansas. 1st year. player. Sam Pittman. 14. 844

Overall record: 0-0

It’s not every day an offensive line coach gets hired to immediately become a head coach in the SEC, but such is the case with Sam Pittman. After four years on Kirby Smart’s staff with the Georgia Bulldogs, Pittman has been tasked with replacing the two-year disaster that was Chad Morris as the Arkansas Razorbacks’ new head coach.

Being the only guy on this list with no head coaching experience at all, he had to start this year at the bottom of our rankings. However, Pittman isn’t just on this list because of his lack of experience. His experience working under failed regimes in the SEC before Georgia are knocks against him and do raise some concern.

Heck Pittman was on Tennessee football’s staff under Derek Dooley in 2012. He also was on Bret Bielema’s staff at Arkansas from 2013 to 2015. Even before the SEC, Pittman was on Butch Davis’ staff with the North Carolina Tar Heels from 2007 to 2011, so you have to wonder if all of those issues that existed at UNC at the time are a reflection on him.

Now, to be fair to Pittman, offensive line wasn’t the problem at all his one year under Dooley. In fact, UT’s offense set records that year. Also, Bielema’s downward slide didn’t start until after Pittman left. As a result, many of these failures have little if any reflection on him. But that combined with no experience keeps him down here for now.

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