Refrain from such action, Arkansas. Do not even contemplate it.
Indeed, you’ve designated Bobby Petrino as the interim football strategist following Sam Pittman’s dismissal on Sunday. In a manner of speaking, we all anticipated this development — in fact, we were aware of it well over a year prior when you appointed him as the offensive coordinator. Whenever Pittman’s presence became unwelcome, there was the familiar figure of Bobby P, poised to reclaim the Hog throne that he imprudently exchanged for a motorcycle incident and a complex personnel matter.
But this should be the concluding point.
For the prevailing sentiment regarding Petrino, after engaging with him for any significant duration, is that the outcome is consistently unfavorable.
This holds true at Louisville. And with the Atlanta Falcons. Also at Arkansas during his initial tenure. Similarly at Western Kentucky. Again at Louisville during his subsequent stint. As well as at Missouri State. Further evidenced by the numerous agents who have terminated their representation due to their disinclination to continue associating with him. And with anyone who values maintaining a functional program that treats players and administrators with respect and that appeals to ordinary individuals.
Beyond a few fleeting excitements that evolve into unpleasant consequences over time, it has never proven successful. It is improbable that it will succeed on this occasion.
Do. Not. Do. It.
Intercollegiate athletics constitute a competitive landscape, and certainly, exhibiting exemplary character is not a mandatory attribute for establishing a successful program.
However, a distinctive form of disreputability emanates from Petrino. Recall the clandestine meeting with Auburn in 2003 for a position that was not even vacant, and Petrino’s initial denial upon being discovered? Remember how he transformed his second term at Louisville into an employment initiative for his acquaintances and family, designating his son as the quarterbacks coach and assigning two sons-in-law as full-time assistants on the defensive personnel? Remember that the rationale for Arkansas’s termination of his employment in 2012 stemmed not from an extramarital involvement, but from a relationship with a subordinate employee that he misrepresented when a motorcycle collision threatened to uncover it?
Individuals with influence, wealth, and authority within intercollegiate athletics appear to disregard these matters, as they persistently continue to employ him despite all indications. And it’s a source of profound embarrassment.
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Evidently, a segment of Arkansas’s benefactors perceives the forthcoming seven contests as a sort of Petrino audition. Should the Razorbacks manage to secure several triumphs in the concluding stretch, there will undoubtedly be vocal proponents within the Arkansas community advocating for a complete reinstatement, asserting that Petrino is a reformed individual (once more) who is uniquely positioned to restore the program to national prominence. One can be certain that Petrino has dedicated the past year-plus to persuading them of this behind the scenes, as that has consistently been Petrino’s modus operandi.
Somehow, despite possessing the interpersonal magnetism of a pit viper, he demonstrates an extraordinary aptitude for articulating precisely what individuals desire to hear.
And Arkansas desires to hear that it will revert to the year 2011, when they advanced to the Sugar Bowl and pledged to vie for a national championship before Petrino dismantled everything on the back of a Harley-Davidson.
It is all specious, naturally. This is no longer the year 2011.
That is the identical snare Louisville stumbled into when it reappointed Petrino in 2014, setting aside all those resentments from his initial departure. However, by the time it concluded unfavorably in 2018, Petrino had merely achieved a 17-9 record over two years with the most exceptional player in the program’s existence. Even Lamar Jackson, during a Heisman Trophy-winning campaign, could not propel Petrino to more than a minor bowl appearance.
One need not even assess his character to scrutinize his past performance and recognize the absurdity of an SEC program in 2025 contemplating rendering Petrino their permanent strategist.
“We will commence a nationwide search for our forthcoming head strategist without delay, and that search will encompass Coach Petrino, who has conveyed his ambition to be a contender for the full-time position,” Arkansas athletics director Hunter Yurachek stated in the school’s official announcement.
That constitutes an acknowledgment of what everyone comprehends: Petrino will retain his influential supporters as the coaching shuffle persists and Arkansas discovers itself in competition with entities such as Virginia Tech, UCLA, Oklahoma State, and perhaps Florida for the most promising prospects in the market.
Should the school’s administration possess an iota of self-assurance and foresight, it would discern that this is a potential top-20 position that is merely one astute appointment away from participating in the College Football Playoff contention. Their task is to identify that appointment, rather than reverting to a familiar antiquated figure burdened with sufficient encumbrances to overturn a moving vehicle.
However, the ensuing two months in Arkansas will revolve entirely around one individual and the aspiration to recapture past resplendence, irrespective of the expenditure or the hazard. With Petrino, it invariably concludes unfavorably. Should the school disregard that documented history, it merits whatever football perdition ensues.
