John L. Smith to Arkansas: Selfish Coach Leaves Weber State High and Dry

When did Arkansas become the mistress that made everyone break prior commitments to get in bed with?

In 2007, Bobby Petrino told Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank he planned to remain the team's head coach after the team started 3-10 a day before taking the Arkansas post.

And now, John L. Smith has left Weber State—his alma mater, mind you—high and dry and is returning to take on the interim head coaching position with Arkansas.

Shameful.

Smith was an assistant under Petrino at Arkansas before taking the head coaching position at Weber State heading into this season. He never coached a game for the university before leaving them in the dust.

It's not the first time he's left a school in a shameful manner, as Sports Illustrated's Simon Mandel recalled on Twitter today:

"

Remember when John L. Smith informed his Louisville players he was leaving at halftime of their bowl game, after the news broke?

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) April 23, 2012"

Back then, Smith had been hired to take on the Michigan State job before Louisville's bowl game in 2002. In an interesting twist, it was Petrino who replaced him at Louisville.

Maybe Petrino could do the same at Weber State.

In the end, I just feel bad for Weber State and the school's football players in this situation. They go from learning a new system to wondering who their next head coach will be.

And they probably are a little more jaded as well, especially after the comments Smith made when he was hired (via The Salt Lake Tribune):

"

"I’ve always had a place in my heart for Weber State," Smith, a Weber graduate, said when he was hired. "To come back and run your own program as a head coach again was crucial for me."

Asked about his coaching philosophy that day, Smith said "Loyalty is No. 1."

"

So much for that philosophy, huh, coach?

Hit me up on Twitter—my tweets always hit the spot, like Philip Humber.