Petrino to Arkansas: How it really happened?
From wanting the job a week before he was offered, to the Atlanta Falcons and Arthur Blank backtracking on the OK for Bobby Petrino to leave the Falcons on good terms, the timeline and new details of Arkansas’ hiring of Petrino were revealed Wednesday by a source close to the situation.
Derek Braunecker, a sports agent with connections to the UA program, detailed the days leading up to the hiring of Petrino on The Sports Animals with Shawn Arnell and Democrat-Gazette sports editor Wally Hall.
You can listen to the 25-minute interview with Braunecker by going to the show’s blog.
Braunecker, who represents Cliff Lee of the Cleveland Indians, ran into Petrino’s agent on Dec. 3 and the story unfolds from there.
Here’s a breakdown of the events leading up to Petrino’s hiring. Remember, this is a summary through Braunecker’s words along with confirmed reports (which are linked to such stories).
Monday, Dec. 3: Braunecker, at the MLB winter meetings in Nashville, Tenn., is stopped by Petrino’s agent, Russ Campbell. Campbell alerts Braunecker that Petrino is very interested in the Arkansas opening. Campbell asks Braunecker to spread the word to his connections in the UA athletic department and board of directors. Braunecker tells Campbell that Arkansas has already offered the job to Clemson’s Tommy Bowden.
“I’m not worried about Tommy Bowden,” Braunecker recalls Campbell saying. “He’s not taking that job.”
Wednesday, Dec. 5: Wake Forest’s Jim Grobe is reportedly offered the Arkansas job. Campbell tells Braunecker that Petrino is “very disappointed” that Grobe was offered the job.
Thursday, Dec. 6: Grobe backs out of deal with UA in the early morning.
Friday, Dec. 7: Braunecker says Petrino approaches Blank and Falcons general manager Rick McKay on the possibilities of leaving Atlanta to go back to the college game. Petrino is given their blessing to pursue the opportunity to return to college, says Braunecker.
Campbell tells Braunecker that a deal must be done Saturday. If not, said dealing would have to be tabled until the next week so Petrino could concentrate on preparing the Falcons for their game against New Orleans on Monday Night Football.
Monday, Dec. 10: Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick is sentenced to 23 months in prison for running a dogfighting ring. Braunecker says Falcons and Blank, in fear of more bad PR, change position on allowing Petrino to pursue the Arkansas job.
Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News spoke with Campbell in December and confirmed this tidbit:
Atlanta’s attitude changed Monday, Campbell said, “and it wasn’t a subtle change. They said, if you leave, we’ve got to fight you.”
Campbell calls Braunecker and says the deal is dead at halftime of the Saints-Falcons game that night.
Campbell and the Petrinos meet late Monday night.
Tuesday, Dec. 11: At about 8:40 a.m., Campbell sends Braunecker a text message that reads, “The sad part is BP wanted this so bad. He just told me if Arkansas would do it, he’d walk in tomorrow, terminate the contract and dare them to fight. I just don’t know if the University will do that. No way this is bad as the Saban stuff.”
A call is made to B. Alan Sugg, the University system president. A UA plane lands in Atlanta some time in the afternoon.
At about 6 p.m. ET, Braunecker receives a text message alerting him that a deal between Petrino and the UA had been finalized. Petrino is flown back to Fayetteville and is introduced as the 30th head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks at a 10:30 p.m. press conference in the Broyles Center.
It should be noted that McKay was later removed as the Falcons general manager sometime near Dec. 18.
The rest, as they say, is history.
8 Responses to “Petrino to Arkansas: How it really happened?”
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Give this guy 2 to 3 years, Hog fans. The Razorbacks are on the rise.
So….the PR wing of the Atlanta Falcons told Arthur Blank that the sentencing of Michael Vick was such a PR negative for the Falcons that BLANK COULD NOT RELEASE PETRINO AS PREVIOUSLY AGREED because of the timing. Blank then threatened to blast Petrino in the press if Coach Petrino did leave for Arkansas, and Petrino, after emotional begging from his family, did leave for Arkansas, and the blasting by Blank, the Falcons, the NFL, ESPN and all the other NFL media sycophants and hangers-on began, and continued non-stop for three or four months, and, intermittently, thereafter.
The power of the NFL and it’s billionaire owners with the American media is outrageous and scary.
They should give it a rest. Every contract is made to be broken. If you don’t believe it, ask a lawyer.
This is every bit as Sleazy as when Erickson left Idaho, but he (Erickson) used John Canzano of the Portland Oregonian to do his bidding. What kills me is these college coaches preach accountability to ones team, but there is none when the bigger greaner lawn comes calling. Erickson was forced to talk to his team to bid adieu only by way of his team captain David Vobora walking into his office and demanding that he do so.
Just a nother snap shot of the slimy underbelly of big time college athletics.
Enjoy!
Dave (Seattle)
dke, you do know that Coach Petrino took a two million a year cut in pay to get out of the NFL and take the Arkansas job because his family was extremely upset about their situation, don’t ya?
Seems to me you don’t have a handle on the facts in the Petrino-Arkansas case. You haven’t been listening to too much BSPN, have ya?
[...] Straightening out what really happened with Bobby Petrino going to Arkansas. [The Slophouse] [...]
I for one am happy to see that Petrino wanted to be a Hog so bad!! Should bring back the true heart and soul of the program!
[...] In addition, here’s a step-by-step timeline of how Petrino was hired. [...]