HawgBeat – The unfinished story of Bobby Petrino and Arkansas

The college football world was subsequently turned on its head as Razorback fans and national pundits reacted to the news of Arkansas targeting former head coach Bobby Petrino as its next offensive coordinator.

Arkansas made the news official Wednesday with an announcement that Petrino was indeed being hired as the new play caller in Fayetteville. He was spotted with Head Hog Sam Pittman during Wednesday’s game between Arkansas and Duke at Bud Walton Arena.

Petrino’s tenure at Arkansas ended in wild fashion, with an infamous motorcycle crash setting off a school investigation that led to a string of questionable details and inconsistent stories, causing former Athletics Director Jeff Long and Associate AD Jon Fagg to launch a full-on investigation into the matter.

What they found was a long list of school policies and contract stipulations that Petrino had breached with his unethical behavior. He was subsequently fired for cause, which set off what has been a whirlwind 11 years since those events, for all parties involved.

With Petrino’s much-anticipated and controversial return to Fayetteville, HawgBeat takes a dive into his history with the University and his coaching journey before, during, and after his stint as the Head Hog.

From college to the NFL, and back to college again

Petrino rose to prominence in the coaching ranks during his first stint as head coach at Louisville, a four-year period that saw the Cardinals go 41-9 and win two conference championships and an Orange Bowl. He garnered national attention for his work at Louisville, which eventually landed him a spot in the professional ranks as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

Unfortunately, like many other college coaches who have made the jump to the NFL, his stint in the pros was short-lived and unsuccessful. Petrino was brought in to develop star quarterback Michael Vick, but Vick’s involvement in an illegal dog fighting ring sidelined him for the entire 2007 season. The result was a disastrous season that saw the Falcons sitting at 3-10 through 13 games when an unlikely opportunity was presented to Petrino.

Long went to Atlanta to speak with Petrino, and he was very interested in the opportunity to get back into the collegiate ranks and coach the Razorbacks. In a whirlwind spin of events, he resigned his post with the Falcons, gave short notice to his players, and then jetted off for Fayetteville.

For Razorback fans, the hire truly came out of nowhere. Previous head coach Houston Nutt capped off a decade-long tenure in Fayetteville with an 8-5 season punctuated by a 50-48 triple-overtime victory over No. 1 LSU in Death Valley. Nutt resigned and later took the head coaching job at Ole Miss, leaving an opening in Fayetteville. While Hog fans were surprised at the hiring of Petrino, his success at Louisville led to a lot of excitement building around the program.

BP to the BCS

In Petrino’s first season in Fayetteville in 2008, the Hogs struggled to a 5-7 record in what was widely viewed as a rebuilding year to bridge the gap between two coaching tenures.

Sure enough, the Razorbacks were much improved in 2009. Michigan transfer quarterback Ryan Mallett threw for over 3,600 yards and led the team to an 8-5 record and a Liberty Bowl victory.

In 2010, the Razorbacks exploded to a 10-3 record and an appearance in the Sugar Bowl. Their only losses on the year were to Alabama, Ohio State and Auburn, the eventual national champion. The Hogs ranked 4th in the nation in passing offense and 9th in total offense. Mallett earned All-SEC honors for another exceptional season, and star running back Knile Davis racked up over 1,300 yards on the ground.

Another 10-2 regular season in 2011 brought a second consecutive BCS bowl appearance, and this time the Razorbacks knocked off Kansas State to win the Cotton Bowl. Petrino’s squad again ranked top-15 nationally in both scoring offense and passing offense. Quarterback Tyler Wilson did an excellent job succeeding Mallett, and his two star receivers, Joe Adams and Jarius Wright, had remarkable seasons, with the latter breaking the 1,100-yard mark for receiving.

Razorback fans were on top of the world, as their team had routinely been in the top-10 of the AP poll over those two seasons, and they finished the 2011 season ranked No. 5 in the nation. Then came the worst April Fools joke of all time, and it all came crumbling down. The infamous press conference with Petrino donning a neck brace became symbolic of the administrative disaster that resulted in his firing.

Petrino’s post-scandal journey

Petrino landed as the head coach of Western Kentucky after a year-long sabbatical following his firing from Arkansas. In his one-year tenure, the Hilltoppers posted an 8-4 record before Petrino took an offer to return to Louisville for his second stint as head coach.

Homecomings have been a familiar theme in Petrino’s career. At Louisville, he went 77-35 and won eight or nine games every season until the bottom fell out in his 5th year and he was fired following a 2-8 start. The highlight of Petrino’s second stop in Louisville was when star quarterback Lamar Jackson won the 2016 Heisman Trophy under his tutelage.

After a couple of years of unemployment, Petrino resurfaced at the FCS level as the head coach of Missouri State. Most notably during his time in Springfield, the Bears marched into Razorback Stadium and nearly pulled off an upset over Arkansas, racing out to a 17-0 lead to start the game and holding a 10-point advantage in the 4th quarter during the 2022 season. Petrino’s offensive mind was on full display, as the Bears put up over 400 yards of total offense despite a steep talent disadvantage.

Arkansas fans were left stunned as Petrino’s gameplan picked apart an SEC defense with ease. The 62-year-old coach looked just like his old self, red-faced and hot-tempered as he paced up and down the sideline. The Hogs came back to win 38-27, but Sam Pittman had nothing but good things to say about Petrino and the Bears after the game.

“Missouri State outplayed us,” Pittman said in the postgame presser. “He [Petrino] prepared his kids better than I did.”

After compiling an 18-15 record in three years at Missouri State, Petrino left to become Barry Odom’s offensive coordinator at UNLV. But his job there was over before it began, as Petrino received an offer from Jimbo Fisher to be the new OC at Texas A&M. The decision was made in hopes that Petrino could revitalize the Aggies offense, which was taking a lot of criticism for Fisher’s outdated style.

The results were mixed. Under Petrino’s direction, the Aggies were able to finish top-25 in the nation in total offense despite working with 2nd and 3rd string quarterbacks for the majority of the season after an injury to starter Connor Weigman, a former five-star prospect. In his second time facing Arkansas on the opposing sideline, Petrino got the better of his former school as the Aggies dominated the Razorbacks and won 34-22. The offense, led by backup quarterback Max Johnson, put up 414 total yards in the victory.

As for the program as a whole, the Aggies once again failed to live up to sky-high expectations, and Fisher was fired 10 games into the season, with the Aggies sitting at 6-4. Fisher’s going-away party will cost Texas A&M for years, to the tune of nearly $76 million.

The eye-catching buyout figure caught the attention of most, for obvious reasons. But the significance of Fisher’s firing for Arkansas was the sudden availability of Petrino on the open market, with Arkansas in search of an OC. His hiring brings a reunion with an Arkansas program that has suffered greatly in the 12 seasons since his firing.

Some good, some bad, and a whole lot of ugly in Fayetteville

For Arkansas, the football program has never reached the heights that it did under Petrino since his firing. There have been memorable moments and decent seasons here and there, but those have been surrounded by a lot of mediocrity – often to an embarrassing level.

After the abrupt firing of Petrino in April, Long tabbed special teams coordinator John L. Smith as the interim head coach for the 2012 season. The result? A 4-8 record that was entirely forgettable, save for Smith barking at reporters to “smile!” more in the midst of the losing season.

In the offseason, Long lured Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema to Fayetteville to bring his smashmouth style of play to the SEC. On its face, it looked like a great hire. Bielema compiled a 68-24 record at his previous stop, and appeared in three Rose Bowls. But his BIG 10 style of play never quite translated down south. The Razorbacks made three bowl games during Bielema’s five-year tenure, bookended by 3-9 and 4-8 records in his first and last season, respectively. Recruiting deficiencies, on the field struggles, and off the field controversies all led to his demise.

In came Chad Morris, arguably the worst Power Five head coach in the history of college football. Gone after less than two seasons and a 4-18 record, he failed to win a single conference game and allowed embarrassing home losses to the likes of North Texas and Western Kentucky.

Sam Pittman was brought in with the aim of restoring respectability to the program, which he did. The Razorbacks won three conference games during the the 2020 All-SEC COVID-year slate. In 2021, they followed it up by going 9-4, winning the Outback Bowl and all three rivalry trophy games (Texas A&M, LSU, Missouri) behind stellar seasons from quarterback KJ Jefferson and star wide receiver Treylon Burks.

But the last two years have been letdowns for Hog fans. A disappointing 2022 season ended with a 7-6 record and a Liberty Bowl victory before the wheels completely fell off with a 4-8 record in 2023. From embarrassing blowout losses at home with locker room showings of The Polar Express to firing offensive coordinator Dan Enos after just eight games, it was a wild year to say the least.

But athletic director Hunter Yurachek gave Sam Pittman his vote of confidence to lead the team for the 2024 season, believing that a new offensive coordinator and an improved commitment to NIL could right the ship in Fayetteville.

How does Petrino’s story at Arkansas end?

When Yurachek made the decision to stick with Pittman going forward, the fanbase was far from happy. A 34-point loss to Missouri in a mostly-empty Razorback Stadium a few days later did no favors for that vote of confidence. When asked how he planned on generating momentum going into the offseason, Pittman swatted the question away, responding “I don’t know.”

That comment, as well as the on-field performances and the expected mass exodus of transfers out of the program – spearheaded by star linebacker Chris “Pooh” Paul – did anything but instill confidence in Pittman’s leadership for Razorback fans. Legitimate questions were made regarding how the football administration could convince the fanbase to invest their time and money into the program and “buy in” to another year of Sam Pittman

Enter Bobby Petrino. Previous head coaching experience to help Pittman out? Check. Ability to run a high-octane offense and put up points in bunches? Check. An authoritative leadership style to help fix Arkansas’ culture problems? Check.

Most importantly, while his controversial past at the UA made his return complicated at the administrative level, there is no doubt that Petrino is still adored by many in the fanbase.

The response from fans on social media was mostly positive. The middling results of the past decade have left Arkansas fans longing for the success achieved during the Petrino era. It is fair to say that there is not a single other name that Sam Pittman could’ve chosen for OC that would spark as much excitement as the announcement of Bobby Petrino has. As the saying goes, any publicity is good publicity.

Petrino is far from a perfect candidate, and Arkansas is a program in a far-from-perfect spot. It might make for an ideal re-marriage of two flawed parties. Or, given Petrino’s hot temper and the skeletons in his closet, it could go all up in flames.

But one thing is for certain, the next season of Razorback football will be must-watch TV with Petrino back on the sidelines. Fans will be packing the stadium to see the return of one of the most successful coaches in school history, and the college football world will be tuned in to this remarkable reunion. At the end of the day, that’s all Hunter Yurachek can ask for.