Top Razorback Booster Already Sees Key Difference Between Pittman, Silverfield

It is no secret that Arkansas football has been behind the eight ball since NIL entered the equation in the summer of 2021.

While schools like Miami, Ole Miss and Texas Tech used it to propel themselves into national relevancy and the College Football Playoffs, the Razorbacks have fallen further and further behind.

Things bottomed out last fall, as Sam Pittman was fired amid a 2-10 campaign marred by athletics director Hunter Yurachek’s infamous early season comments at the Little Rock Touchdown Club.

His remark that Arkansas was “not set up to win a national championship” on the gridiron did not go over well in the state, but it was not necessarily false either. Yurachek eventually admitted that he did not believe Pittman had the resources to succeed in the SEC.

Ever since, the AD has been furiously trying to correct that problem. He has pulled numerous levers — some more popular than others — to increase the funds for the football team and close that gap.

It turns out that one of those moves came in the form of hiring Pittman’s replacement.

About three months into the job, new Arkansas football coach Ryan Silverfield has been a massive boost to those fundraising efforts. The 45-year-old has brought new energy to that area, since he had plenty of experience beating the bushes for booster support from his time at Memphis.

There are numerous examples of that playing out already, and another one popped up during a recent edition of Morning Mayhem on 103.7 The Buzz.

Former Arkansas linebacker-turned-radio personality David Bazzel mentioned that co-host Roger Scott has several friends who have already been personally contacted by Silverfield, who is “looking for support financially.”

“He is working the phones,” Bazzel said. “He comes across as very personable.”

They were joined by Frank Fletcher, who owns the car dealership from which they were broadcasting and is a prominent Arkansas booster. While Silverfield has already reached out to him, the Little Rock businessman has not yet met with the new coach face to face but agreed with Bazzel’s assessment of his personality.

Silverfield, shown deplaning at Drake Field in Fayetteville after his hiring was announced, has stressed attention to details.

It is a stark contrast to Silverfield’s predecessor, since multiple sources have indicated to Best of Arkansas Sports that the 64-year-old Pittman was not the most aggressive when it came to raising money. Fletcher himself echoed that Friday morning.

“Sam didn’t really ask a lot of people for money that I know of,” Fletcher said. “I’m not on the inside with that, but obviously, they didn’t ask enough people. The new deal is to go out and try to get help.”

Silverfield has been a visible figure at multiple Arkansas basketball games, sitting courtside and rubbing elbows with big-monied folks, and Razorback Foundation Executive Director Ryan White has praised him profusely for how much he has helped in the fundraising department.

“He’s got a motor on him, and he’s very likable,” White told BoAS. “He is very relatable to people, whether that’s a 25-year-old student — you saw him at the basketball game, chest bumping — or with somebody who might be in their 70s or 80s. From my seat, it’s a dream. You love to have a coach like that.”

In addition to developing relationships with boosters, Silverfield has also been busy mending them with former players and coaches who have not felt very close to the program in recent years.

Former running back Peyton Hillis, for instance, was skeptical of the coach when he first arrived from Memphis but has been won over by Silverfield’s earnestness to build bridges with past Razorbacks.

At a minimum, it is a great look for the new coach to greet those players back with open arms, but Silverfield is also unlocking a potential compounding effect in doing so.

For one, some of them are current or potential boosters. Beyond that, though, they have their own networks they can tap into.

Houston Nutt is a prime example. In an interview with Pig Trail Nation, the former coach and Hogs quarterback revealed that Silverfield is the first Arkansas football coach to contact him since his own stint on the Hill ended in 2007.

The possibilities of a Nutt-Silverfield relationship may extend beyond just two coaches chatting every once in a while, considering Nutt previously told BoAS that he would be interested in a Razorback fundraiser position if such a job was ever offered.

Even if Nutt never works for the UA in an official capacity again, his potential as an unofficial ambassador is obvious. That goes for many of the charismatic former Razorbacks who have found success in a variety of fields following their playing days.