Louisville Football: Bobby Petrino signs 7-year extension

Bobby Petrino and Louisville agreed to a new contract that will keep the Cardinals head coach in town for seven more years.

Realizing the two parties are better together than apart, Louisville and Bobby Petrino agreed to a new seven-year contract on Thursday.

The contract is worth $30.625 million and runs through 2023.

Petrino returned to Louisville in 2014 and led the team to a 9-4 record and a No. 24 ranking. The Cardinals went 8-5 and finished in third place in the ACC Atlantic for the second straight year under Petrino. The team finished the year with a win in the Music City Bowl against Texas A&M.

He has a career record of 100-39 at Louisville, Arkansas and Western Kentucky and a 58-18 record over two stops with Louisville spanning six seasons. He is second all-time in wins and his 76.3 winning percentage is the best in program history.

“I’m thrilled with the job that Bobby has done here, and it’s been great to have his wife Becky, their children and three grandchildren back in the city of Louisville,” Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich said in a press release. “Their commitment to the community through the Petrino Family Foundation has been extremely successful in raising charitable funds and assisting our community.

Bobby has done an excellent job reinforcing our commitment to academics and career development. He has exceeded my expectations on the field, especially closing last year with a win in the Music City Bowl over a talented Texas A&M team. I think the future of this program is extremely bright, and I’m excited that with this extension, Bobby has reinforced his commitment to the University of Louisville.”

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Petrino could have one of the most intriguing teams in 2016 with the return of sophomore quarterback Lamar Jackson who had 200 yards passing and 200 yards rushing in the Music City Bowl win last year and could be a dark horse Heisman candidate this year.