Bobby Petrino

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Petrino was hired by the Atlanta Falcons to a five-year, $24 million contract. A major reason he was brought in was to develop star quarterback Michael Vick, but before Petrino's first training camp, Vick was implicated in an illegal dog fighting operation and was barred from leaving Virginia before his trial, ending any realistic chance of playing in 2007. The Falcons had traded Vick's backup, Matt Schaub, in the offseason, forcing Petrino to start backups Joey Harrington, Byron Leftwich, and Chris Redman. With a 3–10 record after a home loss to the New Orleans Saints on December 10, 2007, Petrino resigned to become head coach at Arkansas, less than 24 hours after personally promising owner Arthur Blank he was staying. He informed players via a four-sentence laminated note left in each locker. His aloof manner had already rankled the team; he was known to walk through the locker room without speaking to players and was reluctant to share personnel decisions—Harrington learned through the media that Petrino considered Leftwich the starter. Petrino's 13-game tenure is tied for the third shortest non-interim coaching tenure in NFL history and is widely considered among the worst head coaching tenures in league history.

In Their Own Story

The path to Arkansas began with a breach of trust in Atlanta. According to a 2022 article in The Athletic, Petrino had signaled interest in the Arkansas job to Jeff Long before the NFL season ended. When Jerry Jones tried to negotiate permission from Blank and was refused, Petrino's agent suggested Long could talk if Petrino resigned during the season. Long met Petrino at an Atlanta law office, where Petrino stepped away long enough to formally resign as Falcons head coach. This resignation came after just thirteen games, tying him with Lou Holtz (1976) and Urban Meyer (2021) for the third shortest non-interim coaching tenure in NFL history. The move was made under scrutiny, as Blank had been promised Petrino would stay. Before resigning, tensions were high; Harrington had engineered two straight wins in Leftwich's absence, yet Petrino designated Leftwich as the starter without telling him directly. The 2007 season stands as a stark chapter where bad timing, personnel mismanagement, and a controversial exit defined an otherwise promising offensive coordinator.

Reader's Guide

Petrino's tenure with the Falcons lasted only 13 games in 2007, ending with a 3–10 record. He resigned on December 10, 2007, after promising owner Arthur Blank he would stay. His departure was marked by leaving a laminated note in each player's locker.

Did You Know?

• Petrino signed a 10-year, $25.6 million contract with Louisville on July 13, 2006, then left for the Atlanta Falcons on January 7, 2007—less than six months later.
• Petrino resigned as Falcons head coach on December 10, 2007, with a 3–10 record, less than 24 hours after promising owner Arthur Blank he would stay.
• Petrino informed his players of his departure via a four-sentence laminated note left at the locker of each player.
• Petrino's 13-game tenure is tied for the third shortest non-interim coaching tenure in NFL history.