-
Follow Us
On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
by Kyle Golik
Comedian Lewis Black said in his legendary comedic album, “The White Album,” about the time Bill Clinton was running for President of the United States, “I never thought that Bill Clinton should be the president. When he was running to be the president of the United States, he said on over a hundred occasions, he said the following: He said, 'One of the great accomplishments while I was the governor of Arkansas, was to take my state in education from 50th to 49th.' And I thought, ' you know, Bill, you should keep that a secret.”
From the state that produced the Clintons, should we be shocked at the news that the University of Arkansas rehired Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator?
Let’s consider the reason Petrino, who was the Arkansas head coach from 2008 to 2011 and guided the Razorbacks to back-to-back New Year’s Six bowl appearances, finishing in the Top 5 in 2011, was fired for cause after it was found out in his infamous motorcycle accident. He was not alone: he was accompanied by his mistress, staffer Jessica Dorrell, who was a former volleyball player for the Razorbacks.
The incident unearthed many improprieties made by Petrino and went beyond violating the moral sanctity of marriage. As a married man and father of four, it had legal ramifications as well. Petrino had given Dorrell a $20,000 gift, and when a staffing position opened, pushed the University’s affirmative action policy to fast-track her hiring.
Complicating the issue even more was that Petrino never disclosed his relationship with Dorrell to the university’s human resources department. On top of this Jerry Springer-esque episode, Dorrell was engaged to a fellow athletics department director.
When the Arkansas State police released the 911 audio of the incident, it left the university not much of a choice, "He made the decision, a conscious decision, to mislead the public on Tuesday, and in doing so negatively and adversely affected the reputation of the University of Arkansas and our football program," said then-Athletic Director Jeff Long, when he announced the Petrino’s termination of cause. "In short, Coach Petrino engaged in a pattern of misleading and manipulative behavior designed to deceive me and members of the athletic staff, both before and after the motorcycle accident."
Over a year after the Petrino incident, the University of Arkansas adopted a human resource policy under Board Policy 405.6, “Termination of Employment at the University of Arkansas, an employee who has been dismissed for cause or who has been designated by their campus, unit, or division as not eligible for re-hire shall not be eligible for re-employment within any of the University of Arkansas System’s campuses, units, or divisions.”
Apparently, when it comes to football, these past transgressions can be overlooked. Sports Illustrated received an official communication from the University of Arkansas on how Petrino was able to overcome BP 405.6. It is simply to be “pardoned” by the University president.
That is exactly what Arkansas President Donald R. Bobbitt did.
Bobbitt wrote that he “appreciate[s] the diligence Coach [Sam] Pittman and AD [Hunter] Yurachek used to guide their hiring decision,” excused Petrino’s past transgressions, and approved the hire.
While the Razorback football family is desperate to regain relevance, especially with Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC in 2024, they bring in an offensive coordinator riding the waves of old accomplishments.
I wrote back in the spring in my piece about five coaching positions under a microscope. I mentioned Petrino in the Jimbo Fisher ranking about how unimpressive his second tenure at Louisville was after Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson left campus. I wasn’t enamored with his 18-15 record at FCS Missouri State either.
Louisville tanked from being a Top 15 scoring offense in 2017 to averaging 19.8 points per game in 2018, which was 122nd in the nation. In his three seasons as head coach of Missouri State, Petrino’s offenses averaged 26.4 points per game, which was enough for a failing Jimbo Fisher to bring him to College Station.
In Petrino’s defense, the injury to starting quarterback Conner Weigman did not help them. They managed to average 34.2 points per game and over 30 points per game in SEC play.
Current Razorback head coach Sam Pittman thought Dan Enos would help fill the void for Kendal Briles, who left Arkansas for TCU, but Enos couldn’t recapture the magic.
After a 2-0 start, the Razorbacks lost six in a row, and an offense that had expectations of having one of the league’s best quarterback-running back duos in K.J. Jefferson and running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders. A knee injury to Sanders crippled the Razorback offense, and Enos’ inability to fill the void saw a massive regression in the Arkansas offense that averaged 21.3 points per game during their six-game losing streak.
Enos was fired following a 7-3 loss to Mississippi State, and now Pittman, who has failed to recapture the magic from his 2021 season, is now firmly on the hot seat. It is a make or break for Pittman to succeed, as is for the entire athletic department that operates the football program.
After being forgiven by the Arkansas brass, the fruit Petrino will receive is rather disturbing:
- Petrino will earn for the 2023 year from Arkansas $350,000 from Sunday through the end of February, after Petrino will earn $1.5 million for the 2024 season and $1.6 million for the 2025 football season.
- The various bonus opportunities include $20,000 for reaching the SEC championship and $125,000 for winning a national championship.
- Petrino’s job perks include $2,000 yearly in Nike gear, membership to one of two local country clubs of his choosing, and a $7,200 vehicle allowance (I am not sure if motorcycle usage is applicable in this allowance.)
Arkansas did the right thing when Petrino violated every rule nearly a dozen years ago. It had a choice when it came to Petrino. In re-hiring him, it spits in the face of integrity. It is a direct signal that the rules and policies of the University of Arkansas do not apply to football coaches.
As Lewis Black said in his Arkansas sketch with Clinton running for President, I don’t feel Petrino deserved to be rehired by Arkansas. Even if he possessed Lincoln Riley's offensive capabilities and was a quarterback whisperer, the ethics of the situation behind Petrino's firing should have been enough to tell Pittman and AD Hunter Yurachek that this was a non-starter.
Bobbitt, Pittman, and Yurachek own this hire, and when they realize it wasn’t as impressive as Clinton improving Arkansas education rankings (per Lewis Black) from 50th to 49th, they will realize they shouldn’t have sold out to make this happen.
More must-reads:
- Anthony Edwards joins exclusive club of all-time greats
- Watch: Anthony Edwards does it all for Minnesota
- The 'MLB Rookies of the Year' quiz
Breaking News
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
