Tennessee’s Josh Heupel leaves no doubt how he feels about recently fired Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman

Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel won’t have the chance to even up his record (0-1) against Sam Pittman this season. Pittman was fired as head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks earlier this week. A year ago, Pittman led the Razorbacks to an upset win over Tennessee. Pittman was in his sixth season as the […]

Zach Ragan Tennessee Volunteers News Writer
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Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel won’t have the chance to even up his record (0-1) against Sam Pittman this season.

Pittman was fired as head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks earlier this week.

A year ago, Pittman led the Razorbacks to an upset win over Tennessee.

Pittman was in his sixth season as the head coach at Arkansas. He went 32-34 during his time in Fayetteville.

Josh Heupel shares his thoughts on Sam Pittman

Heupel was asked about Pittman on Wednesday during the weekly SEC coaches teleconference.

The fifth-year Tennessee head coach pointed out that he first learned about Pittman in 1999, when Heupel transferred to Oklahoma.

“I have known about Sam for a long time,” said Heupel. “When I got to Oklahoma as a player, he had been there previously before I arrived. And guys spoke extremely highly about the character — who he was as a man, but then also as a coach. And as I got further into my coaching career, obviously, you’re able to see the success that he had, in particular, with the offensive line play and coaching it and recruiting it at an elite level.

“As I got a chance to know him just in our head coaching meetings and crossing paths, [there’s] not a better man inside of this game. Who he is as a person, and just conducting himself with great integrity. So, [I have] a ton of appreciation for who he is and how he did his job.”

Pittman, who was the offensive line coach at Tennessee in 2012 and is still a beloved figure in Knoxville, is certainly one of the most well-respected and well-liked coaches in all of college football.