Arkansas policy would prohibit Bobby Petrino from being rehired without exception from school president

It was reported Tuesday that former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino would return to Fayetteville as the offensive coordinator. However, before the hire can be made official, action is needed from university president Donald Bobbitt.

According to the school board’s policy, an employee who has been dismissed for cause can not be re-hired without an exception from the president. Petrino was fired from his position as head coach in 2012 after it was discovered that he had an adulterous relationship with former Razorbacks volleyball player Jessica Dorrell.

The relationship was discovered after Petrino got into a motorcycle accident with Dorrell as a passenger. He had previously hired her as the student-athlete development coordinator for the football program. It was later discovered that she received preferential treatment in the hiring process and was the only candidate with no prior experience in such a role.

It’s now been more than 10 years since the incident, and Petrino has held several jobs at other schools, most recently as offensive coordinator at Texas A&M. It doesn’t seem as if this policy will affect his hiring, as it’s likely Bobbitt would simply grant him approval.

It was reported earlier on Tuesday that Arkansas was “vetting” Petrino for the position, seemingly going through the necessary processes to make his hiring official.

More on Bobby Petrino coaching career, past at Arkansas

After going 11-2 during the 2011 season — capping a two-year run where Arkansas went 21-5 — Petrino was involved in a motorcycle crash in the spring of 2012. Following a now-iconic press conference where Petrino spoke to media while wearing a neck brace and revelations as a result of the crash investigation that he had an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate, Petrino was fired in April of 2012.

In 2013, he coached one season at the helm of Western Kentucky and then went to coach five years at Louisville, from 2014-18, his second stint as the head coach there.

Petrino’s second run at Louisville was strong during the first four seasons, including a trio of seasons with Lamar Jackson, posting a 34-18 record and winning no fewer than eight games. Then in 2018 a 2-8 mark saw Petrino jettisoned before the end of the regular season.

Petrino popped back up as a head coach in 2020, taking the job at FCS Missouri State. He went 18-15 there in three seasons, enough to re-fire his career and get him looks at FBS jobs. He was briefly set to take over the job at UNLV in the 2023 season before Fisher and A&M came calling.

The Aggies finished No. 53 nationally in total offense through the regular season in 2023, despite a bevy of quarterback injuries and Fisher’s firing. It was also a noted improvement for a team that languished offensively in years prior. Texas A&M averaged more than 400 yards of offense a game and averaged nearly six yards per play.