Arkansas Razorbacks Hire Bobby Petrino As Offensive Coordinator From Texas A&M Aggies

The Texas A&M Aggies will need to hire a new offensive coordinator for the 2024 season with Bobby Petrino headed back to the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Bobby Petrino is headed back to Fayetteville.

According to ESPN, Arkansas has agreed to terms to hire the Texas A&M offensive coordinator for the same position under Sam Pittman. Petrino had been rumored to be the Razorbacks' new offensive play-caller following the Aggies' hiring of Duke's Mike Elko on Monday. 

Petrino's return to Northwest served as head coach of the Razorbacks from 2008-11, leading the Hogs to a 51-34 record. He also led Arkansas to two top-25 finishes in the AP Poll, including reaching No. 5 in the country in 2011 following a win in the Cotton Bowl over Kansas State.

Petrino, 62, made national headlines in April 2012 after being involved in a single-vehicle motorcycle crash in northwest Arkansas on the first of the month. While Petrino told university officials he was alone on the motorcycle, it was eventually unveiled that he had a passenger in then-25-year-old Jessica Dorrell.

As more information continued to unfold, school officials uncovered that Petrino was having an affair with Dorrell, whom he hired to work in the athletics department. Petrino had also given the former Arkansas volleyball player a $20,000 gift under wraps and did not tell the university of the relationship.

Petrino was fired by then-athletic director Jeff Long on April 10, 2012. Long told reporters that Petrino "engaged in a pattern of misleading and manipulative behavior" before and after the crash.

Former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino addressing the media after his motorcycle crash in 2012.  / © Beth Hall, USA TODAY

The Razorbacks (4-8, 1-7 SEC) fired first-year offensive coordinator Dan Enos after struggling to create an identity through the first eight games. Receivers coach Kenny Guiton took over as interim coordinator for the final four games of the regular season, but results varied. 

Arkansas secured wins over Florida and Florida International but lost by 30-plus points to Auburn and Missouri to close out the regular season. Pittman was retained following the season but needed to make significant changes to his coaching staff. 

Pittman told reporters he hopes to finalize a hire by this week before the transfer portal opens next Monday. 

"Obviously, with the kids that we have who are committed, you want to be right, but you also want to be as fast as you possibly can," Pittman said following the Hogs' season-finale loss to the Tigers. "You'd like to get some guys in here maybe Tuesday and Wednesday so they can talk to the kids before we need to go out on the road."

Petrino found success following his firing by the SEC West program over the past decade. He led Western Kentucky to an 8-4 record in 2013 before returning to Louisville for a second stint. In 2016, he helped Lamar Jackson win the Heisman Trophy and posted a 9-4 season with the Cardinals. 

Petrino also coached at Missouri State from 2020-22. He was hired by Barry Odom as UNLV's offensive coordinator last offseason but accepted the same position under Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M several weeks later. 

A&M's offense improved from a season ago, but still struggled to find consistency. The Aggies finished 26th nationally in scoring (34.2 points per game) and 54th in total yards (403.8 yards per contest). 

Injuries to quarterbacks Conner Weigman and Max Johnson hindered A&M's offensive success for most of the regular season. Third-string quarterback Jaylen Henderson started the final three games of the regular season, throwing for 704 yards while scoring eight total touchdowns. 

Report: Arkansas 'Vetting' Aggies OC Bobby Petrino For Same Position

Johnson, who transferred from LSU in 2022, recently announced he would enter the portal as a graduate transfer. Weigman, who won the starting job after a promising end to a 5-7 season in 2022, is expected to remain with the program under Elko's new staff. 

Interim coach Elijah Robinson will coach the Aggies in their bowl game next month. Elko, who previously served as A&M's defensive coordinator from 2018-2021, said Monday he would make it a "priority" to retain Robinson for his staff next fall.