Following a 56-13 loss to Notre Dame, the Arkansas Razorbacks made the decision to fire head coach Sam Pittman. Pitman was fired after failing to break into the top tier of SEC teams, with an overall record of 32-34 that kept the Razorbacks firmly in mediocrity.
Offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino recently served his first game as interim head coach. The Razorbacks looked significantly improved under the former Arkansas head coach, narrowly losing out to a 5-1 Tennessee Volunteers team.
Insider Reveals Bobby Petrino May Be The Next Head Coach Of The Arkansas Razorbacks
During a recent episode of his podcast, Fox Sports insider Aaron Torres went through the College Football coaching carousel. During this, Torres revealed who he believed would be the next Razorback’s head coach.
“I still think if we were putting odds on it, Bobby Petrino has to be considered the favorite. Because if he wins enough games, he will be the head coach.” Torres revealed. Petrino previously served as the Razorbacks’ head coach from 2008 to 2012.
During the 2012 campaign, when the Razorbacks were predicted to be one of the best teams in the SEC, the interim head coach got into a motorcycle accident, where it was revealed that Petrino was on his motorcycle with Jessica Dorrell.
Dorrell, a former Arkansas volleyball player, was hired by Petrino as the Razorbacks’ player development coordinator. Later on, it was revealed that the head had been involved in an inappropriate relationship with the former coordinator, who was 25 years old at the time.
Despite the past controversy surrounding the interim head coach, Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek hasn’t ruled out Petrino taking over permanently.
“We will begin a national search for our next head coach immediately, and that search will include Coach Petrino, who has expressed his desire to be a candidate for the full-time job,” Yuracheck revealed during an official release.
Petrino will have the rest of the season to prove his case. The Razorbacks are currently 2-4, and are projected to go 4-7 on the season according to PFN’s College Football Playoff Meter. They also have a near 0% chance of getting into the playoffs.
During the most recent episode of the show, Torres also dropped another name who is a ‘realistic candidate’ for the Razorbacks’ head coach job. This coach has been listed due to his past experience in the SEC, as Arkansas looks to regain a foothold in the conference.
“One guy, who is a candidate, is Dan Mullen. The day the job opened up, I probably didn’t talk about him enough. But I think as the job evolved, you probably understand why he’s a realistic candidate. He is a guy who had a ton of success in the SEC.”
Mullen, who led Mississippi State to eight straight bowl games after taking over in 2009, led the school to a No. 1 national ranking in 2014. The Bulldogs also had their first nine-win season since 1999 under the current UNLV head coach.
“Dan Mullen is a guy who’s won in the SEC. He’s had success in the SEC. And it’s also worth noting that he’s had success at UNLV, UNLV is 6-0 going into the weekend, they have a rematch against Boise State, who they played in the Conference Game a year ago.”
After being fired from Florida, Mullen took a three-year break from coaching College Football. However, following his return, the head coach has looked as sharp as ever. UNLV currently leads the Mountain West, with a 58% chance of making the conference championship.
“I’ll be here… You want me to do that? I’m gonna be the head coach at UNLV next year, I’ll be here. I’m not going anywhere… I said it to the players. I told them that.” Mullen revealed to the media when questioned about taking a bigger coaching job.
“If you want to get back to the SEC, I think Arkansas’s a good job. But I kind of believe him when I say he’s not interested.” Torres backed Mullen’s claims to the media, potentially closing the door on any potential future with Arkansas.
Following Mullen’s statement to the media, Petrino looks to be the favorite to be the next head coach.
