Photo by The Rebel At Wikimedia Creative Commons
Photo by “The Rebel At” Wikimedia Creative Commons

OPINION: The return of Bobby Petrino

Bobby Petrino’s fall from grace was not due to his coaching, far from it. As one of the greatest offensive minds in football today (NCAA or NFL) one would think that Petrino would be given more job security than many others.

No it was not the success on the field that led Petrino to settling for the  Western Kentucky coaching job this past season. It was his antics off the field.

In 2012 Petrino was dismissed from Arkansas on the grounds of having an inappropriate relationship with a female employee. Thus, Bobby Petrino was blacklisted in Division I NCAA football.

Petrino’s successful tenure in Fayettevile  followed a very short stint with the Atlanta Falcons (he left the Falcons twelve games into the 2007 season). Petrino had joined the Facons shorty after signing a hefty contract extension with the University of Louisville, the program he had turned into a BCS-bowl winning team. There are mixed feelings regarding Petrino here in the Ville; while we have all seen the wonders he can do for a football team, we’ve also seen his ego and ambition at odds with the program he leads.

In the wake of Charlie Strong’s decision to take the University of Texas head coaching job, Tom Jurich made the decision to hire Petrino once again, over several other candidates including Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi or the now former defensive coordinator of the Caridnals Vance Bedford.

Tom Jurich is a tremendous athletic director. The loyal U of L fanbase has had faith in him with almost every decision he’s made in the past and this time shouldn’t be any different.

And while I do not believe that Petrino’s life off the field should have any bearing on job opportunities for himself; those that do should just trust Tom Jurich’s judgement if they are true Cards’ fans.

In Jurich we trust. So, by extension, in Petrino we trust as well. He will do great things for the school and at such a time like this in which we must maintain winning momentum entering a new conference (the ACC), we need a strong, winning leader like Petrino.

 

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