Arkansas had an interesting announcement tonight in an e-mail that came across at 6:55 p.m. (according to my gmail account).

Softball coach Jamie Pinkerton has resigned after his fifth year with the program.

Pinkerton’s resignation came after the Razorbacks reached the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. He went 130-179 in his five seasons with the program, but resigned to “pursue other opportunities” according to Arkansas’ release.

Here is Pinkerton’s statement in the release:

“I have been privileged to be a part of the Arkansas softball program for five seasons,” Pinkerton said. “I am grateful to those that gave me this tremendous opportunity including Chancellor Dave Gearhart, former Chancellor John White, Athletic Director Jeff Long and Executive Associate Athletic Director Bev Lewis. I believe that thanks to the hard work of our coaches and our student-athletes, Razorback softball has progressed on and off the field in our tenure. I appreciate all of those that have made that possible. “At this point in my career, I feel it is time to pursue other opportunities. I wish Arkansas softball well in the future and will always consider it an honor to have been a part of the Razorback program.”

Interesting. It makes you wonder: Does Pinkerton really have interest in pursuing other opportunities after leading the Razorbacks to back-to-back NCAA Tournament apperances. Or did athletic director Jeff Long suggest Pinkerton pursue other opportunities?

Here is what Long said in the release:

“We appreciate the contributions that Coach Pinkerton made to our softball program” Long said. “We wish Jamie the best in his future endeavors on and off the field. As we move forward, we remain committed to the competitive success of our softball program both in the Southeastern Conference and nationally. We have made a substantial investment in the growth of our softball program including the recent construction of Bogle Park. I am optimistic that with our commitment we will continue to move forward successfully toward our goals.”

Either way, this joins the list of coaching changes that have taken place in the last few years at Arkansas.

Long personally has had to find replacements in football, men’s track, volleyball, soccer and now softball in his tenure.