Atlanta Falcons hire Bobby Petrino

[GrantDawg]

Just broke on television...

[Logan]

...and in the Big East thread :).

But since most of the discussion will probably take place here...I guess it's a good hire for ATL, since they need some sort of innovative offensive mind to figure out Vick.

[GrantDawg]

First report...http://www.aolsportsblog.com/2007/01/07/falcons-hire-louisville-coach-bobby-petrino/

[cartman]

I read that as "I just broke my television"

:D

[VPI97]

Wow...horrible hire for the Falcons.

[GrantDawg]

...and in the Big East thread :).

But since most of the discussion will probably take place here...I guess it's a good hire for ATL, since they need some sort of innovative offensive mind to figure out Vick.



Well, he wasn't my first, second, third....actually not in my top 10 people for the job. I am very disappointed they didn't at least offer Whisenhunt.


And yes, silly me. I didn't think to look in the Big East thread for discussion for Falcons head coach discussion. :rolleyes:

[JPhillips]

Who was the last successful big name college coach to move up?

[st.cronin]

Wow...horrible hire for the Falcons.

lol

you're funny

[duckman]

I think SkyDog might run off a cliff after hearing the news. :D

[Swaggs]

I wonder if this means that Whisenhut will be the next Steelers coach.

[VPI97]

lol

you're funny
Well, maybe I was too harsh...at first glance, I didn't see how Petrino (who is a very, very good coach, btw) can mesh with the personnel that we have. But then again, he was responsible for Brunell having great years with the Jags, so maybe he'll get something going here.

Really wasn't the type of guy I was expecting, but we'll see how it works out.

[waltwal]

This guy is a good coach. That being said he is a major low-life. When he interviewed at Auburn behind the back of his "friend" Tommy Tuberville i lost all respect for this guy. This is a guy whose words are said to impress potential recruits and have nothing to do with truth and honesty. I don't care about Louisville but losing this guy is going to be for the good in the long run. Never, ever hire guys like this. There are enough good coaches out there whose word means something.

I don't blame him for saying things about staying at Louisville that he obviously did not mean because that is a necessity for recruiting. But i blame him for that Auburn affair and i would never touch a guy like this. Louisville will come out the winner in this deal..

[MizzouRah]

Quite interesting.

I could imagine a TCY + FOF game where I fire my head coach and hire, say the head coach from Michigan due to their #1 rated offense and the scheme he's been running. :)

[cartman]

Who was the last successful big name college coach to move up?

Switzer is the only name that comes to mind, but that doesn't really count since he inherited a stocked team.

[daveroswell]

I think Vick is overrated. I've followed his career since he was at Va. Tech. Here's what I see.

He has an ego, no matter what anyone says. That ego gets him injured often. He WILL NOT change his style of play, and has said as much often. He runs more than he should, and he almost ALWAYS runs on the left side. Ankle injuries, leg injuries, etc. He's talented WHEN he plays and when he's near 100%. I don't know how often that is anymore.

McNabb seems to be another guy. Runs too much, gets hurt, can't play in the playoffs.


...and in the Big East thread :).

But since most of the discussion will probably take place here...I guess it's a good hire for ATL, since they need some sort of innovative offensive mind to figure out Vick.

[Logan]

Well, he wasn't my first, second, third....actually not in my top 10 people for the job. I am very disappointed they didn't at least offer Whisenhunt.


And yes, silly me. I didn't think to look in the Big East thread for discussion for Falcons head coach discussion. :rolleyes:

Relax, I wasn't implying that you should have...just an innocent comment stemming from your "just broke on television" post.

You should know that your new coach is a huge proponent of running up the score.

[GrantDawg]

Who was the last successful big name college coach to move up?


Jimmy Johnson?

[GrantDawg]

Relax, I wasn't implying that you should have...just an innocent comment stemming from your "just broke on television" post.

You should know that your new coach is a huge proponent of running up the score.


Well, it did just break on television. I was just reporting what was said. Why is that a problem?

[ISiddiqui]

I'm actually plesantly surprised. He wasn't on anyone's radar. And I'm thinking that perhaps this indicates that Whisenhunt is tagged for the Steelers' job. Petrino is a great offensive mind and I'm interested to see the scheme he develops for the Falcons.

[Logan]

Well, it did just break on television. I was just reporting what was said. Why is that a problem?

Jesus, let it go.

If I wanted to be a dick about it, I would've said that it broke a half hour ago on television. But I didn't.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Gosh, I doubt I would have had his name in my list of top 10 guesses (if I had had a list that long).

[Eaglesfan27]

I think Vick is overrated. I've followed his career since he was at Va. Tech. Here's what I see.

He has an ego, no matter what anyone says. That ego gets him injured often. He WILL NOT change his style of play, and has said as much often. He runs more than he should, and he almost ALWAYS runs on the left side. Ankle injuries, leg injuries, etc. He's talented WHEN he plays and when he's near 100%. I don't know how often that is anymore.

McNabb seems to be another guy. Runs too much, gets hurt, can't play in the playoffs.

Give me a break. McNabb played in over 90% of the games his first 5 years with no injury problems. He had some bad luck the last 3 years, but he has not shown himself to be as injury prone as some QB's. Meanwhile, Vick has only had 1 year where he missed a significant number of games since becoming a starter.

[GrantDawg]

Jesus, let it go.

If I wanted to be a dick about it, I would've said that it broke a half hour ago on television. But I didn't.


I posted it the first I saw on Atlanta television and saw no one had posted it where it would be apparent. What is your problem? I started a thread to discuss this when no one else had. Again, what is your problem?

[Logan]

I posted it the first I saw on Atlanta television and saw no one had posted it where it would be apparent. What is your problem? I started a thread to discuss this when no one else had. Again, what is your problem?

The first thing I said:

Relax, I wasn't implying that you should have...just an innocent comment stemming from your "just broke on television" post.

You're the one who keeps bringing it up.

[VPI97]

Give me a break. McNabb played in over 90% of the games his first 5 years with no injury problems. He had some bad luck the last 3 years, but he has not shown himself to be as injury prone as some QB's. Meanwhile, Vick has only had 1 year where he missed a significant number of games since becoming a starter.
Over the last five seasons, Vick has played in a higher percentage of his team's games than McNabb.

[Eaglesfan27]

Over the last five seasons, Vick has played in a higher percentage of his team's games than McNabb.


Agreed. My point is that neither of them are highly injury prone as the original poster was saying.

[GrantDawg]

The first thing I said:



You're the one who keeps bringing it up.


This is your third post on it? What do you need, a cookie? You posted it first, and I started a thread about it. You get the "credit" if that is what you are crying about.

[RedKingGold]

Over the last five seasons, Vick has played in a higher percentage of his team's games than McNabb.

How many playoff wins has Vick led Atlanta to over that same amount of time?

IMO, the Falcons would be better off if Vick tore his ACL and you actually got to see Schuab for a decent amount of time.

[st.cronin]

I love random fights about nothing.

[duckman]

I love random fights about nothing.
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d138/duckman76/flying-cat-fight.jpg?t=1168226295

[Swaggs]

I love random fights about nothing.

When keeping it real goes too far.

[Crim]

GrantDawg and Logan are cracking me up. Get a fucking room.

[Raiders Army]

GrantDawg and Logan are cracking me up. Get a fucking room.

ditto

[Logan]

GrantDawg and Logan are cracking me up. Get a fucking room.

I wish I could stay away, but I can't. I didn't even post it first, it's not like I'm looking for any credit. There's about 5000 stupid, unnecessary posts per day here on FOFC, and mine was one of them. I guess I just have a problem with people who actually have a problem with them.

[VPI97]

IMO, the Falcons would be better off if Vick tore his ACL and you actually got to see Schuab for a decent amount of time.
Schaub has a worse completion percentage than Vick and has never won an NFL game.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Schaub has a worse completion percentage than Vick and has never won an NFL game.

The only thing he seems to have going for him is not being named Michael Vick.

For some people, that seems to be enough.

[VPI97]

The only thing he seems to have going for him is not being named Michael Vick.
I can think of one other thing he has going for him that Vick doesn't....especially in this town.

[daveroswell]

O.K., I will. WOW when I'm wrong, I really am wrong. Vick broke his leg in 03, but has still put up some pretty impressive numbers since then. October seems to be a bad month for him: he sprained his shoulder 10/13/02, and sprained his knee in 10/2/02. Neither of these were serious, though. I do have to say that his running seems to be self indulgent at times, as well as risky. He always seems to be criticized for his "lack of passing", but his passing numbers numbers are still pretty impressive.

Maybe I'm still taking Dan Reeve's firing out on Vick :rolleyes: :o

As far as McNabb goes, I just think maybe his age is catching up to him. It'll be interesting to see how far the Eagles can go in the playoffs without him.

Give me a break. McNabb played in over 90% of the games his first 5 years with no injury problems. He had some bad luck the last 3 years, but he has not shown himself to be as injury prone as some QB's. Meanwhile, Vick has only had 1 year where he missed a significant number of games since becoming a starter.

[Swaggs]

Schaub has a worse completion percentage than Vick and has never won an NFL game.

It is Scott Mitchell-syndrome. Backup quarterbacks are always the most popular players on the team, until they actually have to play.

[Raiders Army]

I can think of one other thing he has going for him that Vick doesn't....especially in this town.

Matt Schaub's name is Gary Cuba according to this old thread:
http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=38113&highlight=ron+mexico

[Rizon]

Ron Mexico winz gamez!!!!11111

[Raiders Army]

As far as McNabb goes, I just think maybe his age is catching up to him. It'll be interesting to see how far the Eagles can go in the playoffs without him.

I'd like to see the Eagles win the Superbowl without him.

[ISiddiqui]

It is Scott Mitchell-syndrome. Backup quarterbacks are always the most popular players on the team, until they actually have to play.

Yep... for Atlanta fans, it's "Doug Johnson syndrome". You heard people saying similar things about Doug Johnson as they are saying about Matt Schaub today. How the Falcons should move Vick to RB and have Johnson behind center, how Johnson was a better passer, etc. There was even talks of trading Johnson for a 2nd round pick. Then Vick got injured, Johnson was horrid (though too be fair, the Falcons have never been that talented of a team since the Superbowl year).

I think Schaub is probably better than Johnson, but that doesn't change the basic premise. Aside from Dunn, Crumpler, and Norwood, who is there around the QB in Atlanta?

[timmynausea]

I think Petrino could definitely be a good NFL coach, but I agree that he seems a curious choice for Atlanta and their total lack of wide recievers. Seriously, Louisville might have a better receiving corps than the Falcons.

It'll be interesting to see how it works out.

[st.cronin]

Yep... for Atlanta fans, it's "Doug Johnson syndrome". You heard people saying similar things about Doug Johnson as they are saying about Matt Schaub today. How the Falcons should move Vick to RB and have Johnson behind center, how Johnson was a better passer, etc. There was even talks of trading Johnson for a 2nd round pick. Then Vick got injured, Johnson was horrid (though too be fair, the Falcons have never been that talented of a team since the Superbowl year).

I think Schaub is probably better than Johnson, but that doesn't change the basic premise. Aside from Dunn, Crumpler, and Norwood, who is there around the QB in Atlanta?

For Patriots fans, it's "Matt Cassell syndrome."

[Rizon]

Yep... for Atlanta fans, it's "Doug Johnson syndrome". You heard people saying similar things about Doug Johnson as they are saying about Matt Schaub today. How the Falcons should move Vick to RB and have Johnson behind center, how Johnson was a better passer, etc. There was even talks of trading Johnson for a 2nd round pick. Then Vick got injured, Johnson was horrid (though too be fair, the Falcons have never been that talented of a team since the Superbowl year).

I think Schaub is probably better than Johnson, but that doesn't change the basic premise. Aside from Dunn, Crumpler, and Norwood, who is there around the QB in Atlanta?

I don't think I've ever heard anyone use the word "good" in the same sentence as Doug Johnson, unless the word "not" was also used.

[Cringer]

I haven't heard of any interviews sitting over here in Texas, did Atlanta fulfill their required 'minority' interview obligations?

[Cringer]

I love Wikipedia, already updated... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Petrino

[VPI97]

I haven't heard of any interviews sitting over here in Texas, did Atlanta fulfill their required 'minority' interview obligations?
Yep...already interviewed Ron Rivera and Mike Singletary.

[sabotai]

Yep...already interviewed Ron Rivera and Mike Singletary.

It's strange to me to see Mike Singletary's name thrown out there as a possible head coach. I think he'd be the first head coach that I got to see play.

[QuikSand]

It's strange to me to see Mike Singletary's name thrown out there as a possible head coach. I think he'd be the first head coach that I got to see play.

Unless you pretty rarely watch pro football, you probably caught some of Jack Del Rio's career. He was a Pro Bowler and starting LB into the mid-1990s.

[Cringer]

It's strange to me to see Mike Singletary's name thrown out there as a possible head coach. I think he'd be the first head coach that I got to see play.

Word.

Edit: forgot about Del Rio.

[Ragone]

I dunno, am i surprised petrino left.. absolutely not.. And i think Louisville will be better off for it in the long run..

I am more curious to see who Louisville goes after next.. Kragthorpe from tulsa? Petersen from Boise State maybe?

[sabotai]

Unless you pretty rarely watch pro football, you probably caught some of Jack Del Rio's career. He was a Pro Bowler and starting LB into the mid-1990s.

Forgot about him, but I don't specifically recall seeing him play (although I'm sure I did). I can still vividly remember watching Singletary play.

[Ben E Lou]

He never saw Art Shell???


This is, well, interesting. I'll reserve judgement, but I'm not necessarily optimistic.

[cuervo72]

Hrm. Haslett played last in 1987, Fisher '85, Cowher '84. Herm Edwards until '86. Kubiak played until '91. Tice played until the 1995.

[TroyF]

Interesting hire for a lot of reasons. You knew they were going offense because they want to give Vick his last real crack.

But I'd have thought they would go after someone with HC experience in the NFL, rather than a college guy. He's had nice offenses in college, but so did Spurrier and Saban.

I don't think it's a slam dunk mishire. I kind of agree with SD above. I don't really like it, but I'll reserve judgement until I see some of Atlantas games next year.

[Ksyrup]

His one year as OC with the Jags was not so great. Of course, that was when the team was on the decline under Coughlin and Fred Taylor was out for most of the year. He still had the Brunell/Smith/McCardell passing offense to work with, but he got nothing out of anyone else on that offense.

[lordscarlet]

Schaub has a worse completion percentage than Vick and has never won an NFL game.

The differences are quite negligable. 53.8% for Vick and 52.2% for Schaub. not to mention Schaub has 10% of the attempts that Vick does. I think you just can't compare at this point. I can say that Schaub has steadily increased his completion percentage while Vick's has fluctuated within 2% or so.

[Ryche]

Denny Green was a college coach, although he had been an assistant in the NFL before that.

[cartman]

As for the last two college coaches that made a successful jump to the NFL, here are what I see as the reasons:

Jimmy Johnson:
He had a stable coaching staff. He had a core group of guys that he was able to bring along with him from the college ranks. If I'm not mistaken, at least a couple of them were his assistants at Oklahoma State that followed him to Miami. If there is already an established, successful chemistry among the coaches, that can only help the transition to the next level. Not a guarantee of success, but it wipes out the whole 'getting to know the new coach' phase that often times does not end successfully.

Barry Switzer:
Inherited the organization that Johnson built.

As for the other coaches that moved up from college to pro, they for the most part inherited a group of assistants that were not successful under the previous head coach, or they have to piece together a new staff from scratch, most of which have never worked together in the past.

[Ksyrup]

As far as college coaches who made a "successful" jump to the NFL, how about Bobby Ross? Granted, he wasn't great by Jimmy Johnson standards, but he had only 1 losing season in 9 years, and took the Chargers and Lions to a combined 4 playoff appearances, including 1 Super Bowl appearance. And, in retrospect, his 4 years with the Lions look like Jimmy Johnson with the Cowboys compared to where they've been since he left!

[cthomer5000]

Why don't I hear Wayne Fontes' name come up any more?!

[Klinglerware]

Why don't I hear Wayne Fontes' name come up any more?!

Because the NFL doesn't appreciate true coaching genius?

[M GO BLUE!!!]

This guy is a good coach. That being said he is a major low-life. When he interviewed at Auburn behind the back of his "friend" Tommy Tuberville i lost all respect for this guy. This is a guy whose words are said to impress potential recruits and have nothing to do with truth and honesty. I don't care about Louisville but losing this guy is going to be for the good in the long run. Never, ever hire guys like this. There are enough good coaches out there whose word means something.

I don't blame him for saying things about staying at Louisville that he obviously did not mean because that is a necessity for recruiting. But i blame him for that Auburn affair and i would never touch a guy like this. Louisville will come out the winner in this deal..

Sounds like he and Mr. Mexico might be soulmates...

[M GO BLUE!!!]

It is Scott Mitchell-syndrome. Backup quarterbacks are always the most popular players on the team, until they actually have to play.

...but in the case of Scott Mitchell and Joey Harrington, their being in the game was only slightly better than opeining up your offense with the punter in shotgun formation. (Unless you were talking about Mitchell in Miami, which would make no sense.)

It should be called Rodney Peete Syndrome, as if you examine how many backups Wayne tried to replace Rodney with, but examine thier careers compared to Peete's you can wasily see that the problem wasn't the QB, but that Wayne insisted on running the chuck-n-duck offense with QB's who (mostly) should have been running a short passing game style of offense (Peete, Long, Kramer, Gagliano.)

[Mr. Wednesday]

For Patriots fans, it's "Matt Cassell syndrome."
Has it really existed since Brady became entrenched, though?

The last serious incarnation that I can remember is Michael Bishop syndrome.

[larrymcg421]

How many playoff wins has Vick led Atlanta to over that same amount of time?

IMO, the Falcons would be better off if Vick tore his ACL and you actually got to see Schuab for a decent amount of time.

Not that I think judging an individual player's performance based on team records makes any sense, but Vick is 2-2 in the playoffs, including the only postseason road win ever at Lambeau field. I don't tink that's so bad for someone who has only been a starter for 4 full seasons.

[JonInMiddleGA]

As far as college coaches who made a "successful" jump to the NFL, how about Bobby Ross?

Funny you mention him, I was just talking about the same thing while taking my son to school this morning.

My comment at the time was that I didn't think Ross counted because he had more experience as an NFL assistant. Turns out (of course) that I was misremembering that, as he only spent 4 years in KC before his college success. Petrino has 3 seasons with the Jaguars, close enough to make it a valid comparison in that respect (although Ross had nearly twice as many years as a college head coach as Petrino)

[JPhillips]

According to Bengals.com the new offensive coordinator for the Falcons will be Bengals receivers coach Hue Jackson. He and Petrino worked together at Arizona State and he's the only person to call plays for Steve Spurrier.

He's been a very good receivers coach, but his only pro coordinator experience was with Spurrier and the Redskins.

[BishopMVP]

The last serious incarnation that I can remember is Michael Bishop syndrome.Word.

I was watching a CFL semi-final a month or so ago between Montreal and Toronto and Bishop came in to replace, I think, Damon Allen, at QB. Robert Edwards and Ricky Williams were the starting RB's.

On topic, Tom Coughlin said something along the lines of Petrino being the best or most imaginative play-caller he's ever coached with, but if you've seen a Tom Coughlin team play offense, that's not saying much.

[sabotai]

Hrm. Haslett played last in 1987, Fisher '85, Cowher '84. Herm Edwards until '86. Kubiak played until '91. Tice played until the 1995.

Haslett, Fisher, Cowher and Edwards were just a bit before my time. They all retired around the the time I started watching football. Kubiack and Tice I forgot about as well, but like with Del Rio, I don't remember actually seeing them play (although I'm sure at some point I did).

[Mr. Wednesday]

I should follow up on Bishop syndrome to note that my further recollection is that it was in favor of Bledsoe, and while Bishop didn't turn out to be the right guy, the fans were right about finding someone better than Drew.

sabotai, Kubiak was a career backup to Elway, so you probably didn't see him play.

[Ksyrup]

You never watched the end of a Broncos blowout and saw Kubiak mopping up? :)

I don't think he threw more than 80-90 passes in a single season in his career, although for some reason I recall him playing a significant role in a playoff game or entire post-season. Probably just one game, though I can't recall why (or if Elway got injured).

[sabotai]

sabotai, Kubiak was a career backup to Elway, so you probably didn't see him play.

Yeah, after I looked him up, I saw that. Now that I think about it, I do remember seeing Kubiack when he played (read: stood on the sidelines next to Elway).

[Ben E Lou]

In an interview I heard, McKay definitively declared that Vick is the starter. For better or for worse, it doesn't sound like a HC decision to me.

[wade moore]

In an interview I heard, McKay definitively declared that Vick is the starter. For better or for worse, it doesn't sound like a HC decision to me.
Are you surprised?

[Ben E Lou]

Are you surprised?No, but was just commenting for the benefit of those who wondered if it would be Petrino's call.

[wade moore]

No, but was just commenting for the benefit of those who wondered if it would be Petrino's call.

Shew, you haven't gone stupid on me. :D

[JonInMiddleGA]

Heh.
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/falcons/stories/2007/01/08/0109sptgimmefive.html

Published on: 01/09/07

Louisville Courier-Journal columnist Rick Bozich gives us five things every Falcons fan should know about Bobby Petrino:

1. Don't believe the stories that he sleeps in his office during training camp. They're not true. Bobby Petrino doesn't sleep anywhere during training camp.

2. He'd rather visit his proctologist than visit with the media.

3. He'll wait until at least August until he listens to an offer for another job. Unless, of course, somebody contacts him in June or July.

4. Petrino is the Italian who coached in Louisville who did not wear the Brioni suits and Bruno Magli loafers.

5. He's not going to think these little lists are very funny, especially if they concern him.

[Ksyrup]

Louisville lost Phil Simms other kid (another QB) as a commitment today.

[Young Drachma]

Ooh, Rutgers might get him now.

[Ksyrup]

Accordng to the article I read, BC and Rutgers are out of the running. Arizona State and now, because of Dantonio, Michigan State, are his top choices. But he also said he's starting from "square one" in his search.

[KWhit]

Ooh, Rutgers might get him now.

I heard Phil Simms on the radio yesterday saying that was unlikely as Rutgers currently has 5 QBs signed already.

[Ksyrup]

Here's the article:

Matt Simms back to 'Square One' <!-- start page_icons_top --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=gray>http://www.northjersey.com/img/email_top.gif (http://javascript<b></b>:popPrint('email.php?qstr=ZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcwNTQ0ODYmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2');) http://www.northjersey.com/img/print_top.gif (http://javascript<b></b>:popPrint('print.php?qstr=ZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcwNTQ0ODYmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2');) <!-- <a href="rateit.php" target="_blank"> http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/img/rateit_top.gif <a href="media.php" target="_blank"> http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/img/media.gif // --></TD><TD class=gray align=right>http://www.northjersey.com/img/herald_logo_sm.gif </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- end page_icons_top --><!-- start page related and byline--><TABLE width=478><TBODY><TR><TD>
Tuesday, January 9, 2007

By ART STAPLETON
STAFF WRITER


</TD><TD align=right><!-- start page_related --><!-- end page_related --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!--end page related and byline--><!-- start page_photo_right --><TABLE width=210 align=right><TBODY><TR><TD class=caption>http://www.northjersey.com/lib/get_image.php?story_id=7054486&image_size=f
TYSON TRISH / THE RECORD
http://www.northjersey.com/img/arrow_bigup.gifMATT SIMMS

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- end page_photo_right --><!-- start disp_story_with_OAS_ad -->
Don Bosco quarterback Matt Simms broke the family huddle in August and never anticipated that he would change the play.
He was committed to Louisville. He was committed to the potential of a program poised for big things at the top of the Big East Conference and nationally. He was committed to ending his recruitment early, avoiding any of the extra attention that comes with waiting.
Once the coach who sold him on Louisville changed his mind, though, only then did Simms call an audible of his own.
Just hours after Bobby Petrino left the school to become the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons on Monday, Simms withdrew his pledge to join the Cardinals this fall, opting to re-open a process that for him had been closed for months.
The only sure thing is that it won't be where he originally said he would go.
"I'm not going to Louisville," Simms said. "I'm pretty much back to Square One."
Simms in August announced he would play for Petrino at Louisville, but athletes are not bound by the NCAA to schools or to their scholarship until they sign a letter of intent in their respective sport. The signing period for football begins Feb. 7.
<!-- INFO BOX --><TABLE cellSpacing=8 cellPadding=4 width=200 align=right valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=lightcolor cellpadding="4">VARSITY ACES <HR>Darren Cooper, Greg Mattura , Dan Rosen, Paul Schwartz and Art Stapleton cover sports for The Record and offer their take on high schools, pros and everything in between.

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<!-- /INFO BOX -->"He's pretty much one of the main reasons I committed to Louisville," Simms said of Petrino, "so the fact that he's not there, it's time for me to find someplace else, somewhere I'm going to feel comfortable."
The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Simms completed his heralded high school career at Giants Stadium last month by leading Don Bosco to a 41-0 victory over St. Peter's Prep in the Non-Public Group 4 title game. He finished the season with 1,981 passing yards and 18 touchdowns, and in three years as the starter threw for more than 60 touchdowns and 6,000 yards.
Simms said he found some peace of mind when Petrino signed a 10-year contract extension in the summer to stay at Louisville, but remained well aware that the allure of the NFL would always be there for a coach whose stock continued to rise.
Once Petrino made up his mind to leave the college game, though, Simms felt compelled to change his plans, deciding to again search for what he called "a better fit."
Older brother Chris committed to Tennessee before signing with Texas as a senior at Ramapo eight years ago, an experience that Matt did not want to happen during his recruiting process. Former Giant great Phil Simms did not want his youngest son to go through a similar experience and he would not have, Matt insisted, had Petrino stayed at Louisville.
"One thing I was always worried about was whether or not he'd leave while I was there," Simms said. "You never want to transfer out of a school, and if he left, who knows what happens after that. I was happy with my decision to go to Louisville, as long as [Petrino] was there, but now that's not the case. I guess I'm lucky it happened now.
"Now I'm back to trying to find a home and the right place for me to go."
Of the four schools that were on Simms' original final list of suitors, Rutgers is the only one not looking for a new coach. Though Louisville already is in the process of finding Petrino's successor – Tulsa's Steve Kragthorpe is expected to be the choice -- Arizona State and Boston College also will have new faces on the sideline next season.
Arizona State still is an option, Simms said, but Rutgers and Boston College are not.
Then there is the emergence of Michigan State, a legitimate contender because of a new coaching staff led by former Cincinnati head coach Mark Dantonio. Dantonio and several of his assistants really impressed Simms when they were recruiting him for the Bearcats.
Simms called it a long shot, but said he would reconsider Louisville "if the right person landed there and they recruited me, but that's probably not likely.
"Michigan State is definitely an option and so is Arizona State," Simms said. "I have all of my [official] visits to take and I'm probably going to take them. I'll just have to see how the next month or so plays out, but I'd like to have a school by signing day.
"In a way, I can take all the time in the world to see what's out there, and I'm not going to rush. I'm going to wait and see."
Blog: northjersey.com/varsityaces/stapleton
* * *
Where will Bosco star end up?
The options Their chances
Arizona State A finalist the first time, the Sun Devils just got a commitment from QB Chasen Stangel.
Michigan State New head coach Mark Dantonio has Simms' attention because of the way he pursued him while at Cincinnati.
Louisville Could reconsider if Bobby Petrino's successor makes strong pitch and QB coach Jeff Brohm sticks around.
Somewhere else Any school looking for a QB could swoop in between now and Feb. 7.
OUT OF THE PICTURE
Boston College New staff would need to make inroads quickly to have a shot.
Rutgers Not likely to follow former Bosco teammate Mike Teel.
<!-- end disp_story_with_OAS_ad -->

[timmynausea]

I certainly don't have too much knowledge of the Louisville staff, but I have wondered why Louisiville didn't just promote Offensive Coordinator Paul Petrino, Bobby's brother, to take the head coaching job and basically keep the current staff and recruiting class together. It may be that he will go with his brother to the pros, but I've read that he was calling recruits as of yesterday so that doesn't seem to be the case.

Maybe Kragthorpe is a better coach and would be better to have in the long run, but promoting from within would've kept everything together in the short term. It's less than a month until signing day.

[timmynausea]

After posting I read this:

Four of Petrino’s assistants were in attendance for Kragthorpe’s press conference, defensive coordinator Mike Cassity, quarterbacks coach Jeff Brohm, running backs coach Greg Nord and linebackers coach Reggie Johnson. They are the only assistants from Petrino’s staff that could join Kragthorpe’s team at U of L.

So it seems Paul Petrino must be moving on. Keeping Jeff Brohm may help convince Brian to stay in school, though.

[Logan]

Ooh, Rutgers might get him now.

It would be a disaster. We don't need Phil trying to pull strings to get his son to play in 2 years, only to go whine to the media when he realizes he can't bully Schiano.

In the BE thread I guessed he'll end up at South Florida, playing in the same stadium as his brother (as long as Chris re-signs after this new 2 year deal is up; Matt has plenty of work to do).

[Raiders Army]

As far as college coaches who made a "successful" jump to the NFL, how about Bobby Ross? Granted, he wasn't great by Jimmy Johnson standards, but he had only 1 losing season in 9 years, and took the Chargers and Lions to a combined 4 playoff appearances, including 1 Super Bowl appearance. And, in retrospect, his 4 years with the Lions look like Jimmy Johnson with the Cowboys compared to where they've been since he left!

He hasn't done shit with Army.

[BYU 14]

I certainly don't have too much knowledge of the Louisville staff, but I have wondered why Louisiville didn't just promote Offensive Coordinator Paul Petrino, Bobby's brother, to take the head coaching job and basically keep the current staff and recruiting class together. It may be that he will go with his brother to the pros, but I've read that he was calling recruits as of yesterday so that doesn't seem to be the case.

Maybe Kragthorpe is a better coach and would be better to have in the long run, but promoting from within would've kept everything together in the short term. It's less than a month until signing day.

Kargthorpe has been a hot name for a couple of Seasons now, albeit one that is still affordable. Perhaps the Louisville Brass thinks that makes them look better long term, as opposed to promoting an unknown commodity from within. Also a good chance Paul goes with Bobby....

Still I like the idea of trying to keep continuity of your staff if the chemistry is solid....It has worked real well for Boise State over the last decade or so.

[Swaggs]

There is a good chance that Paul Petrino could be joining Nick Saban's staff in Alabama, from what I hear.

Also, from the film and reports I have read on Matt Simms, he is going to have to be very well coached and improve a great deal to be a good, DIA starting quarterback. He could develop into a very good quarterback, but I don't necessarily think that he is a guy that is "sure-thing" starting QB if he ends up at any of the schools that are pursuing him.

[Ragone]

The reason Paul Petrino didn't get promoted was basically his family ties..

Fool me once shame on you.. Fool me twice shame on me

I'm fairly thrilled that they managed to hire who they wanted so quickly, it bodes well for the program and recruiting

[ISiddiqui]

I've also heard that Paul Petrino didn't really do all that much at UL, as Bobby Petrino was the one running the offense.

[Easy Mac]

I love this insider info from Todd McShay:

Petrino recruiting ... again: A source close to the situation says that Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino is putting the "hard sell" on QB Brian Brohm (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/player?draftyear=2007&id=11317) and RB Michael Bush (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfldraft/draft/tracker/player?draftyear=2007&id=10563) to return to school for the 2007 season. Brohm, considered a mid-first round prospect, reportedly is weighing his options and should decide early next week. Bush, on the other hand, is expected to make his decision public over the weekend. Bush is said to be leaning towards returning to school after suffering a season-ending broken leg in the opener versus Kentucky.

So either:
A) McShay was given info that the source thought was true,
B) McShay was intentionally given shit,
C) McShay makes this stuff up.

Assuming its #1, how big of an ass does that make Bobby Petrino? 4 days after this story, Mora was fired, but that was a foregone conclusion. Patrino was hired 11 days after this story. I know contracts can get done fast, but he had to have been contacted by the time this story was up. He had to know he was seriously looking at other jobs. Yet he's telling these two guys to stay for him? WTF.

[Ksyrup]

He hasn't done shit with Army.

Um...no offense, but it's Army. And we were discussing college coaches who made a successful jump to the NFL. His time at Army really doesn't factor into that discussion, although it shouldn't be held against him that he can't field a successful football team at a service academy during a war.

[Logan]

I love this insider info from Todd McShay:



So either:
A) McShay was given info that the source thought was true,
B) McShay was intentionally given shit,
C) McShay makes this stuff up.

Assuming its #1, how big of an ass does that make Bobby Petrino? 4 days after this story, Mora was fired, but that was a foregone conclusion. Patrino was hired 11 days after this story. I know contracts can get done fast, but he had to have been contacted by the time this story was up. He had to know he was seriously looking at other jobs. Yet he's telling these two guys to stay for him? WTF.

Well I don't have the answer to what you're looking for...but I'm not sure Bush's decision to go pro was a wise one. He's going to be a late 1st round pick at best, unless he has a monster combine. I would've thought it would be a better idea for him to come back, show everyone he's healthy, all while being the featured part of a Brohm-less offense.

Brohm should go though, even if he's stuck as a late 1st rounder. He's flirted with injuries twice without them being serious. Plus the longer he stays in college, the better chance more observers will notice his terrible pocket presence and happy feet.

[VPI97]

I love this insider info from Todd McShay:



So either:
A) McShay was given info that the source thought was true,
B) McShay was intentionally given shit,
C) McShay makes this stuff up.

Assuming its #1, how big of an ass does that make Bobby Petrino? 4 days after this story, Mora was fired, but that was a foregone conclusion. Patrino was hired 11 days after this story. I know contracts can get done fast, but he had to have been contacted by the time this story was up. He had to know he was seriously looking at other jobs. Yet he's telling these two guys to stay for him? WTF.
One of the things Blank mentioned on the radio this morning was that while he and McKay made the decision to talk to Petrino prior to the new year, they didn't contact either him or his agent until after the Orange Bowl.

[Logan]

One of the things Blank mentioned on the radio this morning was that while he and McKay made the decision to talk to Petrino prior to the new year, they didn't contact either him or his agent until after the Orange Bowl.

True, but Petrino also has had his foot out the door for 3 years. If I'm a Louisville fan, I'm happy that constant distraction is gone, while also getting a coach who seems really solid in Kragthorpe.

[Ksyrup]

Well I don't have the answer to what you're looking for...but I'm not sure Bush's decision to go pro was a wise one. He's going to be a late 1st round pick at best, unless he has a monster combine. I would've thought it would be a better idea for him to come back, show everyone he's healthy, all while being the featured part of a Brohm-less offense.

Based on what I read, it's an even worse decision than you think. He's apparently been told that he could go anywhere from late 1st to 3rd. However, consider these snippets from the ESPN.com article:


"Bush told reporters last month that his rehabilitation was going well, though he continues to walk with a slight limp and has yet to begin running.

...

He is planning to spend the next few months rehabbing the leg in Arizona in hopes of being able to run for NFL scouts prior to April's draft.

"If I can't run in March, maybe I fall to the third," Bush said. "That is a chance I am willing to take."


So we're talking about a guy who still walked with a limp and couldn't run in December (or is that referring to his present condition?), has ruled out participating at the combine (end of February, and he's talking March at the earliest), and is hoping to run for teams at some point prior to the draft. Yikes. I think he's maybe a 2nd rounder only under the best of circumstances and possibly doesn't sniff the 3rd round if things don't go well. I don't think some team is going to say, "Well, he's not completely healed yet and he ran The Clarett 40, but scouts told him he'd be no worse than a 3rd rounder, so I guess we have to take one for the league."

[rkmsuf]

Based on what I read, it's an even worse decision than you think. He's apparently been told that he could go anywhere from late 1st to 3rd. However, consider these snippets from the ESPN.com article:


"Bush told reporters last month that his rehabilitation was going well, though he continues to walk with a slight limp and has yet to begin running.

...

He is planning to spend the next few months rehabbing the leg in Arizona in hopes of being able to run for NFL scouts prior to April's draft.

"If I can't run in March, maybe I fall to the third," Bush said. "That is a chance I am willing to take."


So we're talking about a guy who, in the second week of January, still walks with a limp and can't run, has ruled out participating at the combine (end of February, and he's talking March at the earliest), and is hoping to run for teams at some point prior to the draft. Yikes. I think he's maybe a 2nd rounder only under the best of circumstances and possibly doesn't sniff the 3rd round if things don't go well. I don't think some team is going to say, "Well, he not completely healed yet and he ran The Clarett 40, but scouts told him he'd be no worse than a 3rd rounder, so I guess we have to take one for the league."


Not to mention that running back is not a highly valued position overall in the NFL. Guy got some bad advice somewhere. Reading that it sounds like a miracle for this guy to be a day 1 pick.

[Logan]

Yeah, he'll be interesting to follow. I don't think he'll slip into the 3rd round though, unless a physical shows something really bad. A team like the Jets, with two 2nd round picks, would probably jump all over him.

[Ksyrup]

I wonder if he's an intriguing to Shanahan as Clarett was?

[Ksyrup]

I wonder if he's as intriguing to Shanahan as Clarett was?

[timmynausea]

I see the points about Michael Bush, but he was a senior this past year, so he would be applying for an additional year in college. He thought long and hard about coming out last year, when he basically would've been a 2nd round pick, but was basically talked into staying and altering his running style so he could improve his stock. Instead he broke his leg.

He probably really regrets coming back and just wants to get out of there, especially since his coach is gone. 3rd round money is still a ton for a college kid, and I think Bush will turn out a lot better than Clarett. He's bigger (250) and faster than Maurice.

[Ksyrup]

He could be McGahee, who knows. It just sucks for him that the timing of his recovery is not going to maximize his draft potential, even if he comes back to 100% of what he was.

[JPhillips]

We're really not talking about a ton of money. Unless you're a top half of the first round pick your first contract isn't going to be overwhelming. If he's good he'll be able to make plenty of cash on his second contract.

[Logan]

I see the points about Michael Bush, but he was a senior this past year, so he would be applying for an additional year in college. He thought long and hard about coming out last year, when he basically would've been a 2nd round pick, but was basically talked into staying and altering his running style so he could improve his stock. Instead he broke his leg.

He probably really regrets coming back and just wants to get out of there, especially since his coach is gone. 3rd round money is still a ton for a college kid, and I think Bush will turn out a lot better than Clarett. He's bigger (250) and faster than Maurice.

My only response to that is that he was also coming off a severe injury during his junior year. It's been awhile since he's been at full strength, and that might hurt him come draft time. A full year injury-free can make him a top 10 pick next year, probably right behind McFadden at RB.

Of course, the obvious counterpoint to that is...if he goes back and gets hurt again, it could be a "3 strikes and you're out" scenario where no team will look at him next year. So in that case, it would be a good move to go now.

[miami_fan]

Heh.
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/falcons/stories/2007/01/08/0109sptgimmefive.html

Published on: 01/09/07

Louisville Courier-Journal columnist Rick Bozich gives us five things every Falcons fan should know about Bobby Petrino:

1. Don't believe the stories that he sleeps in his office during training camp. They're not true. Bobby Petrino doesn't sleep anywhere during training camp.

2. He'd rather visit his proctologist than visit with the media.

3. He'll wait until at least August until he listens to an offer for another job. Unless, of course, somebody contacts him in June or July.

4. Petrino is the Italian who coached in Louisville who did not wear the Brioni suits and Bruno Magli loafers.

5. He's not going to think these little lists are very funny, especially if they concern him.


Bump just to say this post is a whole lot funnier today than it was January!:D

[k0ruptr]

This guy is a good coach. That being said he is a major low-life. When he interviewed at Auburn behind the back of his "friend" Tommy Tuberville i lost all respect for this guy. This is a guy whose words are said to impress potential recruits and have nothing to do with truth and honesty. I don't care about Louisville but losing this guy is going to be for the good in the long run. Never, ever hire guys like this. There are enough good coaches out there whose word means something.

I don't blame him for saying things about staying at Louisville that he obviously did not mean because that is a necessity for recruiting. But i blame him for that Auburn affair and i would never touch a guy like this. Louisville will come out the winner in this deal..

wow. A+ on the homework.

[Tekneek]

wow. A+ on the homework.

Indeed. I hope this puts an end to NFL teams hiring these "next big thing" college coaches and give preference to those coaches that actually are already involved in the pro game and know how to handle professional players. If somebody on FOFC had such a good read on the character of this guy, how did Blank and McKay not get it? This should look bad for them as well. It's their job to not get schooled by an employee like this.

[Toddzilla]

Yeah - even after Petrino forcefully denied he had interviewed with Auburn officials, a reporter showed him the flight logs which showed Auburn chartered their private plane to fly from Auburn to the airport in Ohio just over the river from Louisville. Petrino still denied talking to Auburn officials, but after the reporter ran the story in the paper, Auburn admitted to interviewing Petrino, and then he came clean.

He's a scumbag.

[Toddzilla]

Dola - here's a wrinkle that may get some play today....

Seems Jerry Jones - Cowboy's owner and Arkansas alum - brokered the interview between Petrino and Arkansas. Jones didn't even speak to Arthur Blank about it, much less ask for permission to talk to Petrino about the Arkansas job.

[Subby]

http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/06/95/04/image_6304956.jpg

[Radii]

Dola - here's a wrinkle that may get some play today....

Seems Jerry Jones - Cowboy's owner and Arkansas alum - brokered the interview between Petrino and Arkansas. Jones didn't even speak to Arthur Blank about it, much less ask for permission to talk to Petrino about the Arkansas job.

source?

[Tekneek]

Dola - here's a wrinkle that may get some play today....

Seems Jerry Jones - Cowboy's owner and Arkansas alum - brokered the interview between Petrino and Arkansas. Jones didn't even speak to Arthur Blank about it, much less ask for permission to talk to Petrino about the Arkansas job.

According to the AJC, Jones asked both McKay and Blank for permission and they both said no.

"From my perspective, the answer is no," Blank said he told Jones. But Blank told Jones to call Rich McKay, the Falcons' president and general manager, for a formal answer.

On Friday, Petrino called Blank to tell him he was thinking of returning to college coaching. That same day, McKay talked to Jones. "I told him I was not inclined to grant permission," McKay said.

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/falcons/stories/2007/12/12/deal_1213.html

[KWhit]

According to the AJC, Jones asked both McKay and Blank for permission and they both said no.

"From my perspective, the answer is no," Blank said he told Jones. But Blank told Jones to call Rich McKay, the Falcons' president and general manager, for a formal answer.

On Friday, Petrino called Blank to tell him he was thinking of returning to college coaching. That same day, McKay talked to Jones. "I told him I was not inclined to grant permission," McKay said.

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/falcons/stories/2007/12/12/deal_1213.html

Right, which is even worse. He asked, was told no, and then Petrino and Arkansas met anyway. Nice.

[Tekneek]

More shady stuff has come out...

Petrino's new boss, Arkansas AD Jeff Long, defended his new coach in a story published in the Dayton Daily News. "Here's what I want you to know," Long is quoted at saying. "I'm an ethical person. I want to do things the right way. Had I wanted to talk to him [Petrino] while he was head coach of the Falcons, I would have called and asked."

Those statements contradict the sequence of events that occurred on Tuesday, when Petrino swapped jobs.

Long told both The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Wednesday that he flew to Atlanta Tuesday afternoon and met with Petrino and Campbell in downtown Atlanta. The meeting, Long said, began at 2 p.m. Long and Petrino agreed on a basic outline of a deal and Petrino left.

Petrino returned to Falcons headquarters in Flowery Branch and walked into the office of Rich McKay, the team's president and general manager, to resign sometime after 5 p.m. Blank said he received a call from Petrino after Petrino spoke to McKay.

"When he called me for the 30-second conversation after he resigned, I said to him. 'I assume you're going to Arkansas,' " Blank told the AJC. "He said he didn't know what he was going to do. I swear to God. He never admitted then that he was going to Arkansas."

So Arkansas AD claims that Petrino was already out when he offered him the job, but the evidence says otherwise. It seems to me that getting involved with Bobby Petrino is anything but an exercise in good ethics and values.

[Synovia]

"So Arkansas AD claims that Petrino was already out when he offered him the job, but the evidence says otherwise. It seems to me that getting involved with Bobby Petrino is anything but an exercise in good ethics and values."

Why are ethics even involved. His contract said he could opt out.

[MJ4H]

So Arkansas AD claims that Petrino was already out when he offered him the job, but the evidence says otherwise.

What evidence? One side claims one thing, the other something else.

[Hammer755]

What evidence? One side claims one thing, the other something else.

It doesn't sound like the times of the meetings were in question, but the timing of the resignation.

Long's meeting with Petrino was at 2, and Blank's was at 5. It sounds like Petrino told Long he had already quit when it wasn't the case yet.

[BrianD]

It doesn't sound like the times of the meetings were in question, but the timing of the resignation.

Long's meeting with Petrino was at 2, and Blank's was at 5. It sounds like Petrino told Long he had already quit when it wasn't the case yet.

Maybe Petrino had resigned via a letter to Blank before 2, but Blank just hasn't found the letter yet.

[Shkspr]

Maybe Petrino had resigned via a letter to Blank before 2, but Blank just hasn't found the letter yet.


Michael Vick's dog ate it?

[MJ4H]

It is difficult to tell, but it's all a technicality anyway. Even though they never talked before that day, everyone knows they "talked" before that day (through intermediaries at the very least).

[Tekneek]

Why are ethics even involved. His contract said he could opt out.

I didn't play the ethics card. The Arkansas AD played it.

Whether or not this is the way "everybody does it", the claim of Jeff Long that it was completely ethical would not appear to be true. Legal, or just the same as everybody else? Probably so. Just because most people do it a particular way (or that it is legal) does not mean it is ethical.

At the same time, the Falcons should never have hired the guy, so they get what they deserve. My problems with how this played out have more to do with the character and competence of the parties involved.

[SteveMax58]

Indeed. I hope this puts an end to NFL teams hiring these "next big thing" college coaches and give preference to those coaches that actually are already involved in the pro game and know how to handle professional players.

I agree with this 100%.

I think the problem is that executive-types like Blank (not necessarily all) do not want to hear things like, "Well...I would expect to be very competitive within 3 years of establishing my persona on the team, and of course some roster changes as well. This could be anybody from our 1st string QB to the 3rd string PR." They want to hear how their current team should be winning more and shouldnt need any major changes to win now.

So...when a veteran NFL coach(or coordinator) comes in to interview and states a more realistic approach they feel is needed, and lays out a more realistic set of expectations, it just doesnt sound good. Guys like Parcells are just not very common...meaning a successful & proven HC who's expertise is nearly unquestioned.

I suppose it's like that in many professions, though. But unlike most other professions, success is not just determined by profit.

[Cringer]

John Abraham (DE, Falcons) is on the Scott Ferrall show right now and it's pretty funny. He is talking about how they have a real coach this year, not like that rat last year. Called him a rat, a weasel, and just overall showed great love for the guy. :D

Gone but not forgotten I guess.