Sporting News' Opinion on Auburn Hiring Petrino

[TIGGR82 4]

There are a lot of coaches that can lose 5 games a year at Auburn. But we deserve better. I have seen 3 names of coaches that might be both attainable and capable of consistantly beating LSU, Texas A&M, Georgia, and Alabama. Gary Patterson, Chris Petterson, and Bobby Petrino. Everyone else is a B Lister.

Where in Petrino's coaching record do you get an ability to beat the bammers, LSU's, or UGA's? All I see is a guy with clear character issues who hasn't shown he can beat the big boys.

Yeah cause Arky is just as good a program as AU with a deep recruiting base to pull players from. (sarcasm) How many times has Arky won the SEC? -That would be zero. How many undefeated teams has Arky had since joining the SEC? That would be zero. AU has had 3 undefeated seasons in the past 20 years. AU program > Arky program.

The top players in that state consistently leave. If Petrino were top notch recruiting he would keep them at home. Also, they have Louisiana and Texas and Oklahoma to pull from. Invalid argument, IMO.

[Plaric 4]

There are a lot of coaches that can lose 5 games a year at Auburn. But we deserve better. I have seen 3 names of coaches that might be both attainable and capable of consistantly beating LSU, Texas A&M, Georgia, and Alabama. Gary Patterson, Chris Petterson, and Bobby Petrino. Everyone else is a B Lister.

Where in Petrino's coaching record do you get an ability to beat the bammers, LSU's, or UGA's? All I see is a guy with clear character issues who hasn't shown he can beat the big boys.

Yeah cause Arky is just as good a program as AU with a deep recruiting base to pull players from. (sarcasm) How many times has Arky won the SEC? -That would be zero. How many undefeated teams has Arky had since joining the SEC? That would be zero. AU has had 3 undefeated seasons in the past 20 years. AU program > Arky program.

The top players in that state consistently leave. If Petrino were top notch recruiting he would keep them at home. Also, they have Louisiana and Texas and Oklahoma to pull from. Invalid argument, IMO.

Arkansas doesn't have enough "top teir talent" to be competitive in kids eyes...All of the good talent leaves because arkansas always gets branded as a school with lower level talent.

Kids don't grow up wanting to play for arkansas as much as you want to think....even if they are from there. That school also can't compete facility and tradition wise.

[TIGGR82 4]

There are a lot of coaches that can lose 5 games a year at Auburn. But we deserve better. I have seen 3 names of coaches that might be both attainable and capable of consistantly beating LSU, Texas A&M, Georgia, and Alabama. Gary Patterson, Chris Petterson, and Bobby Petrino. Everyone else is a B Lister.

Where in Petrino's coaching record do you get an ability to beat the bammers, LSU's, or UGA's? All I see is a guy with clear character issues who hasn't shown he can beat the big boys.

Yeah cause Arky is just as good a program as AU with a deep recruiting base to pull players from. (sarcasm) How many times has Arky won the SEC? -That would be zero. How many undefeated teams has Arky had since joining the SEC? That would be zero. AU has had 3 undefeated seasons in the past 20 years. AU program > Arky program.

The top players in that state consistently leave. If Petrino were top notch recruiting he would keep them at home. Also, they have Louisiana and Texas and Oklahoma to pull from. Invalid argument, IMO.

Arkansas doesn't have enough "top teir talent" to be competitive in kids eyes...All of the good talent leaves because arkansas always gets branded as a school with lower level talent.

Kids don't grow up wanting to play for arkansas as much as you want to think....even if they are from there. That school also can't compete facility and tradition wise.

It is a good coach/recruiters job to make kids want to come to your school. That s my point. With Petrino's winning record I would think he and his staff could have gone out and convinced kids to help build on the success that was there. Either they are not very good recruiters, or they just didn't want to try for the top talent guys. Either way doesn't speak well to me.

[keesler 5,924]

It's funny that for years the amount of Sabin bashing about his morals and character has gone on and how Auburn doesn't have to stoop to that level. All of a sudden quite a few of you are ready to forget about morals for a coach that can never get a team over the hump to really win anything. But for some reason think he can come here with his lack of morals and bad character and push auburn to the top.

:-\

Stripe,

I've scratched my head til it's damn near bald over this exact same issue with Petrino.

Makes Auburn fans appear hypocritical in the worst way, IMHO.

[CJ Bas 0]

http://www.al.com/au...bobby_petr.html

I say go for him. I don't see a better, more proven coach available to us. Hayes hit the nail on the head. We don't need a choirboy, we need a tough SOB.

How many times does Petrino have to give us the shaft before you people will get the word that he is irresponsible and undependable? He already walked out on us once at the most imopportune time possible. He did the same to LOouisville and Atlanta. He'll do it to everyone he works for. It makes him feel important. We'd be foolihs to let him do taht to us again.

When Petrino left Auburn, he only did what all great assistants do. He was offered a HC job, and he took it. He was successful at that job, so he did what most successful college coaches do, and took a job in the NFL. Once there, he realized that the NFL is a completely different universe, where the inmates run the asylum. 20 year old kids making $20mil+ practicing when they want to, doing what they want to, etc. Petrino is like Saban, a disciplinarian, and therefore not able to function when he doesn't have the ability to control the program. This is why he and Saban were not successful in the NFL. Vick, and his $120mil contract, were too much for Petrino to handle, so he took the best job available in the SEC at the time, Arkansas. He was back in his element, and he turned that program around quickly. True, he screwed it up with his personal issues, but he is human, and humans make dumb decisions all the time. If he accepts responsibility for his actions, and Pat, Bo, and Gouge feel that he is the right man for the job, then let's hire him NOW.

Reputable coaching hires are made immediately after the season, or after the bowls. Petrino left Auburn in the Spring, whe it was virtually impossible to find a replacement. he did the same to Atlanta, and the same to LOouisville. That's a pattern. He choses to leave jobs at times when finding a qualified replacement is impossible, intending to give his employers the shaft.

If Auburn himres him he'll do it to us again, wasling aut between Spring and Summer practice. It's waht he did before. It's his way of doing things. There is nothing reputable about that and anyone hiring him a second time is an idiot. You mighyt as well say, "Shoot me again!"

He's won NO championships. He may have taken a team to the SECCG once, I'm not certain about that. He has never lived up to his potential anywhere he's coached. He won't if he comes to Auburn. He'd be an 8-5, 9-4, coach for a few years and then walk out of us im May. Anyone who looks at his career and his pattern of behaviour can see that clearly.

Just shut the program down if we hire him. That's what he plans to do.

We have another lie alert!!! "He has won no championships". He won two at Louisville. It's difficult to express your points when you have a tenuous grasp on facts, but don't feel bad. You aren't alone.

He walked out of Auburn in the Spring once and left Auburn in the lurch, leaving us with no way to get a qualified replacment before teh followint season...AND THAT'S NO LIE. Only a fool would give him the chance to do that to us again. AND THAT'S A FACT NO ONE CAN DENY.

So one correct fact in your post makes up for all the other falsehoods? I stopped reading the first time at the no championships quote, because lets face it, people who post inaccuracies don't know what they are talking about. But I just finished reading your screed in its entirety, and guess what? You guessed it WE HAVE A DOUBLE LIE ALERT!!! Petrino accepted the Falcons job on 1/7/07. January is typically classified as a winter month. But that's not all! Petrino accepted the Arkansas job on 12/7/07. You guessed it ladies and gentlemen, December is another winter month.

In sum: you really should be able see that you don't know what you are talking about. In the words of Jim Calhoun, "Get some facts and come back and see me".

Here's an undeniable fact; so far everyone who has hired Petrino has been left in the lurch and regretted having hired him. So far no one has been stupid enough to hire him a second time. He definitely left US in the lurch by leaving in an inopportune time and that should be enough for any thinking Auburn person to NOT want to give him a second chance.

Now maybe there are people stupid enough to let him do it again. I can see I'm talking with one. Hopefully the rumor that teh committee has been told NOT to recommend Petrino is true. Maybe you think hunting for HC in June is a great thing to be doing. That's what we'll be facing in a few years if we hire Petyrino. How do I know? Because that's the situation he put us in before, leaving in Feb or March, or whenever.

Giving him the chance to do taht to us again would be foolish and no one with bat sense would disagree.

False again: He hasn't left every program high and dry

Atlanta: Wanted to bench high profile players that were causing issues in the locker room. Upper management wouldn't allow it. He informed them that if that was the case he would finish out the year and give them time to find someone else. They responded with "you can just quit now"

That was listed from an interview from a thid party.

Correct me if I'm wrong...but isn't that what contracts and buyouts are for? If you hire Petrino, you have leverage this go around that didn't exist before. Use it. Bashing the guy is silly. He's a good coach, and if he ends up here, he's going to do a great job for us.

Now on a side note...how does one go about getting "verified" on here? I feel like I'm put in the bammer corner right now....

Don't feel too bad, Wartigerman. I was declared a bammer last year when I pointed out tath the present regiem wasn't working. Not many people would disagree now.

I could be wrong but my memories of Petrino's tenure at Ark is one of every year was going to be Ark's year to win the SEC, and maybe even the NC. But they were usually out of contention for the SECW b y the 8th game. Never able to take it past that point with any consistency. I know people say he's a stern disciplinarian, and we do need one, but his own lack of self discipline leads me to question that. It was that, after all, that left Ark hunting for HC in the Spring. Besides, strict disciplinarians are a dime a dozen. Ask any Middle School principal. We need more than just that.

You're probably correct that contract clauses could prevent him from walking out of us again during the off season, at least not without penalty. But the fact that he's done it once should indiicate what he really thinks of us. And he would always be free to simply stop coaching like both Tubs and Chizik did, geet himself the huge buy out, and leave at season's end.

I don't rtust him, with reason. And I don't have confidence in him as being anything more than a mediocre coach. I think Auburn could do a lot better, and deserves a lot better. But I'm not on the search committee...obviously.

[lyn3410 0]

http://www.al.com/au...bobby_petr.html

I say go for him. I don't see a better, more proven coach available to us. Hayes hit the nail on the head. We don't need a choirboy, we need a tough SOB.

How many times does Petrino have to give us the shaft before you people will get the word that he is irresponsible and undependable? He already walked out on us once at the most imopportune time possible. He did the same to LOouisville and Atlanta. He'll do it to everyone he works for. It makes him feel important. We'd be foolihs to let him do taht to us again.

When Petrino left Auburn, he only did what all great assistants do. He was offered a HC job, and he took it. He was successful at that job, so he did what most successful college coaches do, and took a job in the NFL. Once there, he realized that the NFL is a completely different universe, where the inmates run the asylum. 20 year old kids making $20mil+ practicing when they want to, doing what they want to, etc. Petrino is like Saban, a disciplinarian, and therefore not able to function when he doesn't have the ability to control the program. This is why he and Saban were not successful in the NFL. Vick, and his $120mil contract, were too much for Petrino to handle, so he took the best job available in the SEC at the time, Arkansas. He was back in his element, and he turned that program around quickly. True, he screwed it up with his personal issues, but he is human, and humans make dumb decisions all the time. If he accepts responsibility for his actions, and Pat, Bo, and Gouge feel that he is the right man for the job, then let's hire him NOW.

Reputable coaching hires are made immediately after the season, or after the bowls. Petrino left Auburn in the Spring, whe it was virtually impossible to find a replacement. he did the same to Atlanta, and the same to LOouisville. That's a pattern. He choses to leave jobs at times when finding a qualified replacement is impossible, intending to give his employers the shaft.

If Auburn himres him he'll do it to us again, wasling aut between Spring and Summer practice. It's waht he did before. It's his way of doing things. There is nothing reputable about that and anyone hiring him a second time is an idiot. You mighyt as well say, "Shoot me again!"

He's won NO championships. He may have taken a team to the SECCG once, I'm not certain about that. He has never lived up to his potential anywhere he's coached. He won't if he comes to Auburn. He'd be an 8-5, 9-4, coach for a few years and then walk out of us im May. Anyone who looks at his career and his pattern of behaviour can see that clearly.

Just shut the program down if we hire him. That's what he plans to do.

We have another lie alert!!! "He has won no championships". He won two at Louisville. It's difficult to express your points when you have a tenuous grasp on facts, but don't feel bad. You aren't alone.

He walked out of Auburn in the Spring once and left Auburn in the lurch, leaving us with no way to get a qualified replacment before teh followint season...AND THAT'S NO LIE. Only a fool would give him the chance to do that to us again. AND THAT'S A FACT NO ONE CAN DENY.

So one correct fact in your post makes up for all the other falsehoods? I stopped reading the first time at the no championships quote, because lets face it, people who post inaccuracies don't know what they are talking about. But I just finished reading your screed in its entirety, and guess what? You guessed it WE HAVE A DOUBLE LIE ALERT!!! Petrino accepted the Falcons job on 1/7/07. January is typically classified as a winter month. But that's not all! Petrino accepted the Arkansas job on 12/7/07. You guessed it ladies and gentlemen, December is another winter month.

In sum: you really should be able see that you don't know what you are talking about. In the words of Jim Calhoun, "Get some facts and come back and see me".

Here's an undeniable fact; so far everyone who has hired Petrino has been left in the lurch and regretted having hired him. So far no one has been stupid enough to hire him a second time. He definitely left US in the lurch by leaving in an inopportune time and that should be enough for any thinking Auburn person to NOT want to give him a second chance.

Now maybe there are people stupid enough to let him do it again. I can see I'm talking with one. Hopefully the rumor that teh committee has been told NOT to recommend Petrino is true. Maybe you think hunting for HC in June is a great thing to be doing. That's what we'll be facing in a few years if we hire Petyrino. How do I know? Because that's the situation he put us in before, leaving in Feb or March, or whenever.

Giving him the chance to do taht to us again would be foolish and no one with bat sense would disagree.

False again: He hasn't left every program high and dry

Atlanta: Wanted to bench high profile players that were causing issues in the locker room. Upper management wouldn't allow it. He informed them that if that was the case he would finish out the year and give them time to find someone else. They responded with "you can just quit now"

That was listed from an interview from a thid party.

Correct me if I'm wrong...but isn't that what contracts and buyouts are for? If you hire Petrino, you have leverage this go around that didn't exist before. Use it. Bashing the guy is silly. He's a good coach, and if he ends up here, he's going to do a great job for us.

Now on a side note...how does one go about getting "verified" on here? I feel like I'm put in the bammer corner right now....

Don't feel too bad, Wartigerman. I was declared a bammer last year when I pointed out tath the present regiem wasn't working. Not many people would disagree now.

I could be wrong but my memories of Petrino's tenure at Ark is one of every year was going to be Ark's year to win the SEC, and maybe even the NC. But they were usually out of contention for the SECW b y the 8th game. Never able to take it past that point with any consistency. I know people say he's a stern disciplinarian, and we do need one, but his own lack of self discipline leads me to question that. It was that, after all, that left Ark hunting for HC in the Spring. Besides, strict disciplinarians are a dime a dozen. Ask any Middle School principal. We need more than just that.

You're probably correct that contract clauses could prevent him from walking out of us again during the off season, at least not without penalty. But the fact that he's done it once should indiicate what he really thinks of us. And he would always be free to simply stop coaching like both Tubs and Chizik did, geet himself the huge buy out, and leave at season's end.

I don't rtust him, with reason. And I don't have confidence in him as being anything more than a mediocre coach. I think Auburn could do a lot better, and deserves a lot better. But I'm not on the search committee...obviously.

[lyn3410 0]

and the roller coaster ride begins........would he be good for AU or would he be bad for AU. Perception by the football community is the issue either way we go. Reality may be different. If he is hired and AU wins consistently, perception may change that we hired a person of less than moral character and it turned out great, anything less and we are back to square one (again).

[Stripe 5]

and the roller coaster ride begins........would he be good for AU or would he be bad for AU. Perception by the football community is the issue either way we go. Reality may be different. If he is hired and AU wins consistently, perception may change that we hired a person of less than moral character and it turned out great, anything less and we are back to square one (again).

Do you expect anything less? I personally feel he shouldn't even be a thought to take the job. too much baggage to deal with either way it goes. Better to go with someone else than to even test the waters with Patrino.

[lyn3410 0]

I agree with you Rogue, my statement was a blanket one. I'd rather we stand by our moral standards than hire someone just to win a few more ballgames. Waiting game has started and there are enough rumors to fill the 24 hours in a day. All I can say is I hope we get a great coach that leads by example. (and kicks everyones rear in the process).

[autodd03 0]

you guys need to revisit the arkansas story. he didn't directly hire his mistress. he asked permission to hire her and for her to be fast-tracked. The AD and others within HR granted permission to go around the normal 30 day wait between job posting and first interviews. They should have put their foot down and they did not. The failure is just as much on the AD as is on petrino. remember, the AD was in hot water too and began the spin as soon as he knew he could not retain BP.