Bobby Petrino: Arkansas Razorbacks Will Be Hurt by Coach's Administrative Leave

Bobby Petrino has been put on paid administrative leave by University of Arkansas, after revealing that he was with a 25-year-old female employee at the time of his highly publicized motorcycle crash.

According to the Associated Press, Petrino was placed on leave on Thursday night after failing to disclose the passenger during that Sunday drive that left the coach in the hospital with multiple broken ribs and lacerations.

The passenger that Bobby P. failed to acknowledge is Jessica Dorrell, a 25-year-old former Razorbacks volleyball player and current student-athlete development coordinator for football.

Petrino, 51, made athletic director Jeff Long aware of her presence during the crash on Thursday, just moments before a police report was set to be released that would have revealed the same information.

It might be some time before we see Petrino again, as the school must do a thorough investigation and then take proper action.

"

“I'm at the beginning of the review. I don't know what I'm going to find," Long said. "I am disappointed that coach Petrino did not share with me, when he had the opportunity to, the full extent of the accident and who was involved."

"

The Razorbacks football coach presumably tried to cover the details up because he is married with four children.

"

"I have been in constant pain, medicated and the circumstances involving the wreck have come out in bits and pieces. That said I certainly had a concern about Jessica Dorrell's name being revealed," he said. "In hindsight, I showed a serious mistake in judgment when I chose not to be more specific about those details. Today, I've acknowledged this previous inappropriate relationship with my family and those within the athletic department administration."

"

While it was smart for the coach to admit to his mistakes before he was outed publicly by other sources, it’s simply a messy situation and will take quite some time to get sorted out. 

It's also going to have a negative affect on the football program, considering they are in the midst of important spring practices. 

Arkansas is a real contender to win the national championship in 2012 with Knile Davis and Tyler Wilson set to emerge.

However, if they do not have coach Petrino calling the shots, it's not going to be possible for them to play up to expectations.

This crash has produced a lot of collateral damage and none may be more devastating than its potential to cripple the Razorbacks football program this season.