Petrino Bolts Atlanta for Razorbacks Opening

Just 24 hours after his Atlanta Falcons were drubbed by the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football, Bobby Petrino resigned as head coach to take over at the University of Arkansas. So, for the second time in 2007, Petrino has broken a contract to bolt for another position. In January, he broke out of a 10-year contract with the University of Louisville to take the Falcons' head coaching position. In an era where contracts seemingly mean nothing to coaches, Petrino may have trumped them all.

This is the first time I have seen a coach leave in midseason to jump for another job. Petrino couldn't even finish the first year of the five year contract he signed with the Falcons. This is the worst example of how ridiculous these coaches have become. I know things have stunk ever since Petrino took over for the Falcons, but when you make a commitment, you don't leave in the middle of the season. Petrino almost makes Nick Saban's decision to bolt the Miami Dolphins look ok. They both lied to their classy owners saying they were not going to leave.

This is probably the last we'll see of big college coaches being hired by NFL teams for awhile. However, I thought that after Saban left for Alabama, and just a few days later Atlanta hired Petrino. So, who really knows, but I do know coaches and their contracts have become a big joke. It has become a major problem with these college football and basketball coaches.

Something needs to be done to severly penalize coaches for leaving places they sign big contracts with. Coaches that get fired still have to be paid by their bosses, so why not something that goes the other way. Athletic directors need to work some language into these contracts. Something that is even more severe than Les Miles's $1.25 million fine should he leave LSU for another job. Maybe something along the lines of the coach having to pay back a certain percentage of what they've already been paid. Remember, Ricky Williams had to pay back his signing bonus for not living up to his contract with the Dolphins. Something can be done. I'm not sure exactly what that can be, but hopefully something will curtail these coaches from backstabbing their employers left and right.

Pat Morgan