Staying in teaching was by no means going to be an issue for Bobby Petrino. As soon as coaches attain a sure standing, most can work for so long as they’re prepared to pack up suitcases and alter properties each few years. However to be welcomed again onto the Arkansas campus, and certain paid a wage to once more be part of the soccer program, the college is holding its nostril within the face of a mound of pig suey.
In line with ESPN’s Chris Low and Pete Thamel, Petrino has agreed to become Arkansas’ offensive coordinator. He might be on campus at Fayetteville, Ark., on Wednesday for the deal to be finalized. Per Low and Thamel, the rent will seemingly must be accredited by the president of the college. That will be Dr. Donald R. Bobbit, who was in that place when Petrino was fired as Arkansas head soccer coach amid scandal in 2012.
The salacious, and actually fairly spectacular, a part of all of it was Petrino’s dedication to the duvet up. Arkansas State Police was lower than a half hour from releasing their report on his bike accident earlier than he lastly confessed that he was accompanied by his mistress — an worker of the college.
Petrino broke four ribs and a vertebrae in his neck and nonetheless instructed passersby to not name 911. Petrino was a actually damaged millionaire sprawled out on a highway in Arkansas. This injured coach dissuaded passers by from dialing 911. All of that effort to make sure that there can be an opportunity he might get away with claiming that he was alone on the bike.
He had just lately employed his mistress to a place on the Arkansas soccer employees with out disclosing their relationship or adhering in any way to the school’s affirmative action policy when hiring her. The person broke the foundations to rent a lady he was dishonest on his spouse with after which, as soon as she was employed, he put a college worker at risk by permitting her to trip on the again of his bike and crashing it.
However forgive and neglect 11 and a half years later, as a result of Petrino has supposedly realized from the results of his actions. A type of penalties was instantly changing into the pinnacle coach at Western Kentucky. He stayed there for a yr after which he returned to the college the place he first turned a head soccer coach — Louisville.
He did ultimately get fired from that place, however as a result of the Cardinals began dropping. Petrino went again right down to the FCS degree and briefly revived Missouri State — main them to their first convention championship in 30 years.
In 2023, he was employed as UNLV’s offensive coordinator. Nevertheless, he shook unfastened from them the identical manner he did the Atlanta Falcons in 2007: Shortly. Petrino took that job not understanding that Michael Vick was on his option to jail. He give up with three video games remaining within the common season to turn out to be the pinnacle coach at Arkansas. After three weeks on the job with UNLV, Texas A&M provided Petrino a job as offensive coordinator and he was gone.
I’m not saying that the 11 and a half years because the bike accident was painless for Petrino. In spite of everything, the person suffered fractures in his rib and neck. I’m sure that was disagreeable, though that was the results of an accident and never a punishment for subverting his employer’s affirmative motion coverage.
The firing was disciplinary and three years later he was the pinnacle coach of a group with a Heisman Trophy winner — Lamar Jackson. It may very well be argued that he suffered his worst skilled penalties for dropping too many video games throughout his second stint at Louisville. This time round, he’s crawling again into FBS as an offensive coordinator.
I can’t decide from afar if Petrino is correctly remorseful for the disgrace that he introduced on himself and the College of Arkansas with one of the vital memorable college-sports scandals of the twenty first century.
That call is within the fingers of Dr. Bobbit. The reporting leads me to consider that the deal is completed and all that continues to be is a press convention. However for Petrino to maneuver via his profession the identical manner he did earlier than that scandal all these years in the past, and Arkansas nonetheless is bringing him again, the college appears extra determined than any pig ever has been for supper.
