Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman gives young reporter tough lesson: ‘What the hell are we doing?’

For young reporters trying to gain experience covering big time college sports, it’s often trial by fire. And when you’re faced with asking a tough question to a head coach during a press conference for one of the first times in your life, it’s easy for things not to go exactly as planned.

Unfortunately for one young reporter covering the Arkansas Razorbacks football program, head coach Sam Pittman decided to teach him a tough lesson during a recent press conference. Daniel Shi, an Arkansas student who is an associate sports editor at the school’s newspaper The Arkansas Traveler, struggled his way through a question in a way that tested Pittman’s patience.

😭😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/3rSQ05EEBn

— Hogballburner (@Hogballburner) August 17, 2025

“And then a lot of talk about Year 2 under [offensive coordinator] Bobby [Petrino], I guess maybe Year 6 under you doesn’t sound quite as exciting to the eye. But I guess, have you learned anything that, I guess, sorry…” Shi began before getting interrupted by Pittman.

“Was there a question in there or what the hell are we doing?” the Razorbacks head coach interjected.

“Yes, sorry,” Shi responded. “I guess, is there anything new that you learned about yourself that you’re looking to take into this year? I guess I should’ve just led with that.”

This is far from an unfair framing from Shi, nor is it a bad question to ask a coach entering his sixth year at a program, had Pittman allowed the young journalist to ask it. The speed with which Pittman interjected was, frankly, a bit rude. But the instance will certainly serve as a learning experience for Shi, who would be well-served trying to ask his question more succinctly next time around.

To the young scribe’s credit, he owned the incident on social media.

I messed up. I apologized to Sam afterwards and he was kind when he didn’t have to be. His reaction was more than fair. I wish I could have that moment back a million times over, but that’s life. https://t.co/Ylechh88y3

— daniel shi (@dshi12) August 17, 2025

“I messed up. I apologized to Sam afterwards and he was kind when he didn’t have to be. His reaction was more than fair. I wish I could have that moment back a million times over, but that’s life,” he wrote.

Luckily for Shi, he’ll have many more opportunities to ask questions at future press conferences.