Petrino Hiring Official At Louisville...

((HT: WHAS-TV))

So, you can go home again... and the HQ anticipates that all talk AD Tom Jurich makes from this moment forward about anything will be met with the commensurate amount of skepticism...

Bobby Petrino is the new/old head coach at U of L... and the HQ heard this was the hiring of "Petrinocchio," but we can't take full credit for that stroke of identification genius...

Here's the quick version...
And the press conference...
So, we're now on Petrino v2.0...

And a lot of the HQ feels the need to rinse off for a long time before continuing...

Petrino Is Heading Back To Louisville

HT: Yahoo Sports.com

It looks as if Bobby Petrino is leaving Western Kentucky and returning to Louisville to become the Cardinals head coach.

Yahoo sports is reporting that Petrino's agent David Dunn is meeting with Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich Wednesday night to finalize a contract.

Louisville has been down this road before.  Petrino was the Cardinal head coach for four years and compiled an impressive 41-9 record.

Back then though Petrino must of thought the Louisville gig wasn't such a great job.  First he had a secret meeting with Auburn officials about their head coaching position that was still occupied by Tommy Tuberville, denied it and then admitted it.

Five days after accepting an extension with Louisville Petrino interviewed for the LSU job.  Later that year he interviewed for the Notre Dame job and even had a conversation with Ole Miss before finally bolting the Cardinals for the Atlanta Falcons (and we know how that worked out.)

Now after leaving Atlanta and Arkansas in disgrace and rehabbing his career at Western Kentucky Louisville looks like a destination rather than part of the journey.

If any one feels Bobby Petrino has truly repented for his sins Tom Jurich would be a good judge.  Jurich put up with Petrino's dalliances the first time around.  Reportedly the interview between the two parties lasted nine hours and was described by a Yahoo.com source as "very intense."

With the immient Bobby Petrino hiring at Louisville he and men's basketball head coach Rick Pitino will be reunited too.

Nothing like having a pair of Italian head coaches in your marquee sports each with extra martial issues.

Here's One For You: Could Petrino Return To Louisville...??? (He's A Finalist...)

Brian Brohm, Michael Bush, and Elvis Dumervil have already endorsed the idea...

And the fans of U of L football are looking at Bowling Green, Kentucky for another head football coach...

Their old football coach...

WDRB-TV's Eric Crawford brings the notion forward in an interview with AD Tom Jurich and taking info from past conversations...

And it has to be someone who can build on the program that Charlie Strong took over from Steve Kragthorpe... and Robert Petrino, Esquire's first term at Papa John's:

Jurich can't hire a coach who will take short cuts. While Petrino built a great record in his time here, his main concern was building his resume for bigger and better things. U of L benefited from that, but once Petrino and his personal brand of coaching were gone, it suffered.

Jurich is going to have to decide whether Petrino not only is in it for a longer haul at Louisville, but whether he's going to build it for a longer haul.

Academic requirements are tougher now than they were when Petrino arrived. You can take fewer risks. But with the new conference affiliation, new doors are open and more rewards are possible.

Crawford maintains Petrino is a changed man- and a changed coach...

And he has been successful at every college stop... just don't mention the pros and his time in Atlanta where he turned tail and ran before the season was over...

He's had two bowl eligible seasons for the Hilltoppers, including an appearance in the Little Caesar's Bowl in 2012...
((HT: ESPN))


But can Jurich get past the past (so to speak) and look to a future with Petrino all over again...???

That's the question...

He's one of the three finalists for Jurich and interviewed Tuesday... according to ESPN's Mark Schlabach through his Twitter...

ICYMI: Charlie Strong to Texas is Done: Reaction Runs the Gamut

So, it's been pretty interesting over the past couple of days to see the reaction to first the news Texas wanted to hire now former Louisville football coach Charlie Strong, then the wait while Strong insisted on telling his boss, Louisville Athletic Director Tom Jurich that he was leaving and then the reaction from the folks in Texas.

Actually, it's been kind of funny.

Last night, Louisville confirmed what everyone already knew, Strong would move to Austin and take over the biggest budget football operation in the state (College Level).

Notice, we didn't call them the best, as they've arguably been passed by Texas A&M and by Baylor in recent years.

But the hire of Strong is a good one. He's had a ton of success at Louisville, which strangely was his first head coaching job. He's universally respected and most outside of the crazies in Texas believe he will be wildly successful with the budget he's about to be handed.

That's why this column in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram by Gil Lebreton is pretty funny (not in a good way)

Check it out RIGHT HERE

Lebreton called it "Firing Jay Leno and hiring Aresenio".

Really?

No, Strong may not be a "Type A", Nick Saban/Steve Spurrier type, but anyone who thinks he won't be successful is crazy.

Yes, he's going to have to deal with the apparently omnipresent "Longhorn Network" (which nobody outside Texas cares about) which will intrude into his life and job like nothing he's ever experienced before.

But again, despite the arrogance and perception inside that Texas was the "Job of All Jobs", they actually got this right…they hired the right guy.

Which quite honestly, should scare everyone else.

Expect the official announcement on Sunday afternoon.

WHAS-TV in Louisville gives us their reaction:



And KXAN-TV gives us the Texas reaction: