Sam Pittman on facing long-time friend Jim Chaney and the Tennessee Vols
By Keith Farner
Published:
Arkansas coach Sam Pittman has worked with Tennessee offensive coordinator Jim Chaney at three schools: Tennessee, Arkansas and Georgia. But this week, they’re on opposite sidelines as Arkansas and Tennessee meet in Fayetteville.
Pittman said at his Monday press conference that they talk about once a week, but are not talking this week.
“I love the guy, he’s a dear friend of mine,” Pittman said. “… In the coaching profession, you just meet people that you like and I met him in recruiting. … I respected him deeply as a coach and a man.”
Pittman said he was fortunate that Chaney recommended Derek Dooley hire him at Tennessee.
“I didn’t have a job, and Tennessee’s a really good place and was fortunate to come to Arkansas which certainly was beneficial to me, as you look at me now,” Pittman said.
In terms of the matchup, Pittman shared what he expects from a Chaney offense because he’s familiar with it so much.
“Jim’s an offensive line coach, Jim taught me a lot about offensive line play,” Pittman said. “He wants to run the football and he believes, I don’t want to speak for him, but I’ve been with him three schools you know. But he believes that running the football and physical play is how you win in the SEC. As you look at their team now, they’ve built around that offensive line. Big, physical, 5-star offensive linemen and he’s turning around and hand the football off, and if you’re not able to stop him, he’ll never throw a pass. He just won’t. He’s trying to win the game, he’s trying to beat you up and that’s what he’s been every place I’ve ever been with him and I really don’t see any difference in his philosophy watching all their games this season.”
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
