Bobby Petrino: On leave, in trouble and maybe out of a job
Uneasy rider: Bobby Petrino speaks after the crash but before the confession. (AP photo)
Bobby Petrino has been placed on administrative leave. Ordinarily this is a prelude to getting fired, but Bobby Petrino coaches football in the SEC. And we’re about to see if Arkansas places a higher premium on winning football games — which Petrino has — than on cornball stuff like family values.
Speaking of which: Bobby Petrino first said he’d spent Sunday with his family at a lake before hopping on his motorcycle. If he had, he wouldn’t be on administrative leave.
Turns out Petrino hadn’t been riding alone. Turns out, via the police report, that Petrino had been accompanied by a 25-year-old woman whom he’d just hired as the football team’s “student-athlete development coordinator.” (Memo to would-be cover-uppers: Police reports are pesky things.) Turns out Petrino lied in his first public statements, same as he’d lied to Arthur Blank when he told the Falcons’ owner, “You’ve got yourself a coach” — 27 hours before surfacing in Fayetteville, Ark.
Petrino has since acknowledged an “inappropriate relationship.” Though he, oddly, described it as “previous.” Does that mean it has ended? That true romance took a hike the instant he lost control of the bike? Ah, the vagaries of the human heart.
Of greater concern to athletic director Jeff Long is surely this: Did the coach hire the 25-year-old Jessica Dorrell — a press release was issued just last week — only because of her expertise in “student-athlete development”? (She’d previously been an Arkansas volleyball player and a fundraiser for the Razorback Foundation.) In announcing her appointment, Petrino is quoted as saying: “[Dorrell] is familiar with what the University of Arkansas can offer.”
(In other news, Dorrell reportedly is engaged to the director of operations for the Arkansas swimming and diving team. The wedding date is set for June 9.)
Long moved to put Petrino on leave Thursday night, only hours after the police report was made public and the coach finally came clean to his boss. But there is, in athletic departments housing a major football program, a sort of reverse pecking order: The AD is technically in charge, but the football coach is the bigger deal.
Of all people, Long shouldn’t have been blindsided by such duplicity. He handled the search that resulted in Petrino standing in Fayetteville calling the Hogs on a Tuesday night after coaching the Falcons on a Monday. Rumors of Petrino’s departure had been swirling before the game, prompting Blank to confront Petrino, who offered his handshake assurance he’d be staying. This prompted Blank to tell newsmen he looked forward to the Falcons moving boldly forward under “CEO Bobby Petrino.”
The next day: See ya later, CEO.
The same Petrino infamously interviewed for an Auburn job that wasn’t open in November 2003. He denied any contact with Auburn officials until reporters from the Courier-Journal offered documentation of a private plane registered to the Montgomery bank controlled by the toxic Tigers booster Bobby Lowder landing in Sellersburg, Ind., which sits across the Ohio River from Louisville, where Petrino was then coaching. The backlash was such that Auburn’s president and AD wound up resigning.
But Petrino? He kept coaching the Cardinals, leading them to an 11-1 season in 2004 and an Orange Bowl victory in 2006. He’d signed a 10-year contract to remain at Louisville despite many more flirtations with other schools/teams. Then, in January 2007, he left to coach the Falcons. That lasted 13 games, 10 of them losses. (The Falcons were without Michael Vick.) Then he split for the Ozarks.
In sum: Petrino has long been a selfish jerk, but people keep hiring him because he wins. When it comes to coaches, administrators tend to develop cognitive dissonance: “He’s a jerk, but he’s a winning jerk.”
Long has pledged to conduct a review, but let’s note again: This AD hired Petrino, baggage and all, and has seen him win 21 games over the past two seasons. We’re about to see if Petrino, his belatedly admitted indiscretion aside, can deploy his won-lost record as the ultimate defense. We’re about to see if a bad guy gets to keep his job just because he’s a good coach.
By Mark Bradley
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412 comments Add your comment
Christian Hiers
April 6th, 2012
3:24 pm
Alec Baldwin, Bruce Willis & Bobby Petrino getting the young women.
ChrisHumpherys (@SportsChump)
April 6th, 2012
3:29 pm
Welcome to Tool Time with Bobby Petrino! Arkansas would do best to get rid of this guy asap.
And in his (dis)honor, I’m hosting a little caption contest over at my site.
http://sportschump.net/2012/04/06/the-bobby-petrino-motorcycle-ride-i-should-never-have-taken-caption-contest/8833/
Atlanta Falcons fans have to be having the last laugh right about now.
A Father
April 6th, 2012
3:31 pm
Bobby Petrino recruiting:
Did you see that blonde coed I hooked up with, thousands of these girls on campus and each year thousand more new meat hits the campus. Now your talking!!!
Arkansas vice – women
GA vice – drugs, alcohol, assault females, religion, denial
Aub – robbery
Florida – all the above and overdosing on sleeping pills by coaches
A Father
April 6th, 2012
3:31 pm
One more for Auburn
money laundering
Doodaddy
April 6th, 2012
3:35 pm
His Karma ran over his dogma.
Jimmy Crack
April 6th, 2012
3:36 pm
What a despicable, little man. Then again, every pig has his day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7×3x6QHlrA
Never forget…11:30 pm……….SSOOOOOOOIIIIEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!
Jimmy Crack
April 6th, 2012
3:37 pm
Mark your censors are eunuchs with big ears.
doc
April 6th, 2012
3:39 pm
well shoot, if he saves his job that would qualify him to be a coach in the same conference as auburn, alabama or lsu. wow he already is, same division, too.
in a sane world full of integrity he could never keep his job. we WILL see how powerful the ad is. not many business’ allow you to lie to your boss and leave him hanging and still survive. ad’s at uga lose their jobs but coaches of import might not.
picture is revealing though. little bobby broke off his nose and is only wanting to grow it again with his present deceit.
1eyedJack
April 6th, 2012
3:41 pm
Company Rule 1.) Never stick you pen in the company’s ink.
“In announcing her appointment, Petrino is quoted as saying: “[Dorrell] is familiar with what the University of Arkansas can offer.”
I bet she knows what Pigtrino has to offer.
“Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.”
What goes around, comes around.
shane#1
April 6th, 2012
3:42 pm
Bobby lied? I am shocked I tell you, shocked!
jim
April 6th, 2012
3:46 pm
Money, family, and fame….and now you are poking a 25 year old in the university system. How dumb is that.
Jessica Dorrell
April 6th, 2012
3:47 pm
He has a little WeeWee and can’t only last 20 seconds, but he keeps the money comin’ in!! :spittooeee:
7576DAWG
April 6th, 2012
3:59 pm
No way Dorrell would be making $55,000 a year if Petrino isn’t involved. At 25 years old it is hard to believe that none of the other applicants with PHD’s and Master degrees with many years experience would have not been chosen over Dorrell. This is a disgrace and is a very negative thing for the SEC. I can’t believe that the SEC doesn’t pressure Arkansas into firing Dorrell and especially Petrino.
I will agree that Petrino is a great head coach but he has no integrity and now we find out , no morals, so he would do anything to win. He is a liar and low life and needs to go. I hate that the SEC is staying out of this so far. It is a direct reflection on the SEC as a conference that they are willing to let anything go as long as the teams win.
Booger
April 6th, 2012
4:14 pm
Hire crap, eat crap. Pig sooooooooiiiieeeeee!!
BG
April 6th, 2012
4:16 pm
I am so happy to have a coach like Mark Richt represent my school.
BigTimeTechFan
April 6th, 2012
4:16 pm
I feel bad for Arkansas State if he does get fired.
Arkansas would promote interm coach for next year, the Gus Malzahn would leave Ark St after one year.
Alphare
April 6th, 2012
4:18 pm
He will most likely be fired. Like any other government entities, colleges don’t allow sexual relationship with subordinates unless informed/allowed. Petrino is in trouble on that account alone.
ByeByeBobby
April 6th, 2012
4:21 pm
In an academic setting, lying cannot be tolerated. That’s his fatal offense. “Will not cheat, lie or steal, or tolerate those who do.”
Gorilla Biscuit
April 6th, 2012
4:26 pm
Even a chimpanzee knows you wear a helmet when you’re an easily recognized 50 year old married man and you’re riding a motorcycle with a hot young blonde on the back.
Gordo
April 6th, 2012
4:26 pm
Petrino acting like this- what a surprise!
Tater in AFG
April 6th, 2012
4:29 pm
Glad they are not hurt too bad. With that being said……Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Karma
April 6th, 2012
4:31 pm
With the exception of embarrassing the organization he did the falcons a favor with his cowardly bolt. Is there any one that in hindsight is disappointed he left and wished he was still falcons coach. Yes falcons have not succeeded in playoffs but they have surprisingly had 4 winning seasons none more surprising than year one after he left. Good riddance and to Arkansas you knew what you were getting when you hired him. You made your proverbial bed now lie in it with your coach and his mistress.
Wolfman
April 6th, 2012
4:32 pm
Guess she’s been laid off…
Arkansas Fan
April 6th, 2012
4:32 pm
Bobby Petrino — The only I can say to you is the following
1) Auburn STRIKE ONE
2) Atlanta Falcons STRIKE TWO
3) Arkansas STRIKE THREE
As they say in baseball
YOU ARE OUT OF HERE–GOOD RIDDENCE
YOU ARE OUT OF HERE — GOOD RIDDENCE
MyPatootie
April 6th, 2012
4:34 pm
Rush Propst(coach at Colquitt Co.) has a new idol to look up to now.
Fat Farkus
April 6th, 2012
4:37 pm
He would have been fired immediately if not for turning the program around with a few wins. That’s what really matters. As a Head Coach, if you can contend year after year for the SEC title it wouldn’t matter if you robbed a bank and shot a few patrons in the process, your job would be secure. Those hillbillies in Fayetteville deserve this low life if he’s not fired. I wonder what lie he told his wife after the accident, they were on a recruiting trip to land a top prospect.
heeldawg
April 6th, 2012
4:38 pm
Motorcycling without a helmet. Repetitive lying. Marital infidelity. This is a classic case of a lack of impulse control. Petrino is a narcississtic idiot who cares about nobody but himself. His behavior borders on sociopathy. I wouldn’t let him coach my son, and I would not hire him to represent my university if he won 100% of his games, because he has no character. As a role model, he is in a class with Jerry Sandusky and Damon Evans, individuals who feel that they are above the law because of who they are.
Makes me very grateful for Mark Richt, a man of honor who happens to also average ~10 wins a year over the past decade. Georgia fans should be proud to call him their head coach. I know I am.
evil empire
April 6th, 2012
4:40 pm
you’ll never have to worried about this sort of thing with richt….of course, you won’t have to go to any championship parades either…petrino has forgotten more football than than the sun tan man…
East Repeat
April 6th, 2012
4:43 pm
Enter your comments here
Ex-Falcons DB Milloy calls Petrino’s troubles ‘karma’ – NFL | Washington DC Christian Radio
April 6th, 2012
4:51 pm
[...] Petrino — notorious for ditching the Falcons 13 games into the 2007 season to take the Razorbacks job — came out of the gate telling everyone he’d spent Sunday lakeside with his family before taking off on his motorcycle, per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. [...]
Home of the Braves
April 6th, 2012
4:54 pm
I hope she gave him crabs.
son's who?
April 6th, 2012
4:56 pm
The cover-up is always worse than the crime.
Have some class
April 6th, 2012
4:58 pm
Come on. There is no reason to print the woman’s name. You know nothing about her except that she was on Petrino’s motorcycle with him. Yet her life is now in ruins. Nice job.
Best thing for falcons
April 6th, 2012
5:03 pm
Bobby Petrino leaving the falcons in hindsight was the best thing that could happen to Atlanta the way he did it was not so good! Maybe not today,tomorrow,next week or next year but eventually karma will get u and it finally got him! No sympathy here!
Colin
April 6th, 2012
5:06 pm
Its too bad he only fractured his neck in the crash. The University of Arkansas is not known for its academics. It will be interesting to see if they keep this dirtbag as a coach. As many others have already noted, you have to love the karma. Now perhaps his wife will leave him and ruin him financially as well. This guy deserves all the misery that can befall him.
son's who?
April 6th, 2012
5:06 pm
AD Long-Face to Scrape-Face: “Well, I knowed you’s a liar when I hired ya, but I never figured you’d lie to ME! Whyyyyyyyy?”
Scrape-Face to AD Long-Face: “Didja ever hear ’bout the Scorpion and the Frog? A scorpion and a frog meet on the bank of a stream and the scorpion asks the frog to carry him across on its back. The frog asks, “How do I know you won’t sting me?” The scorpion says, “Because if I do, I will die too.”
The frog is satisfied, and they set out, but in midstream,the scorpion stings the frog. The frog feels the onset of paralysis and starts to sink, knowing they both will drown,but has just enough time to gasp “Why?”
Replies the scorpion: “Its my nature…”
Boris Badnoff
April 6th, 2012
5:08 pm
Fooling around with a woman he’s not hitched to? He could be our next President. The difference between Georgia and Arkansas is in Arkansas the coach is in jail and in Georgia the players.
italian_29
April 6th, 2012
5:23 pm
I think the University has no choice except to fire Petrino, and they should, because he was slleping with a subordinate and he lied to his AD about it. I am sure that the reason that she got the position, a week ago, was because of this indescretion with the boss. Man, only 59 days until her wedding too, maybe she was just trying to get some bucks for the honeymoon?
NH
April 6th, 2012
5:24 pm
He must have been showing off to his girl-friend like he was on a sport bike; not a motorcyle that was big a as a sofa for your living room and which handles about as well. No helmet for Mr.Macho. I guess he wanted to show that at his age he could still get a hot blonde, and I’ll agree she is HOT.
dan
April 6th, 2012
5:24 pm
Can the jerk!
evil empire
April 6th, 2012
5:24 pm
hey colin, a university of arkansas degree is the equal or better than a uga degree…at least in state of arky….uga degree only has any luster in georgia…north of mckaysville, south of valdosta, east of augusta, and west of villa rica, a uga degree ain’t worth much…
italian_29
April 6th, 2012
5:25 pm
Oh, and I am with everyone else on this blog that thinks A Father is an idiot.
Rickie Pitino
April 6th, 2012
5:26 pm
Bobby: I just happen to have a opening for a student-athlete development coordinator. Could I get Jessica’s phone number from you?
Go Go Pilots
April 6th, 2012
5:30 pm
Hey evil empire simple arkansas got a Traitor coach who left falcons and went Hog callin sayin I a arkansas Man sooeeey….See me drive motorcycle off road see my Job go to and No worrys he never coach in Pro’s he is black balled thru and thru……Bobby Petrino coach soon be lookin for a new Job as a bartender!
Beast from the East
April 6th, 2012
5:35 pm
The Ballad of Bobby Petrino
http://www.box.com/s/3eb3d3dd2f4c776abf4b
Paddy
April 6th, 2012
5:37 pm
A Father…..you are not a parent. Your posts suggest a 12 year old child.
evil empire
April 6th, 2012
5:40 pm
i wouldn’t fire him, but if they do, he’ll have another bcs head coaching job next year…he’s a good football coach….arkansas better think before they react…they play in the toughest division of the toughest conference in america…petrino has them relavent…had they beat Lsu last year, they would have been the team kicking the snot out of uga in atlanta….
Ben
April 6th, 2012
5:43 pm
Once a scumbag, always a scumbag. Except the few who make a genuine effort to change, and Petrino certainly never gave any evidence of that. The school showed they are scumbags, too, when they hired him in the first place, so don’t be surprised if they don’t fire him. They care more about winning than anything, because they are scumbags.
evil empire
April 6th, 2012
5:44 pm
besides, it’s not like he was driving around drunk with some chick’s panties in his lap, or driving smoked up to spring break, or slapping around his girlfriend…bet he even owned the scooter, didn’t steal it…
evil empire
April 6th, 2012
5:47 pm
ben…winning is all that matters now…this mom and apple pie view of the world held by uga-holics is part of the nostalgic past…win or get out of the way…