Coach Sam Pittman said Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek’s public backing over the weekend and his announcement that Pittman would be back for 2024 in the locker room after Saturday’s win over Florida International was important in recruiting.

“I think it’s really big because we’re getting a lot of negative from coaches in recruiting,” Pittman said. “I’ll say this: I think when you sign up for the SEC, you have to win. It’s here, [Texas] A&M, Mississippi State, Alabama, wherever, you’ve got to win.

“If you don’t, there’s opportunities for you to be unemployed. That’s just how it is and that’s what we sign up for.”