Bobby Petrino to step down (1 Viewer)

[PatrickT]

I haven't heard either of the obvious possiblities. Jackson or Zimmer. One looks to be the interim, at least. I would suspect Jackson.

 

[Clayton Gray]

Within the past two years, both Missouri and Arkansas have missed out on a BCS bowl after a great (and totally unexpected) season because they lost their league championship game (a game that no one even gave them a chance of making in the first place). One team did everything in its power to run its coach out on a rail afterwards, and the other did not. That's the difference between Missouri and Arkansas.

You need to research the reason many fans turned on Houston Nutt despite an excellent season.

 

[jeter23]

Does this affect Jones' decision to go pro? The thoughts were that he was going, but with the hiring of an offensive coach, could he reconsider?

 

[SSOG]

Within the past two years, both Missouri and Arkansas have missed out on a BCS bowl after a great (and totally unexpected) season because they lost their league championship game (a game that no one even gave them a chance of making in the first place). One team did everything in its power to run its coach out on a rail afterwards, and the other did not. That's the difference between Missouri and Arkansas.

You need to research the reason many fans turned on Houston Nutt despite an excellent season.

I know the reason why fans turned on Nutt. He wasn't playing the hot-shot freshman QB enough (even though the vet was outperforming the freshman and giving them a better chance to win). His offense wasn't passing enough (even though his offense was tearing teams apart on its way to the SECCG). His offensive coordinator defected (even though his offensive coordinator was a guy coaching HIGH SCHOOL the year before, with zero college experience). A bunch of the players parents overreacted in a dramatic fashion (which is to be expected given how much hype their children had been getting, but is still LUDICROUS given what their children had accomplished on the field). For an idea of how bad of a coach Nutt was, take a look at how long he lasted on the open market.

 

[Clayton Gray]

Arkansas is a pretty good coaching job. Given all the variables here, can't say I blame him.

STRONGLY disagreed. Arkansas would be a good coaching job if its fans weren't INSANE. They're a solid program with good resources, but they think they're an Alabama, Michigan, or Oklahoma, and they're just not. Houston Nutt made the SEC Championship Game in a year that was predicted to be a mediocre one, and Hogs fans were IMMEDIATELY doing everything they could to push him out. It's like they think they should be contending for National Championships at least twice a decade or something, which is reasonable if you're FSU, but not if you're Arkansas.

You really have no clue about Razorback fans.

http://deadspin.com/sports/college-footbal...-day-249866.php

Which parts do you not understand?

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Does this affect Jones' decision to go pro? The thoughts were that he was going, but with the hiring of an offensive coach, could he reconsider?

I think it all depends on what scouts are telling him. He has a nice upside but if he's in the bottom half of the first round I'd imagine that this could influence his decision since he'd likely be a Heisman candidate next year and could parlay this into top five money in 2009. Good question though.

 

[Clayton Gray]

Within the past two years, both Missouri and Arkansas have missed out on a BCS bowl after a great (and totally unexpected) season because they lost their league championship game (a game that no one even gave them a chance of making in the first place). One team did everything in its power to run its coach out on a rail afterwards, and the other did not. That's the difference between Missouri and Arkansas.

You need to research the reason many fans turned on Houston Nutt despite an excellent season.

I know the reason why fans turned on Nutt. He wasn't playing the hot-shot freshman QB enough (even though the vet was outperforming the freshman and giving them a better chance to win). His offense wasn't passing enough (even though his offense was tearing teams apart on its way to the SECCG). His offensive coordinator defected (even though his offensive coordinator was a guy coaching HIGH SCHOOL the year before, with zero college experience). A bunch of the players parents overreacted in a dramatic fashion (which is to be expected given how much hype their children had been getting, but is still LUDICROUS given what their children had accomplished on the field). For an idea of how bad of a coach Nutt was, take a look at how long he lasted on the open market.

You're aware of the situation, yet you really don't know.Carry on.

 

[Clayton Gray]

For an idea of how bad of a coach Nutt was, take a look at how long he lasted on the open market.

BTW, while Ole Miss did improve, this just means Jimmy Sexton is a fantastic agent.

 

[menobrown]

Arkansas is a pretty good coaching job. Given all the variables here, can't say I blame him.

STRONGLY disagreed. Arkansas would be a good coaching job if its fans weren't INSANE. They're a solid program with good resources, but they think they're an Alabama, Michigan, or Oklahoma, and they're just not. Houston Nutt made the SEC Championship Game in a year that was predicted to be a mediocre one, and Hogs fans were IMMEDIATELY doing everything they could to push him out. It's like they think they should be contending for National Championships at least twice a decade or something, which is reasonable if you're FSU, but not if you're Arkansas.

As an Arkansas Alum I assure you that you are dead wrong. We are not insane but passionate and knowledgeable. You sound like one of those national media people who point at our record and and say Nutt's job should be safe but the people who watch the games know better. One thing those of us who actually watched Arkansas play could tell you is we failed to maximize the career of Mcfadden because Nutt does not know how to put a passing attack together with the final straw coming when his ego got in the way and he chased off a hot up and coming OC and a guy who was the #1 rated QB in the nation coming out of HS. Not to mention a highly regarded WR who went with the QB to USC. Essentially Nutt had two great college players at his disposal, Matt Jones and Mcfadden. Those two players were so skilled at the college level that they masked Nutt's inability to put a quality offense together and we know this. The fact that Tuberville and Tommy Bowden considered leaving their jobs until both schools had to step up and increase their pay and Petrino is quitting the Falcons to run to Arkansas should tell you what kind of job it is. The facilities at Arkansas are truly second to none. Our stadium is not the biggest but it's over 70,000, about to expand to 90,000, and several people have commented it's the nicest stadium in the SEC. As someone pointed out before Arkansas used to compete for the National Championship at least twice a decade so you will have to pardon us while we think we can do it again. After all, the university has done it before,has dominated track and field for years and for a long stretch in the 90's fielded the best college basketball team in the nation.As a Hog fan and Norwood owner I can't imagine better news today.

Umm, what exactly is that long stretch? 3 Final 4s in the Nolan era, with a championship in 94, and a return to the title game in 95. Sorry, but the early 90s were certainly the Duke era and the late 90s were dominated by Kentucky. Its these kind of statements that get people scratching their heads at Arkansas fans. You were a top program for a few years, but it was hardly sustained.Also, the last time Arkansas football was nationally relevant was in the early 60s. Things have changed dramatically since then. Is it possible for the school to become a power? Sure, but there are quite a few other SEC programs that will have something to say about that.

You have no idea what you are talking about. I'm not sure which year the Hogs stopped being the winningest team in the 90's but it was 1996 or 1997. Either way, they were the winningest team in college basketall for at least the first 6-7 years in the 90's which I properly defined as a long stretch.

 

[Yenrub]

Within the past two years, both Missouri and Arkansas have missed out on a BCS bowl after a great (and totally unexpected) season because they lost their league championship game (a game that no one even gave them a chance of making in the first place). One team did everything in its power to run its coach out on a rail afterwards, and the other did not. That's the difference between Missouri and Arkansas.

You need to research the reason many fans turned on Houston Nutt despite an excellent season.

I know the reason why fans turned on Nutt. He wasn't playing the hot-shot freshman QB enough (even though the vet was outperforming the freshman and giving them a better chance to win). His offense wasn't passing enough (even though his offense was tearing teams apart on its way to the SECCG). His offensive coordinator defected (even though his offensive coordinator was a guy coaching HIGH SCHOOL the year before, with zero college experience). A bunch of the players parents overreacted in a dramatic fashion (which is to be expected given how much hype their children had been getting, but is still LUDICROUS given what their children had accomplished on the field). For an idea of how bad of a coach Nutt was, take a look at how long he lasted on the open market.

You're aware of the situation, yet you really don't know.Carry on.

Clayton if you don't mind can you tell the rest of us what really went on?

 

[Clayton Gray]

Petrino to staff:

Petrino called a staff meeting late Tuesday afternoon, a meeting which last about 10 seconds, sources said.

"He just said to us, 'Guys I've resigned, I'm going to Arkansas. I'm sorry. I'll be talking with you guys in the future.' And with that he turned and walked out the door. We haven't been told anything else," said one assistant coach.

 

[JohnnyU]

Arkansas = Yuck.What has that school contributed to the NFL? Dan Hampton :thumbsup: & Matt Jones = More Yuck.

Brandon Burlsworth would have been a HOF'er.

 

[Clayton Gray]

Within the past two years, both Missouri and Arkansas have missed out on a BCS bowl after a great (and totally unexpected) season because they lost their league championship game (a game that no one even gave them a chance of making in the first place). One team did everything in its power to run its coach out on a rail afterwards, and the other did not. That's the difference between Missouri and Arkansas.

You need to research the reason many fans turned on Houston Nutt despite an excellent season.

I know the reason why fans turned on Nutt. He wasn't playing the hot-shot freshman QB enough (even though the vet was outperforming the freshman and giving them a better chance to win). His offense wasn't passing enough (even though his offense was tearing teams apart on its way to the SECCG). His offensive coordinator defected (even though his offensive coordinator was a guy coaching HIGH SCHOOL the year before, with zero college experience). A bunch of the players parents overreacted in a dramatic fashion (which is to be expected given how much hype their children had been getting, but is still LUDICROUS given what their children had accomplished on the field). For an idea of how bad of a coach Nutt was, take a look at how long he lasted on the open market.

You're aware of the situation, yet you really don't know.Carry on.

Clayton if you don't mind can you tell the rest of us what really went on?

In the late winter / early spring of 2006 and after back-to-back losing seasons, Nutt's job was on the line. Most observers didn't think he was a capable offensive play-caller and felt an offense coordinator was needed.It just so happened that nearby Springdale High School had just finished an amazing 2005 season where they ran through the largest classification in the state. They were ranked in almost every national top 10 poll and had the Gatorade HS Player Of the Year in quarterback Mitch Mustain. They also had two WRs, a TE, and an OT that were getting multiple major college offers. Oh, they also had a head coach that was widely considered to be a passing-game genius (because in Arkansas, if you can write a book, you must be a genius) in Gus Malzahn.It is generally accepted that athletic director Frank Broyles told Nutt to hire Malzahn as Arkansas' offensive coordinator. Arkansas also ended up getting every player except for the OT, who went to Notre Dame. Prior to the 2006 season, it was hotly debated whether Malzahn would have total control of the offense. It turns out that Malzahn was treated as nothing more than an adviser to suggest improvements for the overall offense. (I have a friend that works for the e-mailer referenced below. This friend told me prior to the 2006 season that Houston Nutt told the e-mailer that Malzahn would be OC in name only and that Nutt would OK the play-calling. I didn't believe it at the time as I had no idea the e-mailer was so deeply connected to the Nutt family.)A writer followed Mitch Mustain and some of his teammates around during their recruiting process and wrote a book about it. In the book, Mustain was quoted as calling Houston Nutt a "dork".A close friend of Nutt sent a profanity-laced e-mail to Mustain telling him to leave the program. Nutt eventually made the person write an apology to Mustain a couple weeks after the player's mom asked what was being done. Nutt also told this person to not send any e-mails to any other players. This person still has sideline access during games (even last season immediately after the e-mail incident was reported).In that e-mail, the person said Mustain needed to have a "Code Red" (called by the team to clear the air on losing, attitudes, whatever) called on him regarding the comments in the book. The next day, senior LB Sam Olajabutu called a Code Red on Mustain over the comments.A few years ago, Mustain's mom was beaten up by two tenants at her rental home (no, not blaming Nutt for this). However, last season, Houston Nutt's wife e-mailed friends joking about how funny it was that the player's mom had been beaten up and that she wished she could have gotten in on it.After the very successful (which is kind of amazing considering all of the internal squabbling that went on) 2006 season, Nutt informed Malzahn that he was bringing in David Lee from the Dallas Cowboys to be co-offensive coordinator and that Lee would be in charge of the offense. About a week later, Malzahn bolted to Tulsa and is leading an offense that is averaging over 530 yards per game this season. Three of the Springdale players also transferred: one to Tulsa (I believe) and two (including Mustain) to USC.[Editorial Section]Nutt is notoriously thinned skinned and quite needy of praise. You will rarely, if ever, hear him take the blame for something bad, but he was quick to jump in front of a microphone after one of his play-calls went for a game-winning TD. This season, he has blamed losses on Casey **** (for not scrambling on a called pass play against Alabama), Michael Smith (for fumbling in the first half against Kentucky), David Lee (for not opening up the offense against Auburn), and the entire team (for not being ready to play against Tennessee).Regarding the Mustain / Malzahn saga:While there is no hard evidence, it seems quite likely that Houston Nutt used Malzahn and the Springdale recruits to save his job. Once the Hogs started rolling last season, Nutt felt secure enough in his position to push them out the door. He didn't want Mustain around because of the dork comment. He didn't want Malzahn on staff because Malzahn was getting much praise from Razorback fans.[/Editorial Section]

 

[Clayton Gray]

Arkansas = Yuck.What has that school contributed to the NFL? Dan Hampton :thumbsup: & Matt Jones = More Yuck.

Brandon Burlsworth would have been a HOF'er.

RIP

 

[Clayton Gray]

Petrino to staff:

Petrino called a staff meeting late Tuesday afternoon, a meeting which last about 10 seconds, sources said.

"He just said to us, 'Guys I've resigned, I'm going to Arkansas. I'm sorry. I'll be talking with you guys in the future.' And with that he turned and walked out the door. We haven't been told anything else," said one assistant coach.

In an interesting twist, Lou Holtz coached the New York Jets for 13 games in 1976. He went 3-10, then left the team with one game remaining to become Arkansas' coach.

 

[SSOG]

Within the past two years, both Missouri and Arkansas have missed out on a BCS bowl after a great (and totally unexpected) season because they lost their league championship game (a game that no one even gave them a chance of making in the first place). One team did everything in its power to run its coach out on a rail afterwards, and the other did not. That's the difference between Missouri and Arkansas.

You need to research the reason many fans turned on Houston Nutt despite an excellent season.

I know the reason why fans turned on Nutt. He wasn't playing the hot-shot freshman QB enough (even though the vet was outperforming the freshman and giving them a better chance to win). His offense wasn't passing enough (even though his offense was tearing teams apart on its way to the SECCG). His offensive coordinator defected (even though his offensive coordinator was a guy coaching HIGH SCHOOL the year before, with zero college experience). A bunch of the players parents overreacted in a dramatic fashion (which is to be expected given how much hype their children had been getting, but is still LUDICROUS given what their children had accomplished on the field). For an idea of how bad of a coach Nutt was, take a look at how long he lasted on the open market.

You're aware of the situation, yet you really don't know.Carry on.

You know, I could just as easily make snobby, superior, mysterious statements, too... but I don't, because they don't contribute in the slightest to the conversation and, meaning no offense, they also come off as jerky.If you want to argue my comments, then please argue my comments, just give me something to respond to. If you just want to portray an aura of all-knowing superiority... then have fun talking to yourself in this thread, because I'm out of here.

 

[Michael Fox Fan]

Petrino to staff:

Petrino called a staff meeting late Tuesday afternoon, a meeting which last about 10 seconds, sources said.

"He just said to us, 'Guys I've resigned, I'm going to Arkansas. I'm sorry. I'll be talking with you guys in the future.' And with that he turned and walked out the door. We haven't been told anything else," said one assistant coach.

What a tool. Seriously, what kind of leader handles things this way?

 

[dparker713]

Arkansas is a pretty good coaching job. Given all the variables here, can't say I blame him.

STRONGLY disagreed. Arkansas would be a good coaching job if its fans weren't INSANE. They're a solid program with good resources, but they think they're an Alabama, Michigan, or Oklahoma, and they're just not. Houston Nutt made the SEC Championship Game in a year that was predicted to be a mediocre one, and Hogs fans were IMMEDIATELY doing everything they could to push him out. It's like they think they should be contending for National Championships at least twice a decade or something, which is reasonable if you're FSU, but not if you're Arkansas.

As an Arkansas Alum I assure you that you are dead wrong. We are not insane but passionate and knowledgeable. You sound like one of those national media people who point at our record and and say Nutt's job should be safe but the people who watch the games know better. One thing those of us who actually watched Arkansas play could tell you is we failed to maximize the career of Mcfadden because Nutt does not know how to put a passing attack together with the final straw coming when his ego got in the way and he chased off a hot up and coming OC and a guy who was the #1 rated QB in the nation coming out of HS. Not to mention a highly regarded WR who went with the QB to USC. Essentially Nutt had two great college players at his disposal, Matt Jones and Mcfadden. Those two players were so skilled at the college level that they masked Nutt's inability to put a quality offense together and we know this. The fact that Tuberville and Tommy Bowden considered leaving their jobs until both schools had to step up and increase their pay and Petrino is quitting the Falcons to run to Arkansas should tell you what kind of job it is. The facilities at Arkansas are truly second to none. Our stadium is not the biggest but it's over 70,000, about to expand to 90,000, and several people have commented it's the nicest stadium in the SEC. As someone pointed out before Arkansas used to compete for the National Championship at least twice a decade so you will have to pardon us while we think we can do it again. After all, the university has done it before,has dominated track and field for years and for a long stretch in the 90's fielded the best college basketball team in the nation.As a Hog fan and Norwood owner I can't imagine better news today.

Umm, what exactly is that long stretch? 3 Final 4s in the Nolan era, with a championship in 94, and a return to the title game in 95. Sorry, but the early 90s were certainly the Duke era and the late 90s were dominated by Kentucky. Its these kind of statements that get people scratching their heads at Arkansas fans. You were a top program for a few years, but it was hardly sustained.Also, the last time Arkansas football was nationally relevant was in the early 60s. Things have changed dramatically since then. Is it possible for the school to become a power? Sure, but there are quite a few other SEC programs that will have something to say about that.

You have no idea what you are talking about. I'm not sure which year the Hogs stopped being the winningest team in the 90's but it was 1996 or 1997. Either way, they were the winningest team in college basketall for at least the first 6-7 years in the 90's which I properly defined as a long stretch.

The early 90s are when people started calling the NCAA Tourney the Duke Invitational. Whatever their regular season record may have been, they were not the top program of the first half of that decade. Nor were they the top program in the second half. Maybe for a two year period, because championships matter a whole lot more than regular season wins.

 

[PatrickT]

I've got this really neat idea. Let's talk about this move affects the NFL, the Falcon franchise and fantasy football, and move the college FB pissing match somewhere else.

 

[Clayton Gray]

I've got this really neat idea. Let's talk about this move affects the NFL, the Falcon franchise and fantasy football, and move the college FB pissing match somewhere else.

I apologize.

 

[Joe Bryant]

Within the past two years, both Missouri and Arkansas have missed out on a BCS bowl after a great (and totally unexpected) season because they lost their league championship game (a game that no one even gave them a chance of making in the first place). One team did everything in its power to run its coach out on a rail afterwards, and the other did not. That's the difference between Missouri and Arkansas.

You need to research the reason many fans turned on Houston Nutt despite an excellent season.

I know the reason why fans turned on Nutt. He wasn't playing the hot-shot freshman QB enough (even though the vet was outperforming the freshman and giving them a better chance to win). His offense wasn't passing enough (even though his offense was tearing teams apart on its way to the SECCG). His offensive coordinator defected (even though his offensive coordinator was a guy coaching HIGH SCHOOL the year before, with zero college experience). A bunch of the players parents overreacted in a dramatic fashion (which is to be expected given how much hype their children had been getting, but is still LUDICROUS given what their children had accomplished on the field). For an idea of how bad of a coach Nutt was, take a look at how long he lasted on the open market.

You're aware of the situation, yet you really don't know.Carry on.

Clayton if you don't mind can you tell the rest of us what really went on?

In the late winter / early spring of 2006 and after back-to-back losing seasons, Nutt's job was on the line. Most observers didn't think he was a capable offensive play-caller and felt an offense coordinator was needed.It just so happened that nearby Springdale High School had just finished an amazing 2005 season where they ran through the largest classification in the state. They were ranked in almost every national top 10 poll and had the Gatorade HS Player Of the Year in quarterback Mitch Mustain. They also had two WRs, a TE, and an OT that were getting multiple major college offers. Oh, they also had a head coach that was widely considered to be a passing-game genius (because in Arkansas, if you can write a book, you must be a genius) in Gus Malzahn.It is generally accepted that athletic director Frank Broyles told Nutt to hire Malzahn as Arkansas' offensive coordinator. Arkansas also ended up getting every player except for the OT, who went to Notre Dame. Prior to the 2006 season, it was hotly debated whether Malzahn would have total control of the offense. It turns out that Malzahn was treated as nothing more than an adviser to suggest improvements for the overall offense. (I have a friend that works for the e-mailer referenced below. This friend told me prior to the 2006 season that Houston Nutt told the e-mailer that Malzahn would be OC in name only and that Nutt would OK the play-calling. I didn't believe it at the time as I had no idea the e-mailer was so deeply connected to the Nutt family.)A writer followed Mitch Mustain and some of his teammates around during their recruiting process and wrote a book about it. In the book, Mustain was quoted as calling Houston Nutt a "dork".A close friend of Nutt sent a profanity-laced e-mail to Mustain telling him to leave the program. Nutt eventually made the person write an apology to Mustain a couple weeks after the player's mom asked what was being done. Nutt also told this person to not send any e-mails to any other players. This person still has sideline access during games (even last season immediately after the e-mail incident was reported).In that e-mail, the person said Mustain needed to have a "Code Red" (called by the team to clear the air on losing, attitudes, whatever) called on him regarding the comments in the book. The next day, senior LB Sam Olajabutu called a Code Red on Mustain over the comments.A few years ago, Mustain's mom was beaten up by two tenants at her rental home (no, not blaming Nutt for this). However, last season, Houston Nutt's wife e-mailed friends joking about how funny it was that the player's mom had been beaten up and that she wished she could have gotten in on it.After the very successful (which is kind of amazing considering all of the internal squabbling that went on) 2006 season, Nutt informed Malzahn that he was bringing in David Lee from the Dallas Cowboys to be co-offensive coordinator and that Lee would be in charge of the offense. About a week later, Malzahn bolted to Tulsa and is leading an offense that is averaging over 530 yards per game this season. Three of the Springdale players also transferred: one to Tulsa (I believe) and two (including Mustain) to USC.[Editorial Section]Nutt is notoriously thinned skinned and quite needy of praise. You will rarely, if ever, hear him take the blame for something bad, but he was quick to jump in front of a microphone after one of his play-calls went for a game-winning TD. This season, he has blamed losses on Casey **** (for not scrambling on a called pass play against Alabama), Michael Smith (for fumbling in the first half against Kentucky), David Lee (for not opening up the offense against Auburn), and the entire team (for not being ready to play against Tennessee).Regarding the Mustain / Malzahn saga:While there is no hard evidence, it seems quite likely that Houston Nutt used Malzahn and the Springdale recruits to save his job. Once the Hogs started rolling last season, Nutt felt secure enough in his position to push them out the door. He didn't want Mustain around because of the dork comment. He didn't want Malzahn on staff because Malzahn was getting much praise from Razorback fans.[/Editorial Section]

Hey Clayton,I know you told me this before but I never really got it all.How factual is the email his wife allegedly sent laughing about the mom getting beat up?That is a huge thing to say. Is it pretty well acknowledged this is an undisputable and uncontested fact?I don't know of many programs where the QB could write a book and call his coach a "dork" and still be with the program. But even with that, am I understanding correctly that a friend of Nutt's wrote the mean email to the QB? And that Nutt reprimanded the friend and made him apologize?They now hate him for this?J

 

[Max Power]

Arkansas = Yuck.What has that school contributed to the NFL? Dan Hampton :thumbsup: & Matt Jones = More Yuck.

Brandon Burlsworth would have been a HOF'er.

RIP

I can't say I know/remember who he was.just looking at the past NFL prospects from Arkansas and recent winning %, I find it hard to buy that the U of A job is very coveted.all signs point to Petrino quiting on this team. Not my Idea of a leader. Enjoy Arkansas fans.

 

[ConstruxBoy]

Within the past two years, both Missouri and Arkansas have missed out on a BCS bowl after a great (and totally unexpected) season because they lost their league championship game (a game that no one even gave them a chance of making in the first place). One team did everything in its power to run its coach out on a rail afterwards, and the other did not. That's the difference between Missouri and Arkansas.

You need to research the reason many fans turned on Houston Nutt despite an excellent season.

I know the reason why fans turned on Nutt. He wasn't playing the hot-shot freshman QB enough (even though the vet was outperforming the freshman and giving them a better chance to win). His offense wasn't passing enough (even though his offense was tearing teams apart on its way to the SECCG). His offensive coordinator defected (even though his offensive coordinator was a guy coaching HIGH SCHOOL the year before, with zero college experience). A bunch of the players parents overreacted in a dramatic fashion (which is to be expected given how much hype their children had been getting, but is still LUDICROUS given what their children had accomplished on the field). For an idea of how bad of a coach Nutt was, take a look at how long he lasted on the open market.

Clayton, just in case you're wondering, this is not an alias of mine, LOL.

SSOG,

Read through this

thread at your leisure.

 

[Max Power]

Petrino to staff:

Petrino called a staff meeting late Tuesday afternoon, a meeting which last about 10 seconds, sources said.

"He just said to us, 'Guys I've resigned, I'm going to Arkansas. I'm sorry. I'll be talking with you guys in the future.' And with that he turned and walked out the door. We haven't been told anything else," said one assistant coach.

This guy is sounding more and more like a POS. This "meeting" just proves all he cares about is himself. Cheer up ATL fans, hopefully next year you will have a real coach.

 

[PatrickT]

So, at least for now, we're going to see either Zimmer of Jackson be the interim coach. Any thoughts on which it should be, and whether either should be considered HC material?

 

[Man in the yellow hat]

So, all you guys ragging on hiring college coaches...You do know that Petrino was the QB coach for the Jags for two seasons right? And then offensive coordinator for the Jags for one? He had some pro experience on his resume. I don't think we can make any sweeping judgements about 'college coaches' here.

 

[ConstruxBoy]

Petrino to staff:

Petrino called a staff meeting late Tuesday afternoon, a meeting which last about 10 seconds, sources said.

"He just said to us, 'Guys I've resigned, I'm going to Arkansas. I'm sorry. I'll be talking with you guys in the future.' And with that he turned and walked out the door. We haven't been told anything else," said one assistant coach.

What a tool. Seriously, what kind of leader handles things this way?

The next coach of the Razorbacks?

 

[BBRULE]

The difference between Petrino and Saban,

Petrino- Offered different job, took it and said he was taking it = honest.

Saban- Offered different job, hides it says he is not even interested then takes it = LIAR.

One guy makes a decision and owns it. The other makes his decision, hides it like a child, lies about it when asked directly and eventually is outted for it like the punk he is.

Like him or not this situation was handled by Petrino like a man. He saw a better job ( in his eyes) and jumped on it. There was no hiding or dishonesty. Cannot say the same for Saban.

 

[PatrickT]

So, all you guys ragging on hiring college coaches...You do know that Petrino was the QB coach for the Jags for two seasons right? And then offensive coordinator for the Jags for one? He had some pro experience on his resume. I don't think we can make any sweeping judgements about 'college coaches' here.

This is why I thought we'd be ok at the time of the hire, despite so many people telling me he was the dreaded college coach. Shame on me, I guess. Nobody figured in the ####### factor.

 

[PatrickT]

The difference between Petrino and Saban, Petrino- Offered different job, took it and said he was taking it = honest.Saban- Offered different job, hides it says he is not even interested then takes it = LIAR.One guy makes a decision and owns it. The other makes his decision, hides it like a child, lies about it when asked directly and eventually is outted for it like the punk he is.Like him or not this situation was handled by Petrino like a man. He saw a better job ( in his eyes) and jumped on it. There was no hiding or dishonesty. Cannot say the same for Saban.

Dude, that's some serious crap there. Petrino consistently said, all year, he was committed to this team, he was not going to bail to the college game, he took this job and he was going to see it through. He lied, just like Saban, he just didn't lie for as long. He made a 5 year commitment and he bailed when it wasn't going his way.

 

[Master of Past and Present]

Petrino to staff:

Petrino called a staff meeting late Tuesday afternoon, a meeting which last about 10 seconds, sources said.

"He just said to us, 'Guys I've resigned, I'm going to Arkansas. I'm sorry. I'll be talking with you guys in the future.' And with that he turned and walked out the door. We haven't been told anything else," said one assistant coach.

This guy is sounding more and more like a POS. This "meeting" just proves all he cares about is himself. Cheer up ATL fans, hopefully next year you will have a real coach.

Wow, if that is true he is a complete POS. As a Falcons fan I hope this guy never sniffs a pro job again and if he has a dream job I hope he gets rejected if he is ever up for it. Bye bye loser.

 

[mad sweeney]

The difference between Petrino and Saban, Petrino- Offered different job, took it and said he was taking it = honest.Saban- Offered different job, hides it says he is not even interested then takes it = LIAR.One guy makes a decision and owns it. The other makes his decision, hides it like a child, lies about it when asked directly and eventually is outted for it like the punk he is.Like him or not this situation was handled by Petrino like a man. He saw a better job ( in his eyes) and jumped on it. There was no hiding or dishonesty. Cannot say the same for Saban.

You know if OJ confessed he'd be being "honest" but that doesn't make him a man for what he did. He quit on his team that's already suffered a lot this season and left his assistants out to dry. Just because he was "man enough" to tell people he was doing it doesn't make him a man. A man would finish what he started.And btw, what were his comments about looking at film on Wednesday all about? That has shades of Saban all over it.

 

[Max Power]

From SI.Com

Though Petrino steadfastly maintained he was in the Falcons job for the long haul -- and Blank reiterated that definitively after discussing the college vacancies with Petrino Nov. 25 -- he clearly was uncomfortable with several factors as an NFL head coach. The Hall dustup, for instance, did not end just because the team fined him $100,000 for conduct detrimental to the team after the September incident. Hall continually said nettlesome things in the press, which angered Petrino, but he realized he was powerless to do much about it until at least this offseason, when he knew he'd be able to cut or trade Hall. Petrino clearly did not like the power players have in pro football versus how coaches can dictate to players in college football.

Petrino, the league source said, began listening to Arkansas late last week. That could not be cofirmed, and the source also said Tuesday was the first Blank had heard of this interest.

 

[Max Power]

After the season, it's likely Atlanta will talk against to one of the finalists for the job last year -- San Francisco assistant head coach Mike Singletary. The top pro candidates this year are expected to include offensive coordinator Jason Garrett of the Cowboys and defensive coordinators Rex Ryan of Baltimore and Jim Schwartz of the Titans.

 

[PatrickT]

This would certainly help explain the lack of emotion I saw out of the team on Monday. At halftime, it was what, 17-7? Not even close to being over, but the players all looked, well, beaten already.

 

[Fiddles]

The difference between Petrino and Saban, Petrino- Offered different job, took it and said he was taking it = honest.Saban- Offered different job, hides it says he is not even interested then takes it = LIAR.One guy makes a decision and owns it. The other makes his decision, hides it like a child, lies about it when asked directly and eventually is outted for it like the punk he is.Like him or not this situation was handled by Petrino like a man. He saw a better job ( in his eyes) and jumped on it. There was no hiding or dishonesty. Cannot say the same for Saban.

Dude, that's some serious crap there. Petrino consistently said, all year, he was committed to this team, he was not going to bail to the college game, he took this job and he was going to see it through. He lied, just like Saban, he just didn't lie for as long. He made a 5 year commitment and he bailed when it wasn't going his way.

at least saban stayed 2 yearspetrino lasted 13 games. that is ridiculous

 

[PatrickT]

I really want to hear some thoughts on Jackson and Zimmer. Wasn't Zimmer a candidate last year? They're already familiar with the players, Jackson could ease the offense from what it is to what he wants. Obviously both are considered top flight on their sides of the ball. Maybe Schottenheimer to man the tiller? Is there even a chance of getting Cowher?

 

[Max Power]

I really want to hear some thoughts on Jackson and Zimmer. Wasn't Zimmer a candidate last year? They're already familiar with the players, Jackson could ease the offense from what it is to what he wants. Obviously both are considered top flight on their sides of the ball. Maybe Schottenheimer to man the tiller? Is there even a chance of getting Cowher?

I know nothing about Jackson or Zimmer...but realistically I don't think there is a chance you guys get Marty or Cowher.I really think the big name guy will be Garrett.

 

[delusional]

Pretty sure he had his decision made up when his QB was under investigation

 

[Joe Bryant]

I really want to hear some thoughts on Jackson and Zimmer. Wasn't Zimmer a candidate last year? They're already familiar with the players, Jackson could ease the offense from what it is to what he wants. Obviously both are considered top flight on their sides of the ball. Maybe Schottenheimer to man the tiller? Is there even a chance of getting Cowher?

Hi Patrick,It'll be interesting to see. This job really has obviously changed from what it was last year. It's gone from a risky / exciting / huge potential type job with Vick that Petrino took to what has to be one of the worst HC jobs in the NFL. I'd say they're setting their sights a good bit lower. I dont' think anyone wants to risk having a mark on their resume like Petrino will have now. With that said, I'm not convinced at all that Garrett will stay in Dallas. I think he's the difference maker thier this year (more than Phillips and more than TO's "new" attitude) but I'm not sure he'll hang around for the Dallas HC job. I see them getting more a Lane Kiffin type guy that will jump at the shot to have any NFL HC job. J

 

[mad sweeney]

I really want to hear some thoughts on Jackson and Zimmer. Wasn't Zimmer a candidate last year? They're already familiar with the players, Jackson could ease the offense from what it is to what he wants. Obviously both are considered top flight on their sides of the ball. Maybe Schottenheimer to man the tiller? Is there even a chance of getting Cowher?

Hi Patrick,It'll be interesting to see. This job really has obviously changed from what it was last year. It's gone from a risky / exciting / huge potential type job with Vick that Petrino took to what has to be one of the worst HC jobs in the NFL.

I'd say they're setting their sights a good bit lower. I dont' think anyone wants to risk having a mark on their resume like Petrino will have now.

With that said, I'm not convinced at all that Garrett will stay in Dallas. I think he's the difference maker thier this year (more than Phillips and more than TO's "new" attitude) but I'm not sure he'll hang around for the Dallas HC job.

I see them getting more a Lane Kiffin type guy that will jump at the shot to have any NFL HC job.

J

If Blank wants to fill some of those empty seats he's gonna have to pony up some dough for a name that will sell tickets. I don't think a first timer is gonna help them pull out of thier financial black hole that 08 will be.

 

[-OZ-]

And take Arkansas job.

yet another college coach who thinks he can make it in the NFL..these chumps don't pan out in the NFL, unless they are named Jimmy Johnson or Barry Switzer..so much for all the 'Jerious Norwood will be a top 5 RB this season', and all the other hoopla because of petrino's 'style' of coaching: heavy on the run...puh-lease! good riddance.he's awful.

He certainly didn't do well, but could anyone have in that situation?Bring on Mooch in Atlanta.

 

[PatrickT]

I really want to hear some thoughts on Jackson and Zimmer. Wasn't Zimmer a candidate last year? They're already familiar with the players, Jackson could ease the offense from what it is to what he wants. Obviously both are considered top flight on their sides of the ball. Maybe Schottenheimer to man the tiller? Is there even a chance of getting Cowher?

Hi Patrick,It'll be interesting to see. This job really has obviously changed from what it was last year. It's gone from a risky / exciting / huge potential type job with Vick that Petrino took to what has to be one of the worst HC jobs in the NFL.

I'd say they're setting their sights a good bit lower. I dont' think anyone wants to risk having a mark on their resume like Petrino will have now.

With that said, I'm not convinced at all that Garrett will stay in Dallas. I think he's the difference maker thier this year (more than Phillips and more than TO's "new" attitude) but I'm not sure he'll hang around for the Dallas HC job.

I see them getting more a Lane Kiffin type guy that will jump at the shot to have any NFL HC job.

J

See, there's another thing people keep assuming. Why is this the worst HC job in the NFL? Seriously. Don't look at the record, there is a good bit of talent here, especially on defense. We are in desperate need of some o-lineman, and have been for a long time, but what makes this job so undesirable? As I recall, before Vick came along, Reeves took this franchise to a Superbowl.

 

[-OZ-]

After the season, it's likely Atlanta will talk against to one of the finalists for the job last year -- San Francisco assistant head coach Mike Singletary. The top pro candidates this year are expected to include offensive coordinator Jason Garrett of the Cowboys and defensive coordinators Rex Ryan of Baltimore and Jim Schwartz of the Titans.

Schwartz deserves a HC job in a better spot, but maybe

 

[RevDawg]

Within the past two years, both Missouri and Arkansas have missed out on a BCS bowl after a great (and totally unexpected) season because they lost their league championship game (a game that no one even gave them a chance of making in the first place). One team did everything in its power to run its coach out on a rail afterwards, and the other did not. That's the difference between Missouri and Arkansas.

You need to research the reason many fans turned on Houston Nutt despite an excellent season.

I know the reason why fans turned on Nutt. He wasn't playing the hot-shot freshman QB enough (even though the vet was outperforming the freshman and giving them a better chance to win). His offense wasn't passing enough (even though his offense was tearing teams apart on its way to the SECCG). His offensive coordinator defected (even though his offensive coordinator was a guy coaching HIGH SCHOOL the year before, with zero college experience). A bunch of the players parents overreacted in a dramatic fashion (which is to be expected given how much hype their children had been getting, but is still LUDICROUS given what their children had accomplished on the field). For an idea of how bad of a coach Nutt was, take a look at how long he lasted on the open market.

You're aware of the situation, yet you really don't know.Carry on.

Clayton if you don't mind can you tell the rest of us what really went on?

In the late winter / early spring of 2006 and after back-to-back losing seasons, Nutt's job was on the line. Most observers didn't think he was a capable offensive play-caller and felt an offense coordinator was needed.It just so happened that nearby Springdale High School had just finished an amazing 2005 season where they ran through the largest classification in the state. They were ranked in almost every national top 10 poll and had the Gatorade HS Player Of the Year in quarterback Mitch Mustain. They also had two WRs, a TE, and an OT that were getting multiple major college offers. Oh, they also had a head coach that was widely considered to be a passing-game genius (because in Arkansas, if you can write a book, you must be a genius) in Gus Malzahn.It is generally accepted that athletic director Frank Broyles told Nutt to hire Malzahn as Arkansas' offensive coordinator. Arkansas also ended up getting every player except for the OT, who went to Notre Dame. Prior to the 2006 season, it was hotly debated whether Malzahn would have total control of the offense. It turns out that Malzahn was treated as nothing more than an adviser to suggest improvements for the overall offense. (I have a friend that works for the e-mailer referenced below. This friend told me prior to the 2006 season that Houston Nutt told the e-mailer that Malzahn would be OC in name only and that Nutt would OK the play-calling. I didn't believe it at the time as I had no idea the e-mailer was so deeply connected to the Nutt family.)A writer followed Mitch Mustain and some of his teammates around during their recruiting process and wrote a book about it. In the book, Mustain was quoted as calling Houston Nutt a "dork".A close friend of Nutt sent a profanity-laced e-mail to Mustain telling him to leave the program. Nutt eventually made the person write an apology to Mustain a couple weeks after the player's mom asked what was being done. Nutt also told this person to not send any e-mails to any other players. This person still has sideline access during games (even last season immediately after the e-mail incident was reported).In that e-mail, the person said Mustain needed to have a "Code Red" (called by the team to clear the air on losing, attitudes, whatever) called on him regarding the comments in the book. The next day, senior LB Sam Olajabutu called a Code Red on Mustain over the comments.A few years ago, Mustain's mom was beaten up by two tenants at her rental home (no, not blaming Nutt for this). However, last season, Houston Nutt's wife e-mailed friends joking about how funny it was that the player's mom had been beaten up and that she wished she could have gotten in on it.After the very successful (which is kind of amazing considering all of the internal squabbling that went on) 2006 season, Nutt informed Malzahn that he was bringing in David Lee from the Dallas Cowboys to be co-offensive coordinator and that Lee would be in charge of the offense. About a week later, Malzahn bolted to Tulsa and is leading an offense that is averaging over 530 yards per game this season. Three of the Springdale players also transferred: one to Tulsa (I believe) and two (including Mustain) to USC.[Editorial Section]Nutt is notoriously thinned skinned and quite needy of praise. You will rarely, if ever, hear him take the blame for something bad, but he was quick to jump in front of a microphone after one of his play-calls went for a game-winning TD. This season, he has blamed losses on Casey **** (for not scrambling on a called pass play against Alabama), Michael Smith (for fumbling in the first half against Kentucky), David Lee (for not opening up the offense against Auburn), and the entire team (for not being ready to play against Tennessee).Regarding the Mustain / Malzahn saga:While there is no hard evidence, it seems quite likely that Houston Nutt used Malzahn and the Springdale recruits to save his job. Once the Hogs started rolling last season, Nutt felt secure enough in his position to push them out the door. He didn't want Mustain around because of the dork comment. He didn't want Malzahn on staff because Malzahn was getting much praise from Razorback fans.[/Editorial Section]

Hey Clayton,I know you told me this before but I never really got it all.How factual is the email his wife allegedly sent laughing about the mom getting beat up?That is a huge thing to say. Is it pretty well acknowledged this is an undisputable and uncontested fact?I don't know of many programs where the QB could write a book and call his coach a "dork" and still be with the program. But even with that, am I understanding correctly that a friend of Nutt's wrote the mean email to the QB? And that Nutt reprimanded the friend and made him apologize?They now hate him for this?J

Joe,The part about Nutt's wife writing the email about Mitch's mom is FACT.Also, FOIO showed that the email from the staffer was forwarded from Nutt's home to other people, including boosters, all the while, Nutt was claiming to know nothing about it. The reprimand only came after much public pressure and outcry. It was late and minimal. It's been reported here that the apology letter sat on Nutt's desk for a month before it was given to Mustain.And for those who think Malzahn didn't know what he was doing on the college level one year removed from high school fail to remember that he was named Offensive Coordinator of the Year last year for implementing the Wildhog that made Darren McFadden a two-time Heisman runner-up and that his current offense at Tulsa is the top-ranked one in the nation this year. The drama in Fayetteville was so great that ESPN did a three-part special series on it over the summer. It was not a good scene in Fayetteville and Nutt as head coach was responsible.RevDawg

 

[Joe Bryant]

I really want to hear some thoughts on Jackson and Zimmer. Wasn't Zimmer a candidate last year? They're already familiar with the players, Jackson could ease the offense from what it is to what he wants. Obviously both are considered top flight on their sides of the ball. Maybe Schottenheimer to man the tiller? Is there even a chance of getting Cowher?

Hi Patrick,It'll be interesting to see. This job really has obviously changed from what it was last year. It's gone from a risky / exciting / huge potential type job with Vick that Petrino took to what has to be one of the worst HC jobs in the NFL.

I'd say they're setting their sights a good bit lower. I dont' think anyone wants to risk having a mark on their resume like Petrino will have now.

With that said, I'm not convinced at all that Garrett will stay in Dallas. I think he's the difference maker thier this year (more than Phillips and more than TO's "new" attitude) but I'm not sure he'll hang around for the Dallas HC job.

I see them getting more a Lane Kiffin type guy that will jump at the shot to have any NFL HC job.

J

See, there's another thing people keep assuming. Why is this the worst HC job in the NFL? Seriously. Don't look at the record, there is a good bit of talent here, especially on defense. We are in desperate need of some o-lineman, and have been for a long time, but what makes this job so undesirable? As I recall, before Vick came along, Reeves took this franchise to a Superbowl.

Hi Patrick,It's tough to call any NFL HC job a "bad" job. But what other teams would be a worse job?

J

 

[fatness]

I wonder if any of the people giving Petrino a pass on leaving are critical of players who hold out because they're not honoring their contracts.

 

[flapgreen]

Wow. Didn't even give it an entire year, Bob. Way to show your commitment.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I wonder if any of the people giving Petrino a pass on leaving are critical of players who hold out because they're not honoring their contracts.

Doesn't that feel sort of different though, fatness?Petrino is basically quitting. More like a Barry Sanders thing.The holdout guy is saying more, I'm not going to honor what I signed, I want to stay and I want you to pay me more.But as more people see the owner side and how they basically do the same thing, I think more people are becoming less critical of the holdout players.Just my .02.J

 

[RBM]

I really want to hear some thoughts on Jackson and Zimmer. Wasn't Zimmer a candidate last year? They're already familiar with the players, Jackson could ease the offense from what it is to what he wants. Obviously both are considered top flight on their sides of the ball. Maybe Schottenheimer to man the tiller? Is there even a chance of getting Cowher?

Hi Patrick,It'll be interesting to see. This job really has obviously changed from what it was last year. It's gone from a risky / exciting / huge potential type job with Vick that Petrino took to what has to be one of the worst HC jobs in the NFL.

I'd say they're setting their sights a good bit lower. I dont' think anyone wants to risk having a mark on their resume like Petrino will have now.

With that said, I'm not convinced at all that Garrett will stay in Dallas. I think he's the difference maker thier this year (more than Phillips and more than TO's "new" attitude) but I'm not sure he'll hang around for the Dallas HC job.

I see them getting more a Lane Kiffin type guy that will jump at the shot to have any NFL HC job.

J

See, there's another thing people keep assuming. Why is this the worst HC job in the NFL? Seriously. Don't look at the record, there is a good bit of talent here, especially on defense. We are in desperate need of some o-lineman, and have been for a long time, but what makes this job so undesirable? As I recall, before Vick came along, Reeves took this franchise to a Superbowl.

Hi Patrick,It's tough to call any NFL HC job a "bad" job. But what other teams would be a worse job?

J

Ask Cam Cameron