When I started thinking about which school would have the best chance to get Bobby Petrino in 2013, I immediately thought of Tennessee because they are in the SEC. However, there is a downside to being in the SEC. The pressure to win the conference is about the same to win the national championship. Actually the last 5 years in the SEC West has produced 4 national champions. The SEC West is where Petrino coached while at Arkansas.
If Tennessee’s job came open I thought they would try and get Petrino. However, look at it from Petrino’s view. If Texas gets Mack Brown to retire which is definately a possibility then wouldn’t Petrino be more attracted to a job with the recruiting ability of Texas?
John L. Smith current Arkansas Razorback coach feels certain Petrino will be back in coaching in 2013.
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7/18/2012 at 4:15pm
HOOVER, Ala. — Arkansas players no longer wonder if Bobby Petrino is remorseful.
Petrino has reached out to several Razorback team leaders to apologize for mistakes that cost him his job and threatened to jeopardize what the team hopes will be a national title run. He was fired in April after a motorcycle wreck led to revelations of an affair with a member of the Arkansas football staff.
Players and coaches have recently visited with Petrino, who reached out to them.
“He apologized,” running back Knile Davis said. “He said, ‘I’m sorry for everything that happened.’ … He was very humble. He was very hurt. I told him not to be so hard on himself. I told him, ‘You made a mistake. You’ll get back from it.’ ”
Getting that conversation with Petrino out of the way should help the players move on, quarterback Tyler Wilson said.
Wilson has talked to Petrino twice since the accident. In the immediate aftermath of the wreck Wilson said he wasn’t sure what he’d have to say if Petrino called.
Details of the conversation weren’t plentiful, but Wilson said last week was actually the second time he and Petrino have talked since April. Petrino came across as remorseful.
“There was a little closure there,” Wilson said.
Arkansas players are willing and ready to move on from the turmoil of the spring. They’ll likely face a few more inquires about their former coach throughout the season, but SEC Media Days figures to be the bulk of it.
Petrino, however, still has questions to answer. Outside of two statements since his firing, Petrino has not spoken publicly, but it isn’t a stretch to think he’ll do it soon.
Rehabbing his image is one of the many steps Petrino will need to take to get back into coaching. He seems to be getting closer to talking based on his recent interaction with players and an increasing willingness to be seen publicly.
Earlier this week — just in time for the start of media days, in fact — Petrino was photographed serving as a caddy for his daughter in Louisville. It isn’t unusual for Petrino to spend time on the golf course with Katie, but the occasion is notable because he hasn’t been photographed since an April 3 press conference.
Petrino has been spotted in northwest Arkansas with members of his family and even golfed at least one Fayetteville course. Those recent photos of Petrino give the impression he is better physically than he was following the wreck. That image of him speaking to reporters in a neck brace with serious road rash on his face is hard to forget.
From talking with those close to Petrino it’s clear he still has healing to do from the accident and fallout. He’s sifting through wreckage and trying to salvage personal relationships, while still dealing with the physical impact of the wreck. Mentally and emotionally the situation has also apparently taken its toll.
Football is an afterthought at this time, but won’t be forever. And the end game for Petrino will be getting back on the sideline as soon as possible.
Prior to the wreck Petrino had image issues, but had managed to shift the focus to his on-field abilities. Thanks to 21 wins in two seasons and a couple of Top 10 rankings, it seemed like Petrino’s sideline antics and previous job departures were rarely the story.
Getting the focus back on his coaching ability is something he’d no doubt like to do soon. And it’s because of Petrino’s knack for scheming that current Razorback Coach John L. Smith sees Petrino, his former mentor and boss, resurfacing.
We’ll find out soon enough, Smith said.
It’s unclear what Petrino’s job prospects are at this time. Could he take a job as an offensive coordinator in college or the pros? Would a lower-tier program have interest or be of interest? Could a proud program that has fallen on hard times be willing to take on his baggage?
The only thing that doesn’t appear to be an option is a return to Arkansas. Razorbacks Athletic Director Jeff Long, who fired Petrino in April, said in a recent interview with KNWA-TV he would not consider bringing Petrino back.
But observers who know Petrino, like Smith, definitely expect him back in football.
“He’ll be back in it next year somewhere,” Smith said. “He’s going to want to coach.”
1. The health of Marcus Lattimore. The guy who will get the most attention this spring for Carolina might not play a single down in spring practice. The former National Freshman of the Year and likely first-team preseason All-American running back is returning from ACL surgery. He will begin to push the knee more this spring — with lateral movements and cutting — but it isn’t worth risking a setback with any contact or team drills. This team went 5-1 with him out of the lineup last year, but with the best back in America fully healthy, this team could easily challenge for an SEC title.
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