Sam Pittman firing fallout: How Bobby Petrino's past looms over coaching search

Bobby Petrino will take the sidelines for Arkansas when the Razorbacks in Week 7. No, it’s not 2011.

Petrino, who was serving as offensive coordinator, is set to take over as interim coach in Fayetteville following the firing of Sam Pittman. He was previously the coach of the Razorbacks from 2008-11 before a scandalous exit that left many believing he’d never return.

Not only is he going to lead Arkansas through the remainder of the 2025 season, but the school is reportedly considering him a candidate for the full-time job. College football analyst Josh Pate reacted to that news and how we all got here in Sunday’s episode of Josh Pate’s College Football Show.

“As for now, it’s Bobby Petrino’s team,” he said. “I really can’t believe that this is the world we are living in. Bobby Petrino is once again, at least on an interim basis, the head coach of Arkansas. When you are the age I am, when you’re in your 30s, you still think that 15 years ago was yesterday. I still vividly remember 2010, 11, 12. Those years don’t feel long ago to me at all. But to someone who’s 18 years old, I tell you, ‘Boy, you remember Petrino in 2012? Remember what happened?’ They’re like, ‘No.’

“So I’ve got a huge high school and college age that wasn’t even coherent when Petrino made a ride that I would argue, in SEC circles, was more famous than Paul Revere’s. Certainly in Arkansas. …I want to remind you or inform you for the first time if you’re not aware, just Wikipedia. Go watch a special or two on it. …Then he’s gone and you think he’ll never step foot in this state again. Not only does he land back at Arkansas as the coordinator, he’s the head coach there again and his name’s in the running for the permanent job. And you know what? I couldn’t care less about his past.”

Petrino went 34-17 in his four seasons at Arkansas, including 11-2 during his final year. But he was fired after getting into a motorcycle accident with a former Razorbacks volleyball player, whom it was later revealed he was having an affair with.

Regardless of his off-field issues, Petrino was successful during his time in the past and it looks like the program has regained enough trust to let him run things again. Whether that’s just for now or the long-term remains to be seen.

One thing is for sure either way: Arkansas is hoping to get back to a level that it hasn’t been since, ironically, Bobby Petrino was the coach. That 11-2 record in 2011 was the last time the Razorbacks reached wins of double digits.

Still, Pate thinks this is a job that could have potential to be a big landing spot due to the resources Arkansas has in the NIL era. He laid out the general feeling about Arkansas in coaching circles, saying that he doesn’t think the program is getting enough credit.

“Some people look at the Arkansas job as an afterthought among SEC head coaching jobs, and if that’s the case, don’t take it,” he said. “Because you don’t want to be the seventh or eighth or ninth best job in the most competitive and cutthroat league in America. …I question people who denegrate the potential value of this job. If you don’t get the proper infusion of industry in Northwest Arkansas, no the Arkansas job is not worth taking. Great people. Check. Great facilties. Check. But that’s not gonna win you football games if you can’t go dollar for dollar with the big boys.

“…If I’m the next head coach, the first thing I’m asking is, ‘What guarantees is Walmart giving me? What is Tyson Chicken doing? What is JB Hunt doing? What is Wright’s BBQ doing?’ The four big industry pillars of Northwest Arkansas. But for real, I need to know what guarantees I have.”

In the end, Pate thinks that could be what separates Arkansas in this new age of college sports. That should also be what it pitches to candidates.

“How are you gonna give yourself an edge?” Pate said. “That’s what I’d ask before taking the Arkansas job. How am I gonna be given an edge here? Because otherwise, my best is not gonna be good enough.

“There’s a lot of ego and there’s a lot of arrogance sometimes in this profession, but when it comes time to make a business decision, guys know ‘I better be put in a position where I can get good players,’ and I just happen to think you can get good players at Arkansas and I don’t have a long case study for it. Because what I’m saying is I think things can be done there that haven’t been done before. I actually think the landscape right now is pretty uniquely fashioned for it to be done.”