Bobby Petrino reunion will not be cheap for Arkansas
Sam Pittman is on the hot seat at Arkansas. There is no denying that. The former Georgia offensive line coach is being given one more year by athletic director Hunter Yurachek after the Hogs went 4-8 in 2023 with only one SEC win. Offensive coordinator Kendal Briles left for TCU, and defensive coordinator Barry Odom departed to be the head coach at UNLV following the 2022 season. Things crumbled without them.
Dan Enos was a failure in Fayetteville as the Razorbacks attempted to shift to a more pro-style scheme after running the veer-and-shoot spread under Briles. KJ Jefferson entered the season as one of the most proven starters in the SEC but struggled in the new scheme. Things were so bad that Pittman decided to fire Enos after the Hogs only mustered three points at home in an embarrassing loss to Mississippi State.
Some big changes are needed this offseason for Pittman. Where did the 62-year-old head coach turn? To the man that many love and others probably hate in Northwest Arkansas. Bobby Petrino is returning to one of his many former homes.
This sport is so dumb that it is great. The man who was given a second shot to rebuild all of his burnt bridges in Louisville will now get a second chance in the SEC. Petrino was the head coach at Arkansas from 2008-11 and led the Hogs to consecutive double-digit win seasons in 2010 and 2011 before everything crumbled after Arkansas won the Cotton Bowl.
In April 2012, Petrino was involved in a motorcycle accident, and former Arkansas volleyball player Jessica Dorrell was on the bike with him. During the investigation, Petrino lied about Dorrell being on the ride with him, and it ultimately came out that the two were involved in a romantic relationship. A few days after the accident, Petrino was fired as the head coach had hired Dorrell to be a part of the football staff. Due to the relationship not being disclosed to the University of Arkansas, he was fired for cause.
I guess time heals all wounds. Just under 11 years later, Petrino is headed back to Arkansas after he led a Texas A&M offense in 2023 that finished No. 24 in points per drive and No. 55 in yards per play but could not save Jimbo Fisher‘s job in College Station. Due to the circumstances, this seems like a hire that wouldn’t cost a ton of money. Guess again.
Petrino will make $1.6 million in 2024 as he attempts to help Pittman save his job in Fayetteville. Only 14 assistants in college football made more than this in 2023.
This man has lived quite a life. What’s next? A return to the Atlanta Falcons to call plays? Would Jeff Brohm give up play-calling to allow Petrino 3.0 at Louisville? Never count Bobby Petrino out. Arkansas football just got a lot more interesting just as the SEC added Oklahoma and Texas to the league in 2024.
What a sport.
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