Back in the Saddle
Bobby Petrino’s new Arkansas contract (yes really) includes a country club membership (yes really)
Razorback nation, we have incredible news: Bobby Petrino is back in the saddle again. The prodigal son has returned. The half has been made whole. The unfinished business is finally complete and the college football universe, at long last, has returned to a state of equilibrium. Mr. Tyler, if you would please do us the honors.
This week, Petrino became the new offensive coordinator of the Arkansas Razorbacks, returning to the site of his most infamous controversy for a swan song no one asked for and even fewer saw coming. Petrino’s new role will be his second stint at Arkansas following a tumultuous reign as head coach that ended in 2012 after he lied to reporters following a serious motorcyle accident, denying the presence of 25-year-old employee Jessica Dorrell on the back of his bike at the time of the crash. Thanks to Petrino's neck brace and road rashed face, the press conference became one of the most darkly comedic moments in college football history and left a black eye (literally) on his resume for years to come.
Now after being the shown the door at Texas A&M alongside former head coach Jimbo Fisher, Petrino is back at John Daly’s alma mater with a two-year, $3-million contract featuring one particularly notable perk:
A country club membership
Nothing unsavory has ever happened on a golf course, right? OK, we jest, but you get the idea. Keep Petrino off the Harley and in the cart, and everybody wins. Well, at least off the field. Arkansas finished dead last in the SEC West this season, and with Mike Elko now in charge in College Station and Texas and Oklahoma set to join the conference in 2024, things are only going to get tougher. Here’s hoping Petrino’s cushy new links membership helps to keep his head clear and playcalling inspired, otherwise Razorbacks might crash and burn … again.