FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas -- Sam Pittman saved Arkansas five years ago from the dregs of the SEC.

On Sunday, he lost his job .

Arkansas fired its 63-year-old coach a day after a humiliating 56-13 loss to Notre Dame , ending a tenure that once felt like a dream marriage between a lovable, beer-drinking everyman and a program desperate for stability. Pittman leaves Fayetteville with a 32-34 record and three bowl appearances, but also with a fan base that turned on him in the final weeks.

In Arkansas, where moods rise and fall with the Hogs, life has been too humble for too long. The latest defeat was the fourth straight home loss to a power program by double digits, and it cemented the perception that Pittman had lost himself in a Hog trough only growing darker and deeper. It was als

See Full Page