It's not too uncommon for rivals coaches to talk during a season, but those talks typically don't occur during game week.
Sam Pittman threw convention to the side this week when he called LSU's Ed Orgeron.
Arkansas' first-year coach and a first-time head coach, Pittman had a simple message he wanted to deliver to Orgeron.
“Well, I wanted to let him know exactly what you said: I think he's one of the guys that have paved the way for non-coordinators, because of the great success he's had, it allows for some of us non-coordinator guys to get an opportunity (to be a head coach),” Pittman said on the SEC teleconference. “He's done it at the highest level winning a national championship (Orgeron's Tigers won the 2019 College Football Playoffs), and he's done it, in my opinion, the right way.
“I wanted to thank him for that, and basically that's what I did.”
Orgeron thanked Pittman publicly for the private call and expressed his fandom for the Razorbacks – just not this week.
“Here's what he wanted to tell me: thank you for paving the way for line coaches to be head coaches,” Orgeron said. “I rarely talk to any other coaches in the SEC. Maybe sometimes (Ole Miss coach) Lane Kiffin and I talk.
“I consider us friends. There's a mutual respect between (Pittman) and I. It was my first Division 1 coaching job at Arkansas. I learned a lot from Ken Hatfield. I'm going to see him before the game. I'm glad to see Sam Pittman bringing it back. Obviously when we play them I'm not a fan, but I'm a fan of Arkansas. Arkansas is a great place.”