Arkansas Football Hires John L. Smith to Replace Bobby Petrino?

By Staff Reporter | Apr 23, 2012 03:39 PM EDT

TEXT SIZE    

The University of Arkansas might be set to hire a new football coach to replace Bobby Petrino, according to reports.

Bo Mattingly, a radio show host in Arkansas, first reported that the school will announce its newest head coach on Monday afternoon. Mattingly reported that Petrino's replacement won't be anyone on the current staff and will not be an interim head coach.

The Associated Press reported on Monday afternoon that the school decided to hire former Michigan State coach John L. Smith as the school's interim coach. Smith currently coaches as the head coach at Weber State, but served as Arkansas's special teams coordinator for 2009-2011.

Smith replaces Petrino, who was fired on April 10th after lying about an inappropriate relationship with Jessica Dorrell, a 25-year-old football staffer. Petrino carried on a seven month relationship with the former Arkansas volleyball player, including giving her $20,000 and a job within the football program.

Petrino had won 21 games in his last two seasons at Arkansas and had the Razorbacks geared for a potential championship season under his helm. Arkansas could have had its best season in decades with Petrino guiding the way next season, but Long decided that he couldn't allow a coach that viewed himself above the entire university to continue on in that position.

Arkansas decided to fire Petrino with cause -- meaning he won't be owed any of the $18 million remaining on his contract -- after he lied about an April 1st motorcycle accident. He initially told Long and the athletic department that he was riding alone in a crash that left him with broken ribs and cracked vertebrae, but later admitted to riding along with Dorrell.

"He made the decision, a conscious decision, to mislead the public on Tuesday, and in doing so negatively and adversely affected the reputation of the University of Arkansas and our football program," Long said on April 10th. "In short, coach Petrino engaged in a pattern of misleading and manipulative behavior designed to deceive me and members of the athletic staff, both before and after the motorcycle accident."

MUST READ:

Bobby Petrino And Jessica Dorrell: Over 7,000 Texts Sent, How Long Were They Hiding The Affair? New Notes Emerge

Jessica Dorrell Pictures: Bobby Petrino's Mistress Resigns For $14K

Bobby Petrino Wreck: School Lands $1.5 Million Gift For Handling of Jessica Dorrell Scandal[PHOTO]

Jessica Dorrell: Bobby Petrino's Ex-Mistress Used $20,000 To Purchase Car

Firing Bobby Petrino Pays Off For Arkansas: School Gets $1.25M Gift For Athletic Director's 'Courageous Leadership'[PHOTO]

Alison Melder Denies Being Bobby Petrino's Mistress

Jessica Dorrell: Bobby Petrino's Ex-Mistress Used $20,000 To Purchase Car

Bobby Petrino's Ex-Mistress Jessica Dorrell Placed On Paid Administrative Leave

Bobby Petrino Going to Sex Rehab After Affair with Mistress Jessica Dorrell, Text Exchanges with Alison Melder?[PHOTOS]

Jessica Dorrell NOT Fired by Arkansas, on Paid Leave After Affair with Bobby Petrino

Jessica Dorrell: Photos of Bobby Petrino's Mistress that he Hired[PHOTOS]

Jessica Dorrell: Bobby Petrino's Ex-Mistress put on Paid Leave by the University of Arkansas 

Bobby Petrino's Wife: Nude Photos Could be Last Straw for Becky Petrino [PICTURES]

Bobby Petrino: Who Could He Get Lucky With On Friday The 13th? [PHOTOS]

Bobby Petrino: Text Messages Contain Concern for His Job

Jessica Dorrell: Bobby Petrino's Ex-Mistress put on Paid Leave by the University of Arkansas

Alison Melder Photos: The Bikini Model that Bobby Petrino Exchanged Text and Picture Messages With[PHOTOS]

Bobby Petrino: Jessica Dorrell, Alison Melder and Becky Petrino Photos - The Women Linked to the Former Arkansas Coach[PHOTOS]

Alison Melder: Pictures, Facts About Bobby Petrino's Model "Friend" [PHOTOS]

Jessica Dorrell Pictures with Fiance Josh Morgan AND Bobby Petrino [PHOTOS]

Who is Jessica Dorrell? Pictures and Details of the Arkansas Woman Involved in a College Football Scandal[PHOTOS]

Alison Melder: Pictures of Bobby Petrino's Mistress and Former Model [PHOTOS]

Bobby Petrino: Former Arkansas Coach Won't Appeal Dismissal After Jessica Dorrell Affair

Jessica Dorrell: Fiancé Josh Morgan Still Working At University

Jessica Dorrell, Bobby Petrino Texted 84 Times One Day; More Than 4,300 Over 7 Months[PHOTO]

Bobby Petrino Jessica Dorrell Affair: Parodied by Taiwanese Animators [PHOTO+VIDEO]

Ex-Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino And Jessica Dorrell: A Timeline Of Conversations

Jessica Dorrell: Fiancé Josh Morgan Still Working at the University of Arkansas [Photo]

Jessica Dorrell: Photos Of Bobby Petrino's Ex-Mistress[PHOTOS]

Bobby Petrino's Wife Pictures: Becky Petrino Photos, the Woman the Arkansas Coach Cheated on with Jessica Dorrell[PHOTOS]

Bobby Petrino Nude Photos: Former Coach Reportedly Sent Jessica Dorrell Naked Pictures

Jessica Dorrell: Arkansas Fans Plan Rally In Support of Bobby Petrino

Jessica Dorrell: Bobby Petrino Paid $20,000 to Dorrell, Gave Her 'Undisclosed Advantage'

Bobby Petrino Unjustly Fired for Affair with Mistress Jessica Dorrell[VIDEO]

Bobby Petrino: Who Is Jessica Dorrell, Passenger In Arkansas Coach's Motorcycle Accident?

Bobby Petrino: Head Football Coach Of The University Of Arkansas Razorbacks Involved In Motorcyle Accident

Bobby Petrino: Photos of his Wife Becky and Mistress Jessica Dorrell[PHOTOS]

Becky Petrino: 8 Facts About Bobby Petrino's Wife

Jessica Dorrell Scandal Should Doom Bobby Petrino's Future Job Prospects

Jessica Dorrell: Bobby Petrino Paid $20,000 to Dorrell, Gave Her 'Undisclosed Advantage'

Bobby Petrino Fired For Relationship With Jessica Dorrell

Jessica Dorrell: Bobby Petrino's Fate Depends On Importance of Winning Over Morals

Bobby Petrino Fired: Arkansas' Head Coach Shouldn't Lose His Job Over Affair with Jessica Dorrell

Jessica Dorrell: Bobby Petrino Placed on Administrative Leave For 'Inappropriate Relationship'

Jessica Dorrell: Bobby Petrino Admits 'Inappropriate Relationship' With Female Passenger

Bobby Petrino: Arkansas Coach Suffered Broken Ribs, Strained Neck

Jessica Dorrell: Police Say Female Passenger Rode With Bobby Petrino During Motorcycle Crash

Bobby Petrino Press Conference: Live Stream Online, Where to Watch

Jessica Dorrell Fiance, Josh Morgan, No Longer on Arkansas Website

Jessica Dorrell, Josh Morgan Wedding Site 'Defaced' After Petrino Admits 'Inappropriate Relationship'

pre post  |  next post
More Sections