Bobby Petrino: Why Talented Coach Will Resurrect Career After Year Away

The Arkansas Razorbacks had to fire Bobby Petrino.

A PR disaster would have erupted if Petrino was spared his job after deceiving his bosses about his motorcycle accident with 25-year-old Jessica Dorrell.  Athletic director Jeff Long said he “knowingly misled” him because he didn’t include key details of the story (via USA Today).

It’s an awful story. There is no question nobody feels bad that the 51-year-old is now unemployed with four broken ribs, a scarred face, no mistress and a marriage that needs to be resurrected.

However, the guy can coach, and when you have a lower-tier major program that is desperate to win, why not take a risk on Petrino, owner of a 21-5 record the last two years? Not only did he make the Sugar and Cotton Bowls, he did so while playing in the ultra-competitive SEC West. This is the gold standard of college football.

As much as we would like to think Arkansas was making the right decision because of high morals, the real reason has to do with saving face in the public eye. The university wanted to make a “stand” to show it could not support a man like this.

That’s the smart move. Now Petrino goes away for a while—a long while. Don’t be surprised if you didn’t hear his name for the remainder of 2012.

However, then other coaches will get fired. Programs (more importantly, athletic directors) will be desperate to make a splash. Petrino will be willing to take a substantial pay cut on top of going to a smaller name school.

School X would have to deal with the backlash from certain groups at first, but once the wins start piling up the outraged would quickly fade. At 51, Petrino still has plenty of coaching left in him.

His ability to lead an offense is going to save his career eventually. Today it might seem like Petrino will never coach again with such an ugly scandal on his resume, but when we think about guys like Jim Tressel and Pete Carroll, all the way to basketball's Larry Eustachy and Rick Pitino, if you can win, you’re in.

In collegiate sports that’s the bottom line, and without the recruiting violation baggage of Tressel or Carroll, the college football community will welcome Petrino back at some point.

It’s the cold reality of collegiate sports in 2012.

Follow Eric Ball on Twitter.