Petrino’s Return Guarantees a Happy Ending…For Someone

Listen I am a sucker for a good story.  You get somebody who is on the top of the world, makes a mistake (or two, or three, or seven), and then, despite all odds, rises from the ashes like Fawkes in Dumbledore’s office and murders his demons with a good dose of Avada Kedavra and comes out as the champion.  Well that can’t happen because magic is not real so we’re gonna settle for Bobby Petrino and his not-so-inevitable return to the Louisville Cardinals.

Don’t say you didn’t see this coming.  Bobby P arrived in Bowling Green for a pit stop because really who would ever choose to stay in Bowling Green (and I can say that cause I was born there).  In any case, with Louisville just a little drive up I-65, Petrino climbed atop his Hilltopper perch and waited for Charlie Strong to jump for a bigger job (which, despite what Louisville AD Tom Jurich believes, will never be the Louisville football position).  Strong obliged, and with a little swooning and convincing, Petrino returns for a second chance and a happy ending as Louisville seeks to make major waves in the ACC.

Yes, after the fall from grace in Arkansas, it took some humbling and soul-searching, professionally and apparently personally, for Petrino to return to the “top.”  Certainly, losing to South Alabama this past season doesn’t have the same charm as losing to the Crimson Tide.  But this column is about redemption and a chance to make things right.

While it’s dangerous and downright unfair to make judgments on whether Petrino’s personal character has improved since his adventures in adultery, Petrino has a chance to cap his career with what rarely happens in life and especially in public life — a second chance.

Yes college football is radically different in 2013 than it was in 2006 when Petrino left for the Atlanta Falcons, but Petrino can build on what he himself grew some eight years ago before Steve Kragthorpe burned it all down.

Despite the move to the ACC, there’s no reason to believe Louisville cannot win at least 8 games next season.  Consider the shellacking the Cardinals put on Miami (FL) during the Russell Athletic Bowl a couple of weeks ago.  The Hurricanes come to Louisville.

There’s also conference games against bottom feeders Syracuse, Wake Forest, NC State, and Boston College.  Road games to Notre Dame and Clemson will be a challenge, and then Florida State heads to Louisville, but Louisville has handled that before.

And then there’s Kentucky.  Ohhhhhhhhhhh Kentucky.  It should be another win for Louisville.

With capable recruiting, which includes a good sell job on a character renaissance from the head coach, the Cards should be in position to play with the big boys (as they are) in the ACC and to further solidify itself as a Top 25 program in the  nation.  And for Bobby Petrino, a 15-year run as the Cards coach results in multiple conference championships and, dare I say it, a run at the national championship.  And Robert Patrick Petrino lives happily ever after as the head coach of the Louisville football fighting Cardinals.

But.

It could go all wrong for the redbirds.  And if it does, oh man will others enjoy their happy ending.  So if Bobby Petrino doesn’t ride off into the red-colored sunset in the Derby City, here’s a smattering of others who might enjoy a happy ending courtesy of Bobby Petrino…

• Florida Gators — Will Muschamp will be fired after a 6-6 record in 2014, which naturally leads to Bobby Petrino leaving Louisville and returning to the SEC to lead Florida back to national prominence.
• Rich Brooks — Certainly not the biggest fan of Petrino, the former UK football coach and nature connoisseur would delight in seeing his mid-2000s rival drive his motorcycle into the Ohio River.
• Rick Pitino — Let’s be honest, tricky Ricky has not won any moral awards during his tenure at Louisville.  But he’s not as bad as the guy coaching next to him.  Shake and bake!
• Atlanta Falcons — As the circle of life continues to roll, Mike Smith will be fired next year after an unsuccessful season and Bobby Petrino will be…haha no no this will never happen.
• All Things Kentucky Wildcats — If Petrino fails (meaning the first time he loses to Kentucky, loses to anyone, gets caught in a moral dilemma, or pretty much anything not associated with winning every single game), then the glee of the Kentucky Wildcat fan will be unmatched.  Heck even viewing the University of Louisville as a moral cesspool thanks to the Petrino hiring is fun enough.  But if and/or win Mark Stoops lays down the hammer on Petrino, ohhhhhhhh what fun it shall be!

So in review, the next Disney movie seems to be one wrapping itself around the saga of Bobby Petrino.  There’ll be a happy ending for somebody.  However, what remains to be seen will be if Petrino plays the red-haired, misunderstood hero who defeats his own personal demons or the ginger nerd villain from The Incredibles.  Only time (and wins, and losses, and possible affairs, and motorcycle accidents, and instances of quitting on a team in mid-season) will tell.

Petrino’s Back: Do you want to be the pot or the kettle this time?

Bobby Petrino will be the next head coach at the University of Louisville.

That’s what the Internets have been buzzing about since the departure of Charlie Strong late last week. Now multiple ‘sources’ have confirmed that Petrino has interviewed and will be offered the position by UofL Athletic Director Tom Jurich. Read Yahoo’s Pat Forde and his ‘sources’ here. (But remember, you heard it here first.)

Thus begins the Petrino Era Part Deux. And what can we say about that here at Sports Are Involved?

Say what you will about wins and losses, on the field performance versus off-the-field motorcycle rides, and that Orange Bowl win way back when. At the end of the day, the hiring of a new coach says something about the direction of your program.

As far as UK-UL matters go, we’ve both seen our fair share of coaches at the helm of basketball and football programs. Each of them came in with expectations based on their previous experience and coaching record. And each of them, for the most part, lived up to the hype.

Consider when this whole thing started: Petrino’s first stint at the helm of UofL football in 2003. That year UK and UL hired new coaches, Rick Brooks and Petrino. Petrino, we knew, was young and dynamic, and a highly effective offensive-minded coach. Brooks was more of a tried and true coach, having served in various roles before landing the UK job. We knew it would take some time for a coach like Brooks to build a program and we also knew he was in the waning years of his career.

And what did these programs get out of these promising hires? Well…what they signed up for.

Brooks did take some time, but with a patient fan base he was able to build a stable program. He built a solid base of Kentucky talent paired with out-of-state SEC talent and compiled some of the most exciting years of UK football in recent memory. (Yes, I was there when we beat #1 LSU and I still have the handful of grass I pulled up after rushing the field.) And when he felt that the time had come, he handed over the program with advanced notice so that the whole thing wouldn’t come crumbling in on itself.

Petrino, on the other hand, was the bright and shining star UL hoped for. He amped up the offense to some of its highest levels of productivity. Over his four seasons, he amassed a 41-9 record, including an Orange Bowl victory over Wake Forest in 2006. But like a burning supernova, he shone radiantly only to quickly fizzle out and collapse in on himself. We all know the story from there – the short stint in the pros, the made-for-tv disaster motorcycle mistress ride in Arkansas and now a short lived stint at even littler brother WKU. But what’s more, like any dying supernova, Petrino left in his wake an enormous vacuum from which it would take years to recover.

Or consider some of the other hires by these programs: Steve Kragthorpe – a nice guy from some mid-level Midwest team who ran a nice program with a mid-level mindset. Billy Gillepsie – hired to bring in newer and better talent. He delivered, turns out he couldn’t coach…or compose himself in Lexington restaurants. Charlie Strong – brought into to repair an ailing team and bring a big program mindset from a squad reeling from the mid-level mindset. He set higher expectations and with the help of an exceptionally talented QB, they reached his expectations. Mark Stoops – brought in to bring in recruits and a similar big program mindset to a bottom-dweller SEC program. While it’s too early to make a judgment on the change in mindset, Stoops certainly has brought in the recruits.

Coaches carry with them momentum/expectations/baggage that says something about their tenure as coach and the direction of the program.

So where does Petrino 2.0 fit into all of this?

For years, UL faithful have decried UK basketball coach John Calipari for his trail of sanctions, his propensity towards one-and-done recruiting and his pruported ‘sleaziness.’ That’s one side of it and the sanctions are certainly reprehensible. But as far as I can see, Calipari is recruiting the players that anyone else would recruit if they could. And in each case, he has always said he would help his athletes in whatever way he could – whether it be to stay with the program or move on to the NBA. (With the rules being what they are, I don’t see how you can blame the coach or the players WITHOUT first blaming the rule.) He does what we thought he would do – bring in the best recruits, coach them well, win ball games, and help them get to the next level.

So what does it say about a program who, after a year of great success, looks backwards to a coach they’ve already had, a coach who left them just days after promising to stay and a coach who has more than enough history to show what he does. And this wasn’t an aberration. He’s a coach who’s left every time the next best opportunity came along. He’s a coach who carries one of the more corrupt and detestable scandals in recent memory in his baggage. Sure, he’s still got the numbers. But he’s severely lacking in integrity. What kind of precedent and expectation does that set for the years to come in Louisville football?

Oh and as far as the ‘sleazy’ coach business – UofL fans…do you want to be the pot or the kettle this time?

Where Are They Now: Louisville Cardinals Edition

I just returned from Haiti roughly 36 hours ago. When I connected to Wifi for the first time in a week, I quickly learned three pieces of information:

1) Instagram told me that you can throw boiling water into the air and it turns to snow. And apparently, I missed a polar vortex of sorts.

2) The old SAI gang was planning a reunion. I gladly accepted an offer to be SAI’s pistol-whippin’ female writer.

3) Bobby Petrino interviewed for the job at UofL.

That third piece of information struck me because I had no idea that Charlie Strong had left. Whilst in Haiti, I worried a lot more about finding the Haitian chicken restaurant and whether I should wear SPF 30 or 50. I had no idea that Strong left for Texas and didn’t even know who won the national championship until almost 24 hours later, so imagine my confusion when the Petrino info blew up on  Twitter right as I was arriving in the Miami airport.

So I thought we’d play a game of Where Are They Now, just to make sure I’m caught up to speed.

Charlie Strong

We all knew it was going to happen. After four winning seasons, back-to-back impressive Bowl wins, and three seasons of Teddy Bridgewater, we knew that Charlie Strong would move on to bigger and better things. Louisville has been a stepping-stone job for many coaches, and Strong’s quick success suggested that his tenure would be short. And really, who can blame him?

So where is he now? Texas.

Rick Pitino

Sex in restaurant. Something about 15 seconds. Paid for an abortion. Big scandal. Contract extension. National Title. Recent loss to the Kentucky Wildcats on December 28.

Where is he now? Louisville, until 2022. 

Chane Behanan

First, he gets suspended indefinitely. Then he’s back. Then suspended again. Drives fancy car at some point. Then he’s back. Sold his championship ring at some point. Plays in UK/UL game, scoring zero points. Dismissed from team.

Where is he now? Not Louisville, finally. 

Kevin Ware

The whole nation came together in support of Ware after his leg injury, but now he has recovered. He’s been driving, even! Driving really fast! After receiving a speeding ticket for driving 95 mph, Ware missed a court date. Then it surfaced that he was driving a  2013 Challenger borrowed from an employee of a Louisville marketing company. Suspicious behavior, indeed, but the university determined that no NCAA violation had occurred.

Where is he now? Louisville.

Tom Jurich

Oh, Tom. Such an understanding guy. Tom Jurich has been at Louisville since 1997 and his contract doesn’t end until 2023.  A lot of people owe thanks to Tom Jurich. Pitino had sex in a restaurant, kept his job, and got a contract extension. “Thanks, Tom!” Clint Hurtt, who knowingly engaged in unethical conduct and then lied about it, will keep his salary and his job. “Man, you’re the best, Tom!” Jurich hires Bobby Petrino after all kinds of sketchiness (See: Petrino sex scandal, sneaky Auburn interview, and the Atlanta Falcons). “Thanks for getting me back on my feet, Tom! I’ve really changed this time!”

Where is he now? Also Louisville, and will be for an insanely long time. 

Bobby Petrino

After Petrino went astray for several years, Tom Jurich has welcomed home the prodigal son with open arms. After a sex scandal even larger than Rick Pitino’s, Petrino spent a year at WKU before landing a new head coaching job in a major conference. Mistresses aside, who can forget Petrino’s other miscellaneous bad behavior? He snuck off for an interview with Auburn, then peaced out for the NFL. Then he left the NFL by leaving A NOTE. Why any AD would hire him is beyond me, but apparently people enjoy winning. Until this week, Louisville fans had a deep hatred for Petrino after how he left. My dad, a long-time UL supporter, hates Bobby more than any coach in any sport. I am utterly shocked at the overwhelming support for him by the Louisville media and all my UL friends on Facebook and Twitter. If I were a UL fan, this is one hire I couldn’t get behind.

Where is he now? He’s at Louisville, too? Yes, it’s now official.

I think I see a pattern.

There seems to be something missing at Louisville, and I think it’s called integrity.

So where are we now? Ricky and Bobby. Pitino and Petrino. What a fun duo they shall be. With the news being official, all we can do now is hope that our new favorite coaching duo will provide us with some entertainment and jokes over the next few years. And we should probably hope that Stoops has a good game plan.