Heading into his fourth season as head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, Sam Pittman has returned the program to SEC relevancy after several years in the college football wilderness. The Arkansas coaching staff has been built to succeed once more.
Arkansas Razorbacks Coaching Staff
Head Coach Sam Pittman
Since arriving in Fayetteville as the head coach in 2020, Pittman has made the Razorbacks one of the toughest teams to face on the college football calendar. Inheriting a team that won just one SEC game from 2017 to 2019, his transformative effect was immediate, with the program winning three in-conference games during his first season leading the Arkansas coaching staff.
A breakout year in 2021 saw the Razorbacks achieve their first nine-win season since 2011 and win their first bowl game since 2015 while achieving their first postseason AP Poll ranking since 2011. Restoring pride in the program, Pittman delivered victories in the Razorbacks’ marquee rivalry games against Texas A&M, LSU, and Missouri.
MORE: SEC Standings
Of course, Pittman was no stranger to the program when he took the reins of the Arkansas coaching staff in 2020. He was the offensive line coach under Bret Bielema from 2013 to 2015. A renowned offensive line developer, he’s held the OL coach role at Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Northern Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
The former Pittsburgh State standout began his coaching carry at Princeton High School in 1987, where he spent two years as head coach before moving on to Trenton HS. His first college coaching gig came as the OL coach at Hutchinson CC. In addition to OL coach roles at multiple FBS programs, he also spent time at Cincinnati (OT/TE coach) and Western Michigan.
Offensive Coordinator, Quarterback Coach TBD
The role of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach was formerly held by Dan Enos. Following a disappointing and embarrassing start to the 2023 season, Enos was fired just eight games into the season.
MORE: Arkansas Fires Dan Enos Following Embarrassing Home Loss
With the departure of Kendal Briles from the Arkansas coaching staff, the Razorbacks turned to a familiar face in the shape of former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Enos. The highly experienced coach worked with head coach Pittman in Fayetteville as part of Bielema’s coaching staff from 2015-2017.
Enos headed back to the Arkansas coaching staff after two years as the offensive coordinator and primary play-caller for the Maryland Terrapins. He’s credited with the immediate success of freshman running back Roman Hemby while also helping Taulia Tagovailoa assert himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the Big Ten.
A Michigan State alum, Enos began his coaching career as a graduate assistant with the Spartans in 1991. His college coaching résumé, which can be found below, features multiple stints in programs across Michigan, with a six-week stop in Ann Arbor with the Michigan Wolverines in January 2018.
- Michigan State (graduate assistant, 1991-1993)
- Lakeland College (OC, QBs/WRs coach, 1994-1995)
- Northern Michigan (OC, RBs coach, 1996)
- Southern Illinois (QBs/WRs coach, 1997-1998)
- Missouri State (OC, QBs coach, 1999)
- Western Michigan (QBs coach, 2000-2002)
- North Dakota State (OC, QBs coach, 2003)
- Cincinnati (QBs coach, 2004-2005)
- Michigan State (QB coach, 2006; RB coach, 2007-2009)
- Central Michigan (head coach, 2010-2014)
- Arkansas (OC, QBs coach, 2015-2017)
- Alabama (associate head coach, QBs coach, 2018)
- Miami (OC, QBs coach, 2019)
- Cincinnati (associate head coach, RBs coach, 2020)
- Maryland (OC, QBs coach, 2021-2022)
- Arkansas (OC, QBs coach, 2023)
It’s unclear who will assume play-calling duties for Arkansas following Enos’ firing.
Defensive Coordinator Travis Williams
Another new addition to the Arkansas coaching staff for the 2023 college football season, Travis Williams was named the defensive coordinator of the Razorbacks in Dec. 2022. He comes to Fayetteville after filling the same role for the UCF Knights for the 2021 and 2022 college campaigns.
A standout linebacker for SEC rivals Auburn between 2001 and 2005, Williams was a key cog of the Tigers’ undefeated 2005 campaign. A visible leader, he won the Pat Dye Leadership Award in consecutive seasons and finished second on the team with 68 tackles as a senior.
After spending two seasons in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons, he returned to the Plains to begin his coaching career as a graduate assistant. In addition to his full college coaching résumé that can be found below, Williams was also the defensive coordinator for Georgia-based Creekside High School in 2013.
- Auburn (graduate assistant, 2009-2011)
- Northern Iowa (LBs coach, 2012)
- Auburn (defensive analyst, 2014-2015; LBs coach, 2016-2018; co-defensive coordinator, 2019-2020)
- Miami (LBs coach, 2021)
- UCF (DC, 2021-2022)
- Arkansas (DC, 2023)
Co-Defensive Coordinator Marcus Woodson
A well-renowned defensive back coach at Florida State for the past three seasons, Marcus Woodson joins the Arkansas coaching staff as the co-defensive coordinator and expected CBs coach. After playing for Ole Miss between 1999-2002, Woodson began his college coaching career at Millsaps before moving on to Charleston Southern, Fresno State, Memphis, and Auburn.
Special Teams Coordinator Scott Fountain
In addition to his role as special teams coordinator on the Arkansas coaching staff, Scott Fountain acts as the Razorbacks’ assistant head coach. Since cutting his coaching teeth at the high school level in Alabama, Fountain has been involved with four teams that reached national title games and was on the coaching staff at three SEC Championship-winning programs.
Running Backs Coach Jimmy Smith
A former quarterback at Tennessee State, Jimmy Smith began his coaching career as an offensive coordinator and QB coach at Darlington HS before serving multiple roles — including head coach from 2013-2018 — at Cedar Grove HS. Smith landed his first college coaching role as RBs coach at Georgia State before joining the Arkansas coaching staff in the same role in 2020.
Defensive Line Coach Deke Adams
Deke Adams joined the Arkansas coaching staff as defensive line coach ahead of the 2022 college football season. An experienced coach who got his first gig as the Jacksonville State DL coach in 1997, Adams has several years of SEC coaching experience from stints at Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and South Carolina. He came to Fayetteville after serving as the FIU DL coach in 2021.
Wide Receivers Coach Kenny Guiton
After spending time playing QB for Ohio State and a dalliance with the Buffalo Bills and LA KISS of the Arena Football League, Kenny Guiton began his coaching career as a grad assistant at Houston. After a year with Texas, he returned to the Cougars as WR coach for two seasons before spending a year at Louisiana Tech and Colorado State, joining the Arkansas coaching staff in 2021.
Offensive Line Coach Cody Kennedy
In his first season on the Arkansas coaching staff in 2021, offensive line coach Cody Kennedy was a Broyles Award semifinalist as one of the top assistant coaches in the nation.
MORE: SEC QB Rankings 2023
After beginning his career at West Alabama, Kennedy has had positive impacts on offensive lines at West Georgia, UNC Pembroke, Tulane, and Southern Miss while spending 2018 at Georgia.
Tight Ends Coach Morgan Turner
Other than one year as the QB coach at Indiana State in 2009, Morgan Turner has spent his entire coaching career at Stanford. He joined the Arkansas coaching staff as tight ends coach following several successful seasons in the same role for the Cardinal. His résumé includes successful NFL TEs such as Zach Ertz, Dalton Schultz, Austin Hooper, and Coby Fleener.
Secondary Coach Deron Wilson
An immediate impact-maker at the college football level who was named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team in 2010, Deron Wilson made the transition to coaching as a graduate assistant at UTSA in 2016. He’ll be looking to make a similar instant impact with the Razorbacks defensive backs after joining the Arkansas coaching staff for the 2023 college football season.