New Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino Just Fired Three Assistants—And The School Still Owes $7.8 Million To The Man He Replaced

It's been a tumultuous few days for the Arkansas Razorbacks. The school got throttled at home by Notre Dame on Saturday, losing 56-13. The score was 14-10 midway through the second quarter and 42-13 by halftime. On Sunday, Arkansas fired head coach Sam Pittman, replacing him with offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino. A day later, Petrino fired three defensive assistants.

Pittman was announced as the Razorbacks' head coach in December 2019 and coached the team since 2020. He'll finish his Arkansas coaching career with a losing record of 32-34. However, Pittman had a buyout clause that kicked in if he finished above .500 since 2021. He barely hit that milestone, achieving a 29-27 mark in that timeframe.

It may not have been pretty, but he still reached the goal. Now, Arkansas owes Pittman $7.8 million to not coach the team. It actually would have been even more at $9.3 million, but Pittman reportedly agreed to a reduced buyout from the program. Arkansas will save $1.5 million in what it pays its former coach. Had it waited until he dropped below .500, the buyout would have been $5.7 million instead.

Sam Pittman (L) and Bobby Petrino (Andy Altenburger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, it's Petrino's second stint as Arkansas's head coach. He previously led the team from 2008 to 2011, posting a 34-17 record over four seasons. The Razorbacks won 10 and 11 games in 2010 and 2011, respectively, finishing the 2011 season ranked 5th overall.

In the spring of 2012, Petrino crashed his motorcycle on an Arkansas highway. After initially reporting that he was alone, he admitted he was riding with Jessica Dorell, a former Arkansas volleyball player. Petrino had hired her less than a week earlier as a student-athlete development coordinator.

The university investigated the situation and found that Petrino had given Dorell several gifts, including a payment of $20,000. Arkansas also believed the hiring of Dorell was showing preferential treatment, and fired Petrino with cause.

Over the following years, Petrino bounced around different schools in head coach, offensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach roles. He reunited with Arkansas in 2023 as the school's offensive coordinator. Now, he's back in the driver's seat to turn the school around.

He'll do it with a revamped staff. But as Petrino can attest, sometimes a fresh start makes all the difference.