SEC Football: Arkansas Should Hire Sean Payton

On March 22, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton to hit the road, suspending the Super Bowl-winning front man for a year due to his involvement in Bounty Gate.

On April 1, Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino literally did hit the road, wrecking his motorcycle with his mistress/staff member, Jessica Dorrell. (Really, Bobby? She isn’t that hot.) Just over a week later, he was fired by athletic director Jeff Long for unethical hiring practices and lying to the university.

Petrino’s dismissal leaves Arkansas in a bit of a lurch. Now, neck deep into spring practice, the Razorbacks are trying to navigate their way through troubled waters without a head coach, and there’s only one person they should call to take the helm and right the ship: Sean Payton.

Long should have been at Payton’s door the minute he dumped Petrino. It’s a perfect fit. Arkansas needs a head coach and isn’t going to be able to lure a top candidate away from another school or NFL staff this late in the game.

Meanwhile, Payton isn’t doing anything for the next year. Arkansas would allow the exiled coach to remain involved in the day-to-day operations of a football team, rather than just watching from the periphery as a part-time analyst or even just fan.

He could return to the Saints after his banishment is lifted without a hint of rust. Plus, it might be nice to get back some of the $8 million he’ll reportedly forfeit.  

Payton would keep the Razorbacks in the national spotlight and near the top of the SEC. The job, which before Petrino wouldn’t have been considered top-shelf, retains its luster and come next winter will be considered a destination for coaches across the country.

The Razorbacks are an attractive option. Returning eight defensive and seven offensive starters from a team that went 11-2, losing only to SEC titlist LSU and eventual national champion Alabama, and finished fifth in the AP Poll, the foundation is there for a run a conference or even BCS championship.

Starting quarterback Tyler Wilson (277 of 438, 3,638 yards, 24 touchdowns, six interceptions) returns to captain an offense which produced 438.1 yards per game in 2011 and gets back its two top rushers in Dennis Johnson and Ronnie Wingo Jr.. Together those two combined for 1,196 yards and six touchdowns on 210 carries.

Payton knows how to put points up in the NFL. Imagine what he could do with a talented-seasoned group in the college game. Also, the Razorbacks get LSU and Bama at home this season.

As for Bounty Gate, who cares? Razorback nation stood behind Petrino and surely would have no issue in bringing in a Super Bowl-champion head coach to fill the void this year until another big name comes to Fayetteville.