FAYETTEVILLE -- Rumors have been running rampant for weeks that Arkansas would replace Sam Pittman as head coach following a 2023 season that has saw the team sitting currently at 4-7, but that can be put to bed now.

Multiple sources have confirmed that Pittman will indeed return as head coach next season. Pittman is 23-24 at Arkansas with a lone game remaining Friday against Missouri.

Arkansas was 3-7 against an all-SEC schedule in 2020, then 9-4 in 2021 as well as 7-6 during the 2022 season. Arkansas is 2-0 in bowl games under Pittman.

While the team is 4-7 this season, they have lost five of those games by a touchdown or less. ESPNU announced during the broadcast of Saturday night's 44-20 win over FIU that Pittman had told them on Friday Hunter Yurachek told him he will return in 2024. However when asked about that following the game Pittman had a different answer about the conversation with ESPNU.

"I don't remember having that conversation with those guys," Pittman said. "That's not for me, that's -- you guys need to ask him all that kind of stuff. But I will say this, guys, those -- when we start talking about firing and all of this, it kills us in recruiting. It does, especially when we fabricate stories and put it out, it kills us in recruiting. We give opinions about who's coming in, all those type things, it kills us.

"I've got a wife, she's a human being, so to put out stuff that's not true, I know it's an opinion world now. I don't think I'm getting fired, guys, or he (Yurachek) would've told me I'm getting fired. And so I'm not sure why I have to answer these questions about getting fired or not -- I don't, but we'll kill recruiting if we keep talking about it. If you're an Arkansas fan, it's going to hurt us. Opinions, media has become opinions. So I wish we'd post the facts, and whatever the facts are, we can deal with it."

The Hogs and Pittman will open the 2024 season in Little Rock's War Memorial Stadium against UAPB on Aug. 31.

Photos Courtesy of Craven Whitlow CW3 Sports Action