ATHENS — Georgia coach Kirby Smart knows Sam Pittman well, as the latter was Smart’s first offensive line coach at Georgia.
Smart has not spoken to Pittman but the two have traded texts in the wake of Pittman’s firing.
“We’ve texted back and forth,” Smart said on the SEC coaches teleconference call. “He knows that’s the nature of this business. He understands it. He’s very appreciative of the career he’s had, the work he’s done. He was glad I reached out, but we all know that’s part of it.”
Pittman was hired directly off of Georgia’s staff in December of 2019. In his time at Arkansas, Pittman went 32-34 as the head coach of the Razorbacks. His first-ever game as Arkansas’ head coach actually came against Georgia back in 2020.
Pittman was paid a $7.6 million buyout from Arkansas, agreeing to leave $1.5 million on the table from what his contract-negotiated buyout would’ve been.
Pittman is a beloved figure in Georgia football circles, in large part for how well he did in terms of building out Georgia’s offensive line.
The position, currently coached and managed by Stacy Searels, has dealt with some early season adversity as the group has battled injury. Earnest Greene has missed two out of four games, while Juan Gaston battled an early-season ankle injury.
Smart shared his thoughts on the state of the offensive line on Wednesday.
“I’m really proud based on the number of guys that have been in and out of the lineup, and based on the fact we’ve had two freshmen play a considerable amount of time, I think that we’re growing in the run game,” Smart said. “We’ve improved in the run game against some formidable opponents. We still have some areas to improve on in terms of pass protection, consistency, but I’m proud of what they’re doing.”
Georgia is set to take on a physical Kentucky this weekend, one where the offensive line will need to be sharp.
Saturday’s game is set for a noon ET kickoff on ABC.
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