So I guess that 10 year contract that Petrino signed 7 months ago meant a lot. As did that buyout he demanded in his contract because he loved Louisville so much and he and his family wanted to spend the rest of their lives there...
So I guess that 10 year contract that Petrino signed 7 months ago meant a lot. As did that buyout he demanded in his contract because he loved Louisville so much and he and his family wanted to spend the rest of their lives there...
I agree. The kid has the looks of a nice QB.Originally Posted by HotCorner
He pulled a reverse Saban.
What's with the latest trend of football coaches creeping up on agents as the biggest liars in the sports business?
Pat Forde on ESPN.com had an excellent column about this last week in regard to Nick Saban, but you can use the same principle argument for Petrino
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/colum...pat&id=2718798
Saban only lied when his lips were moving
Forde
By Pat Forde
PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. -- With Nick Saban en route to a coronation in Tuscaloosa, it's officially time to change the vocabulary used to describe college coaches.
"Integrity" is out. "Character" is out. "Teacher" is out. "Leader of men" is out.
"Liar" is in.
They're not going to tell the truth to us, but we can tell the truth about them. It's this: They'll say anything to get recruits on campus, and they'll say anything to get media members off their backs when angling for a different job. And the panting attempts by school administrators, fans, other coaches and many media members to portray them as men of superior moral fiber needs to stop.
They're coaches, that's all. That makes them part of a pack of lying liars who only lie when their lips are moving -- and Saban's lips have moved most recently.
The Miami Dolphins coach denied being interested in or a candidate for the job at Alabama so many times we all lost count. But we weren't naive enough to believe him -- and Wednesday proved why. He's fundamentally unbelievable.
So it's time to rename the American Football Coaches Association the Liar's Club. I understand that I'm tarring a lot of good men -- and even a few honest ones -- with a broad brush, but that's Saban's gift to his profession.
Of course, he's simply following a proud tradition of dissembling coaches.
Butch Davis wasn't leaving the Miami Hurricanes for the Cleveland Browns -- until he did.
Tommy Tuberville told Mississippi fans the only way he'd leave the school was "in a pine box" -- before leaving for Auburn days later.
Louisville's Bobby Petrino denied a meeting with Auburn that had indeed taken place. The next year he signed a contract extension and said, "This is the place I want to be." He interviewed with LSU within a week of that statement.
Dennis Franchione convinced his players to stay at Alabama after enduring NCAA sanctions -- then fled himself for Texas A&M after two years on the job.
Saban is the latest and perhaps greatest example, if only because he took such umbrage at being asked about the Alabama job that he wasn't interested in (until he was). It required an impressive reservoir of gall to refute angrily questions designed to learn the truth, as if they were unfair attacks on the coach's piety.
Last week Saban said, "I'm not going to be the Alabama coach."
This week, when the topic didn't go away -- because, clearly, it shouldn't have -- he got snippy.
"I'm not talking about any of that stuff," he said. "And I'd appreciate the courtesy of it not being asked."
If you could put a subtitle on that it would read: "My gosh, people, I'm trying to avoid the subject. How dare you not play along with me? Just because I've been lying my eyeballs out, I won't let you paint me into a corner. So it's time to make you all look like jerks for badgering me. Bad manners, all of you!"
The thing is, we've seen it so often that we've become almost immune to this bizarre mating dance of obfuscation and denial. Colleges won't say which coaches they're after, and coaches won't admit to being interested. Universities like using the Latin word "veritas" in mottos and such, but they aren't wedded to the word when it comes to pursuing athletic coaches. Obviously, telling the truth potentially can create some sticky situations. But this would be my suggested sample comment for a coach being sought for a job other than the one he now has:
"Although I love the position I currently hold, I am a candidate for job X. I will not discuss it further until there is something tangible, be it an interview or an offer, to discuss. Goodbye."
It beats rampant, jaded dishonesty. Especially from college coaches who love to talk about all the valuable life lessons they're imparting to America's impressionable young rush ends, blindside tackles and cover corners.
The real job description at most places isn't terribly heavy on life lessons. It goes roughly like this: Must win, must win some more, must beat archrival, must recruit like a maniac, must put fannies in seats. The secondary clause: Must not get caught committing NCAA violations, must try to avoid a complete and obvious subversion of the university's academic principles.
Winning games is why Alabama wanted Nick Saban, and winning games is why Nick Saban wanted to go back to college coaching. That's as far as the "great fit" goes. You'll probably hear a lot about how Saban loves college towns and college life and coaching young guys, but this is why he wanted to go back to campus: His record at LSU was 48-16, and his record at Miami was 15-17.
Don't look a single step beyond that. Because if you do, you'll see Alabama's contribution to the higher education mission: a reported $32 million contract for a football coach who spent the last month-plus lying like a rug about having any interest in coming to their school.
Yet they won't be able to introduce Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa simply as the best winner money can buy. The hyperbole will go far beyond that, until he is inevitably hailed as a "man of great character."
I'll simply hail him as the richest member of the Liar's Club.
Last edited by jmcclain19; 01-08-2007 at 06:58 PM.
Louisville is expected to name Tulsa's coach as their new coach this week.
As expected, Louisville's search to replace Bobby Petrino appears destined to be short and narrowly focused.
Tulsa's Steve Kragthorpe is the choice, according to a source close to the negotiations. Pending a formal agreement and finalized details, he will be named this week.
Officials at both schools declined comment, but Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich is expected to fly to Tulsa Tuesday to meet with Kragthorpe. Jurich spent part of Monday afternoon meeting with the Louisville team and told the players they should expect to have a new coach quickly.
That will be important in Louisville's efforts to keep two star juniors, quarterback Brian Brohm and running back Michael Bush, for one more year. Both are weighing decisions on whether to enter the NFL draft and could make announcements this week.
Another factor in the timing is recruiting. The Cardinals are expecting to have a large number of recruits on campus this weekend to attend the Louisville-Providence basketball game on Saturday, and they'd obviously like to have Kragthorpe signed, sealed and delivered in time to meet the recruits.
Jurich also met Monday morning with Bobby Petrino's brother, Paul, the Cardinals' offensive coordinator. Paul Petrino is not believed to be a candidate for the job, if only because of his family ties to the guy who just walked out with nine years left on a contract he signed in August.
It's believed Louisville also had some initial interest in UCLA's Karl Dorrell, but Kragthorpe is clearly the candidate of choice.
Jurich and Kragthorpe have roots at Northern Arizona together. Jurich was the athletic director there in the late 1980s and early '90s, and Kragthorpe was NAU's quarterbacks coach from 1990-94.
Like Petrino, Kragthorpe has a track record as a strong quarterbacks coach and offensive tactician. He came to Tulsa after two years as the quarterbacks coach of the Buffalo Bills, and his Golden Hurricane teams have been prolific offensively.
Tulsa had lost 21 of its last 22 games when Kragthorpe took over in 2003 and has gone 29-22 since.
One could argue that a player who leaves before his 4 years of eligibility are up is breaking his word as well.
The only thing I would argue about that Chip, would be that not only are the players not getting paid millions to stay there, (although they get their fair share of perks) they also typically don't come out in the press and state how they are in no way leaving the University of "X" or the NFL squad du joir.
I'm just not a big fan of lying - for any reason. Say no comment and let it go if you plan on leaving, or might leave.
Dont get me wrong, I am not a petrino fan(unless he one day coaches UK) but there is not much else a coach "can" say.
I mean.... " well,I really like louisville but if a better job offer comes along sometime that gives me a decent increase , I will probably take it ".... will not exactly win alot of recruits.
Though the kids now there is always a chance of them leaving anyway ...they sure dont want to hear it.
Unless you get a coach that has some sort of ties to the University, then most jobs are "stepping-stones".
Perhaps, but I'm mainly talking about how people criticize coaches for telling the kid they are going to be their coach until they graduate and then the coach leaves. A coach signs players obstensibly believing these players will stay 4 years by accepting a scholarship and then a player will leave after 3 years.
It's tough for college coaches to deny these stories and it's tough for them to tell the kids they recruit that they will be there for as long as they are. Recruiting is war and if you are a hot shot coach that the NFL or NBA for that matter has shown interest in, if you are trying to convince kids to come play for you, you don't come out and tell them you'd like to be there 4 years but the NFL or NBA may come calling. Fo one thing, if you have a bad year, that interest may wane. For another thing, if you give any inclination you are leaving it will be used against you if you stay.
Petrino may have signed a 10 year deal but I didn't hear him say anything about him not taking the Falcons job.
When his name came up in the Alabama search, Petrino came out and said I'm not a candidate for any job openings, I'm happy here and I'm not leaving Louisville. I'm paraphrasing, perhaps he snuck a "college" openings in there that I don't recall.
Point is - he's still a punk for leaving in year 1 of a 10 year contract. This after he's lied in the past about not being a candidate for other jobs, and interviewing for LSU's opening just days after signing the new contract.
I actually think Louisville's AD may be glad to see him finally go - he's probably had a short list ready for some time.
Coaches are in a way like players thinking of the NFL: go when your value is highest.
Petrino's value is high right now.
When you interviewed for your current job, you more than likely told them you would make them a good worker and give a good effort.
If another company called you shortly thereafter and offered you basically double to come work for them.....I cant believe you wouldnt take it !
Petrino isnt the first and wont be the last.
For him to leave after one year is nothing that hasnt happened before.
That being said ...would I trust anything that bobby says .....no way !
As a UK fan ...I am happy to see him leave.
In all actuality , Petrino could have been set for life in the situation he was in.
Louisville in the Big East would be pretty much gauranteed a BCS bid most every year. With their schedule , i wasnt expecting to many 3-4 loss seasons.
Now in the NFL....two or three average seasons and you are out there door.
Of course, most exceptional coaches in the college ranks who dont succeed in the NFL, can usually find work again in the college ranks.
Word here in NJ is that Matt Simms will be looking for a new college. He had verbally committed to Louisville. Although I've seen him play a bit, and I think if he wasn't Phil's kid, he'd not be in such high demand.
I agree NJReds.....after seeing Simms play twice, I was left unimpressed. He may be projectable at this point with his body, but he was nothing special.
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