Unless you live under a rock or pay zero attention to the sporting landscape, you’ve heard the news that Bobby Petrino is leaving Louisville to take over the Atlanta Falcons’ head coaching position. Steve Kragthorpe from Tulsa will be announced as Petrino’s replacement later today.
At first, like most, I was angered about this because I felt lied to and betrayed by Petrino throughout the year. He turned down the Oakland Raiders’ head coaching job last year to the tune of 10 years and $52 million then signed a lucrative extension with UofL that, upon his insistence, included a $1 million buyout. Most reasoned that if he were going to turn the Raiders down, he must be extremely sincere in wanting to stay here in Louisville. He repeatedly told the media that “this is where I want to be,” and he even joked about other open positions of late (see the post game of the Orange Bowl when asked about the Alabama job should Nick Saban have turned it down), and I honestly believed the guy was uninterested in leaving UofL for ANY job.
Oh well, it is what it is so we must now move on without the man. With that in mind, I am going to take a stab at being objective to figure out why Atlanta is so appealing to Petrino and why it’s actually not so hard to blame the guy for taking the job.
First off, it’s no secret that Atlanta has wanted to move Michael Vick. The “experiment” that is Michael Vick isn’t working, and Vick has been referred to as a “coach killer.” I’m not sure he’s quite that, but he’s definitely a talent that is hard for “traditional” football coaches to maximize his many talents. Oakland was rumored to be interested in acquiring Vick this past season. So imagine this scenario playing out–Atlanta trades Vick to Oakland for their first pick in the upcoming draft and another player. Brian Brohm announces he’s declaring for the draft instead of returning for his senior season with the Cardinals. You see where I’m going already . . . Atlanta takes Brohm with the first pick of the draft. Matt Schaub is a quality backup already on the roster that could serve as the starter until Brohm is ready to take over the reigns at QB.
Next, Atlanta currently owns the 15th pick (I believe) in the 2007 draft. Should Calvin Johnson (Georgia Tech) or Dwayne Jarrett (USC) be available there, the Falcons would likely use that pick to obtain a potential game changing receiver. Two brand new pieces that figure to be around for awhile are now in place. Mix in current players such as Alge Crumpler (TE), Warrick Dunn (RB), Jerious Norwood (RB), and Ashley Lelie (WR) and things start to make sense as to why this job is very appealing for someone like Petrino.
Atlanta is a playoff caliber team, and he could further feed his enormous ego by having some substantial early success in the NFL. If that happens, he’s set as an NFL coach for years to come even if they can him after four or five seasons in Atlanta. Once you’re in the professional coaching carousel, and you’ve exhibited some success at some point, it’s not hard to get hired on by other teams because they recycle coaches like society recycles aluminum and paper. There’s no recruiting, practice time, or academic restrictions involved like there are in college. For that, I can’t blame the guy even though I wanted him to be here at UofL for decades. I envisioned national titles, streets being renamed after Petrino, facilities being built in his honor, etc., but I was obviously sipping the kool-aid a little too heavily. In an objective reality, if given the same choices under similar circumstances, I would likely do the same thing.
It all hinges on what to do with Michael Vick though. I don’t think Petrino’s style will mesh well with the ultra talented yet temperamental QB. It’s not that match-made-in-heaven scenario you look for when matching a coach and quarterback, but that doesn’t mean it’s an impossible situation. Vick has a cannon for an arm and is lightning fast–that much is obvious, but he hasn’t had a coach capable of maximizing his talents while instilling the discipline to make consistent good decisions. One thing that Petrino preaches, despite his occasional personal slipperiness, is discipline. During the Orange Bowl, UofL was whistled for one penalty for five yards. That’s almost unheard of from an aggressive team playing in a big game, but it speaks to the discipline the man demands from his players. Will that sink in for Vick? Who knows, but I don’t look for Bobby Petrino to fall on his face despite the personal angst I feel at this moment. He’s a damn good football coach that should succeed because of his preparation, discipline and offensive mastery of the game. He’s a tireless worker, and people who work extremely hard at something rarely outright fail (there’s your business tie-in for the day).
While I’m personally frustrated by the move, I can objectively understand it. Thanks Coach Petrino for everything you’ve done for the University of Louisville and its football program. I can’t say I’m necessarily wishing you well today, but I’m grateful for the things you accomplished here, and it was a fun ride while it lasted. I’ll likely be cheering for you and the Falcons in due time, but the sting hasn’t worn off enough yet for me to say “good luck.”