On the surface, Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman and Memphis football coach Ryan Silverfield don’t seem to have all that much in common.
Pittman is a 63-year-old from rural Oklahoma with enough folksy southern charm to run a fried chicken empire, while Silverfield is a Florida boy almost two decades younger. When it comes to their coaching paths, however, they have some striking similarities.
The Head Hog served as an offensive line coach at 10 different FBS schools before landing the top job at Arkansas. Many considered his hire as a massive gamble on someone who had never been a coordinator or called a play before.