KNOCK ON WOOD : Petrino's track record says he will succeed at Arkansas
Posted on Friday, October 3, 2008
Forgive me for
mentioning a former
Arkansas coach. That seems to be a crime around these parts these days. But one of Nolan Richardson's favorite sayings seems mighty appropriate right now for the state of the Razorbacks football program. "All sickness is not death," Richardson used to relate. The saying was passed to him from his "ol'granny," who used it to comfort during a time of struggle. And struggle is putting it mildly for the trials and tribulations the Razorbacks have faced on the gridiron this season, particularly the last two games.
No matter where you sit - be it the grandstands, end zone, luxury box, press box or living room - it has been hard to watch the Hogs take it on the chin 49-14 from Alabama and 52-10 from Texas.
The Hogs played so poorly and were so thoroughly dominated in both games that it was hard for anyone other than a coach, who pours over the video, to point out positives from either game.
And the outlook for Saturday's game against No. 12 Florida isn't much better. The Gators are better than their current No. 12 ranking and no doubt they will be out to prove it against the Hogs.
If Florida gets up early, don't expect Urban Meyer to call off the Gators. Style points count to pollsters and in BCS calculations, and running up the score today and at any other point in the season can help Florida slither back into the BCS picture.
But no matter how out of hand the score may get today, take some solace in Richardson's words.
The Razorbacks football program hasn't suffered like this since the early 1990 s, but better times are on the horizon.
Bobby Petrino is a proven winner. It may take him some time to gain the proper players and possibly even coaching staff to be a winner at Arkansas, but his track record says he will get it done.
In the spring and the first two weeks of fall football camp, Petrino proved that hard work is fundamental to his plans for Arkansas' football program.
And while this old world may seem unfair at times, it is a fundamental truth that hard work aimed in the right direction bears fruit.
This isn't the first Razorback regime to suffer through growing pains. In fact, Arkansas' two greatest coaches in revenue sports endured terrible first seasons.
Frank Broyles' first Razorbacks team in 1958 lost its first six games, but he knew he was coaching and teaching his players the right way - the way the legendary Bobby Dodd of Georgia Tech had taught him - and eventually things turned.
His 1958 team won its last four games and then his 1959 team won its first four before finishing 9-2 as the Southwest Conference's cochampion.
During the next seven seasons, the Hogs won or shared four more SWC titles, a national championship and established college football's longest winning streak of the 1960 s at 22 games.
Richardson's basketball program also had its growing pains when he first arrived On the Hill.
Much like the situation Petrino and his staff is facing now, the talent left behind did not match the style of play that Richardson preferred.
At times, the Hogs looked so bad in 1986 and 1987 attempting to execute Richardson's style of play that many began to question if he even knew what he was doing as a coach.
But, Richardson's track record as a coach at Western Texas Community College and Tulsa said he did and beginning with his third season, Arkansas' basketball program began a climb that would see them win three SWC championships, two SEC championships, make three Final Four appearances and win the school's lone basketball national championship in a sevenyear period.
As you can see, all sickness isn't death.
Now, there is no way in the world I would predict that Petrino will end up matching the success that Broyles and Richardson achieved with the Razorbacks.
It's a different day and different set of circumstances. The SEC is as unforgiving a league in football as has ever existed. But like Broyles and Richardson, Petrino's track record predicts that he will eventually succeed and like them, Petrino seems willing to put in the work to make it happen.
Terry J. Wood is the sports editor of the Northwest Arkansas Times.
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