2 potential Sam Pittman replacements claim they're not taking the Arkansas job

The needed move came over the weekend for Arkansas football, with veteran head coach Sam Pittman getting fired following the brutal Week 5 loss. The Razorbacks were dominated by Notre Dame at home, with fans begging for the call to be made.

These 5 candidates must be considered for the Arkansas head coach job

Bobby Petrino has taken over as the interim head coach and he's already shaking things up in a big way. However, it's up in the air if he'll lead the team out onto the field for Week 1 in 2026. For now, it's looking like UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor and SMU head man Rhett Lashlee won't be either. Both coaches have responded to rumors they're interested in the job, but they've tossed cold water all over it:

Rhett Lashlee and Jeff Traylor have claimed they're not interested in the Arkansas opening

Both guys were considered top candidates for the open role. Do college football fans believe them when they say they're locked in with their current positions and that they aren't thinking about jumping ship? You never know what might be the case.

However, the fact of the matter here is that they did say to the media that they're in thanks, but no thanks mode with the struggling SEC team. Outside of those two, there are still plenty of candidates being linked to the Fayetteville side.

Would Deion Sanders think about packing his bags and leaving Boulder if the Razorbacks come calling? He's another guy who has been floated around as a possible Pittman replacement, but the university sure would have to break the bank to get that done.

There are a lot of things up in the air right now, but the certainty is that Pittman is long gone and letting him go was the right decision. The team has been a disappointment under his watch and some major energy needs to be injected into the program with a splash move. Soon enough, we could find out who that will be, but athletic director Hunter Yurachek really needs to get this hire right.