College Football’s Biggest Coaching Jerks: Nick Saban and Todd Graham Top List
By Jerry Levi
Nov 8, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Bobby Petrino during the second half against the Boston College Eagles at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Bobby Petrino– Louisville
A quick timeline for Louisville Coach Bobby Petrino reads like this: While at Louisville in July of 2006, after getting the Cardinals to national prominence, he signs 10 year, $25 million dollar contract to stay. Six months later in January of 2007, Petrino accepts head coaching job with NFL’s Atlanta Falcons for 5 years and $24 million. Michael Vick, his starting QB at Atlanta gets sent up the creek for Federal Dog Fighting charges, Falcons go 3-10 in Petrino’s first 13 games. So what does the coach do? He quits in Week 14 to accept the head coaching position at Arkansas, leaving a laminated card on each player’s locker at Atlanta, saying he was resigning. All within 16 months of signing that extension at Louisville. What a worm right? It gets better.
After bringing back Arkansas to the limelight in 2012, the coach was involved in a motorcycle accident which left him and his face injured. Not a big deal. Coach said he was alone, had a press conference, saying thanks to all of his supporters.
‘Not so fast,’ said the local police. Onboard with him, in the official police report, was former Arkansas volleyball player Jessica Dorell, whom Petrino hired as student/athlete coordinator, who Petrino had said, ‘Just arrived on the scene.’ What a coincidence. What isn’t a coincidence was when Petrino came clean and admitted to an extramarital affair AND the fact that he gave Dorell a $20,000 cash present at Christmas. He was fired and eventually has made his way back to the good graces of Louisville this year. Why would someone want to keep hiring this jerk? Because he wins.
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