Arkansas fired football Coach Bobby Petrino on Tuesday, saying he engaged in reckless behavior that included hiring his mistress and then intentionally misleading his bosses about their relationship and her presence at the motorcycle accident that ultimately cost him his job.
“He made the decision to mislead the public, [and it] adversely affected the university and the football program,” Athletic Director Jeff Long said at an evening news conference, choking up at one point as he discussed telling players the news. There was a “pattern of misleading and manipulative behavior to deceive me.”
As an Arkansas grad, I am very happy to hear that Long gave Petrino his walking papers. Sure, I’m all about the wins (Go Hogs!), but not at any cost. What got me was imagining what my wife would say if Petrino wanted to recruit our son – she wouldn’t let him in our home. Long showed integrity seldom seen by a major university AD.
I was surprised Arkansas hired Petrino to begin with. He was a classless slob pretty much everywhere he coached. Louisville was glad to see his antics go, and he completely trashed the Atlanta Falcons. Arkansas knew better.
Arkansas … where the chancellor’s daughter ghosted class papers for basketball players. Where they have spent millions on sport facilities yet the library has had to cancel scores of professional journal subscriptions. Where it only takes one basketball or football player to change that famous light-bulb, but he gets six credits for it.
Petrino was fired because he exposed the University to liability. The interview process for his girlfriend’s hire was a fraud. The University is going to be paying out settlements because of this.
carl