Hall Closets

In order to win the game, you must first not lose it. Chuck Noll

Head coaching NC2A football on the DI level in todaze arena of competition is as fickle and fleeting a gig as it gets. Fanbases unravel every weekend – quick to love, quick to reward, quicker to hate and even quicker to can. One day you’re King of the Hill and the next month, not so much. Sure, the money’s nice, and so are the perks; but to succeed, it takes alligator-thick skin to ward off all of the haters, and lovers for that matter, cuz they’re a-coming, Pa.

Every week, traditional powerhouses get beat, and coaches get the sack. Nowhere is that more evident than an hour west and south of here in Fayettenam, where the U of A goes through football coaches like toilet paper. Ever since Mr. Football fell off the bike in 2012, it has been a fully functional, up-and-down escalator fulla revolving underachievers, blowing whistles up on the Hill – with Sam Pittman being the exception.

Thankfully, he came along and rescued the program from the ditch Jeff Long, Jerry Jones and Chad Morris had driven it down into. The big fella was such a calming force. But ultimately, once Mr. Football and TWill started beefing, his time was short.

As an HC always remember this – still waters run deep but not always calmly.

The firing of Sam Pittman boiled down to two, fourth-quarter fumbles. Had either, or both, of those players held onto those balls, I feel certain the Hogs, at 4-0 or 3-1, woulda shown up more united and tried to compete with Notre Dame. Then, who knows, maybe even come out on top? If so, Pittman’s name woulda been tossed around at Coach of the Year roundtables. Believe that.

Besides, at 5-0, 4-1 or even 3-2, he easily retains the job.

Look at the success Lane Kiffin’s had since the Hogs gifted his Rebels that win. Currently ranked #4 and rising.

That was then…

Instead, two lousy fumbles are all that stand between Pittman and his dream job. No doubt, had the team not turned those balls over, they’d be rolling under Big Sam. But it ain’t like that, anymore. They lost and everything became unraveled. Uncle Mo doesn’t get his fair share of credit in athletics, but he is as critical as it gets.

Talk about drowning with piranhas in the river – man, what a drag!

Meanwhile Mr. Football is the only boss for this interim job and perhaps the future, only time will tell. I know he burned miles of bridges and bras during his last time through town; but hopefully, he has come clean and repaired enough of ‘em to keep his head down and complete the task at hand – Interim HC. If he handles those duties properly, the next step could be full-time HC, again. Who’s to say? He is not the most-popular candidate for the position, this much I know. But he is the king of Rehire Island.

Regardless of the reasons why it turned out the way it did, here is where it sits, and it is a far cry from the catbird seat. Had the Hogs managed to beat Ole Miss/Memphis, Pittman might still be employed. But losing to both and then embarrassingly to Notre Dame was too heavy a load to bear. My only hope is that the powers-to-be havin’ cut off the head of the snake only to rehire another one.

This is now. Stay tuned and GoHogs!