Why Bobby Petrino Rejoining the NFL Makes Sense

It's quite a long-shot, considering his brief track record in the NFL, but Bobby Petrino doesn't appear to have much of a choice.

According to Kurt Voigt of the Associated Press via Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Petrino has been let go from Arkansas:

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Athletic director Jeff Long dumped Petrino on Tuesday and laid out a stunning laundry list of misdeeds against the man he hired away from the Atlanta Falcons four years ago.

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Petrino's next decision comes down to how quickly he wants to get back into coaching and at what level.

In his 13-game stint with the Atlanta Falcons, Petrino was 3-10. Furthermore, the manner in which he bolted from the Dirty Birds in 2007 was quite distasteful.

In Petrino's defense, the Falcons were in a rough situation after dealing with the Michael Vick scandal, and it would be difficult for any coach to manage a team thereafter.

Nonetheless, Petrino left and led Arkansas to a 34-17 record. He was 21-5 between 2010 and 2011. In his final two seasons with the Razorbacks, the team finished with a No. 12 and No. 5 ranking, respectively.

Even before joining the Falcons in 2007, Petrino managed to coach the Louisville Cardinals to a record of 41-9 from 2003-2006. There, Petrino twice got the Cardinals into the top 10 with a No. 7 ranking in 2004 and a No. 5 ranking in 2006.

As for the pros, Petrino was an assistant in Jacksonville from 1999-2001. During his first season, the Jaguars went 14-2 and made an appearance in the AFC title game. However, they lost to Tennessee.

The man has some NFL experience. That being said, while it's a stretch to compare him to Pete Carroll—who's also in his second NFL stint—Petrino has the resume to get another shot as an assistant.

Given his one non-full season as a head coach, it would be extremely surprising and undeserving for Petrino to take over a pro team. He can, however, be a solid positional coach or coordinator to get himself back on the right path.

With that being said, if Petrino wants to immediately return as a head coach, it not only won't be in the pros but likely not for a BCS school either.

Any way you slice it, Petrino would be considered a risk after what has unfolded. Nonetheless, pro football has given second chances before and providing one for Bobby Petrino certainly wouldn't be the last.

John Rozum on Twitter.