Jerry Jones weighs in on Arkansas coaching search, Bobby Petrino as Sam Pittman replacement

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones weighed in on the Arkansas coaching search and said he likes the current set up with Bobby Petrino. Petrino was named interim head coach after the firing of Sam Pittman.

When asked by 105.3 The Fan’s Bobby Belt on if there are any replacements he’d be interested in at his alma mater, Jones noted he likes Petrino. Belt even asked the question “including someone down the street at SMU.”

Jones was also asked, prior to mentioning Petrino, if there were rules against NFL owners getting involved in coaching searches. The Cowboys owner is certainly someone who’s not shy about pushing the envelope.

“We do not encourage in the NFL, in any way, getting involved in the coaching aspect of college publicly,” Jones said. “It’s not tampering, it’s just something you don’t do.”

Petrino actually is a candidate for the full-time job for 2026 and beyond, according to Arkansas AD Hunter Yurachek. Once Petrino was named the interim head coach, there’s been a contingent of Arkansas fans and pundits that wouldn’t mind seeing Petrino 2.0.

“Coach Petrino, as we met yesterday? I mean, he accepted this opportunity with the understanding that he also wanted an opportunity to formally be a candidate for our head coaching position, and he will have that opportunity,” Yurachek said. “But we’ll also subsequently run a search for our next head coach at that same time. And I’ve got a little bit longer runway to do that and do my due diligence and do some really good research.”

Yurachek will have two months, with Arkansas’ regular season ending exactly two months from today, to consider multiple potential candidates, with a group that will currently include Petrino – with HawgBeat and On3’s Pete Nakos having already posted hot boards with candidates for the Razorbacks. He’ll certainly be an attractive option for the Razorbacks if they’re successful the rest of the season as well.

Pittman was fired on Sunday after a 56-13 loss to No. 22 Notre Dame on Saturday in Fayetteville, with the Razorbacks having lost three straight to fall to 2-3 and his overall record now finishing at 32-34 (.485). The defensive side of their staff has also since been changed, with the dismissals of DC Travis Williams, Co-DC Marcus Woodson, and DLC Deke Adams.