By Otis Kirk

FAYETTEVILLE -- Newly hired Ben Sowders spoke to the media on Wednesday for the first time since taking the strength and conditioning job.

Following the season, Sam Pittman fired Jamil Walker the day after the Missouri game. Sowders emerged from a few candidates for the job coming over after one season in the same position at Louisville.

"Yeah, Coach Pittman reached out to me after our last game when I was at the University of Louisville," Sowders said. "Just kind of asked me if this was a place I'd be interested in, and I told him absolutely I would be. We kind of got a little further into talks, he brought me down, I was fortunate enough to interview with him, the staff, the administration, Mr. (Hunter) Yurachek. Got the green light, got the offer, and it's been rocking and rolling ever since."

Prior to Louisville, Sowders was hired at Georgia in January, 2018, as assistant director. It was at that time he worked with Pittman, who was the offensive line coach for the Bulldogs at that time. Sowders credited his relationship with Pittman as how he ended up with the Hogs.

"Very heavily. If it was somebody else, I probably wouldn't be sitting here before you," Sowders said. "I believe in Coach Pittman, not only as a coach but as a man. I know how he does things, he's genuine, he truly cares about the players. He cares about the staff, he cares about this program. It was a no-brainer when he gave me the opportunity to come, I knew I was coming."

Sowders talked about when he knew being a strength and conditioning coach was something he wanted to pursue.

"Yeah, other than my immediate family, the most important people in my life, the most influential people have been my coaches," Sowders said. "From the high school level to the collegiate level to the coaches that I've been fortunate to be around in this profession. Just knowing how much of an impact you have on these young men, that's what's driven me to be in this profession. Specifically strength and conditioning, I was blessed to be around a lot of good strength coaches during my time as a student-athlete at Western Kentucky. Just the caring and the motivation and the push and the want-to and the hope that coaches I was around, the hope that they gave us to make us want to be better and strive to be our best. This was a no-brainer that this is what I wanted to do."

He earned his bachelor's degree in exercise science in December 2008 from Western Kentucky, where he was a linebacker for the Hilltoppers. He entered the program as a walk-on, but he later earned a scholarship and completed his playing career as a two-year starter. He received his master's degree in recreation and sport administration in August of 2010 from WKU.

Prior to Georgia, Sowders spent one season as director of strength and conditioning at McNeese State University.  Prior to the 2017 season, he spent two years on the strength and conditioning staff at Georgia Tech, and also two years as the director of strength & conditioning at Gardner-Webb, where he was responsible for the training of the Runnin' Bulldogs' 21 Division I programs.

Sowders was an assistant strength & conditioning coach at Southern Miss from 2012-13. During his time in Hattiesburg, he was in charge of men's and women's basketball, volleyball, softball, and assisted with football. Before his time at Southern Miss, he completed a six-month internship at the University of Alabama, working with the Crimson Tide football program and  strength coach Scott Cochran. Sowders also worked with the volleyball, tennis, and rowing teams at Alabama.

His first position in the profession came as a facility coordinator and head strength & speed coach with D1 Sports Training in Nashville, Tenn., where he worked with a handful of notable NFL players, including Steve Smith, Jerome Bettis, Donovan McNabb, and Kyle Vanden Bosch. Sowders feels he grew a lot in his one season at Louisville.

"Well, I think sitting in this seat, you've got to be able to answer a lot of questions," Sowders said. "You've got to be able to reflect and say 'what do we do well, what do we not do well' and continue to build on that. I think it's easier said than done. A lot of people want to sit in this seat but they don't realize what goes on. You wear a lot of hats. A lot, a lot of hats. From the mental aspect, physical, you're talking about relationships with players, academics, nutrition, obviously football, the scheme of football, sports science. Just getting in there and talking about weights is probably just a small, small, small, small part of it. It's much more than that now."

Sowders has risen through the ranks faster than many in his position. He explained what he feels has been behind his success.

"To be honest, I think just being fortunate being around a lot of great coaches," Sowders said. "I think being able to do a really really good job when you get in front of those coaches, so that they believe and trust in you. Every day is a job interview for me. I told these kids the first day, last Monday, so I guess we’re 10 days in now right? Ten days in? So last Monday when I showed up, I told them, ‘Listen, you’re going to get my best every day and I expect to get yours. I’m going to respect you, but you guys are going to have to respect us. We’re on one mission and it’s to make a championship caliber program. Anything less is not good enough. So setting the tone. But going back to that it’s doing the best job you can no matter where you’re at, you know. The coaching profession is a small profession. It is large but people talk. If you do a good enough job, people are going to notice, people are going to talk. I think it’s just a matter of time before you really, really get a good opportunity. It doesn’t matter what level you coach at. That doesn’t define how good of a coach you are. There’s really great coaches at D III , D II, I-AA, Power 5, Group of 5. It don’t matter.

"I think for me, I’ve been fortunate to be around a lot of good coaches. My time at Georgia Tech, Georgia and at Louisville I think has made me ready for this position, you know. Just being around  a lot of really good coaches and the resources. And knowing how to use those resources. And to keep growing the program. Never being status quo. Don’t be satisfied. Continue to be better each and every day."

Arkansas will face Kansas in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 28, with kickoff set for 4:30 p.m. and televised on ESPN.