The tales advised about Sam Pittman through the years hit the identical notes. His gamers beloved him. His colleagues revered and rooted for him. A coach who genuinely cared about his gamers and employees members, and who gave the media and public straight and trustworthy solutions.
So if Arkansas needs to rent the polar reverse for its subsequent coach, then Bobby Petrino needs to be their man.
The concept ought to appear ludicrous. Then once more, it was solely barely much less ludicrous a 12 months in the past to deliver Petrino again on the Arkansas payroll, and that occurred. So when Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek introduced Sunday that, with Pittman’s firing, Petrino wouldn’t solely be the interim head coach however a candidate to be the full-time coach, then it’s clearly a chance.
At finest, that’s a trial balloon. As a substitute, given Petrino can have seven video games as head coach, it’s truly a trial interval.
Greg Sankey should be thrilled. The SEC commissioner let Hugh Freeze again in at Auburn. Now, Arkansas is giving Petrino his outdated job again on an interim foundation, and possibly extra. The SEC’s new unofficial motto: One-eighth of our soccer head coaches left earlier jobs amid embarrassing scandals.
Oh please, it’s possible you’ll say, Petrino served his punishment for the motorbike incident (shorthand for having a relationship with a subordinate, which was revealed after they had been concerned in a bike crash). He misplaced his job as soon as and labored his approach again. By itself, that will be truthful, however it’s not by itself.
Petrino additionally bailed on the Atlanta Falcons after 13 video games, letting his gamers know through a laminated observe on their lockers, and after telling Falcons proprietor Arthur Clean he was staying. This was a number of years after Petrino, then at Louisville, agreed to satisfy with Auburn about their job whereas Tommy Tuberville nonetheless had that job. And this isn’t to say that Petrino has by no means precisely had a heat and fuzzy persona. Simply ask the Falcons.
All of this may very well be ignored if Petrino was an in any other case no-brainer rent, a positive winner in every single place he’s been. However he hasn’t been.
Petrino’s second stint at Louisville started with 4 successful seasons — with Lamar Jackson at quarterback for 3 of these — however his tenure completed with a 2-8 file. Then, in three years at Missouri State, an FCS faculty, Petrino went 18-15.
Petrino can nonetheless name an offense: Arkansas went from final within the SEC in yards per play to 3rd in his first 12 months again as offensive coordinator, and ranks second this season. However in searching for a head coach, you’d assume Arkansas might do higher than somebody fired from Louisville seven years in the past and three video games over .500 at an FCS faculty in his solely head-coaching stint since.
There shall be good candidates on this job. The straightforward name is former Arkansas QB Rhett Lashlee, who coached SMU to the Faculty Soccer Playoff final 12 months. Yurachek might additionally name Tulane’s Jon Sumrall, North Texas’ Eric Morris and Memphis’ Ryan Silverfield, all youthful coaches who might argue for an opportunity within the SEC — and construct on what Pittman has left.
That shouldn’t be misplaced in his firing: Simply because it ends this fashion doesn’t imply it wasn’t a profitable rent. Pittman restored Arkansas to respectability, and immediately: The Hogs had been coming off two straight 2-10 seasons underneath Chad Morris, and Pittman made the staff aggressive his first 12 months (3-7 with three one-possession losses), then went 9-4, 7-6, 4-8 and 7-6.
Possibly the transfer might’ve been made earlier, however after a comparatively quiet teaching cycle final 12 months, Arkansas appears positioned to get a very good coach.
However now, Yurachek appears to be giving Petrino first crack on the job. He didn’t must put Petrino’s curiosity within the job and candidacy within the information launch. Possibly that’s only a message to gamers, in hopes they play nicely sufficient to get a number of extra wins. Possibly it’s a sop to a number of the followers and boosters who yearn for the great ol’ days of 2008-11.
Possibly it’s a calculated gamble that with Arkansas’ remaining schedule — 5 extra ranked opponents — there’s little probability Petrino does nicely sufficient to earn the full-time job. But when the Hogs do nicely, it can make it arduous to not maintain Petrino. So this determination may very well be made for Arkansas over the subsequent few weeks.
For some, the thought of rehiring Petrino, now 64, can be nostalgia. And possibly, within the age of paying gamers and the general professionalization of school soccer, you don’t want a warm-and-fuzzy recruiting maven as head coach.
For others, it might be icky. Or misplaced desperation.
Take the entire sordid motorbike story away, and take a look at Petrino’s whole profession, particularly the final two head-coaching jobs, and it’s a retread rent. Now throw the sordid historical past again into it, and the thought appears absurd.
And but, apparently, it’s not. Woo pig sooie? Hoo boy, hope what you’re doing.
(Picture: Wesley Hitt / Getty Photos)
