Breaking: Former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino accepts Western Kentucky head coaching position

Arkansas Razorback head coach Bobby Petrino speaks at a press conference at Razorback Stadium following a motorcycle accident he sustained on April 1. (Beth Hall-USA TODAY Sports)

Initial reports surfaced early in the day on Monday that former Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino was visiting the Western Kentucky campus. Apparently, the visit was far more than a simple tour of the Hilltoppers’ campus.

Petrino, fired from his position at Arkansas in disgrace after it was discovered he had a mistress in a 25-year old intern, has officially accepted an offer to coach the Hilltoppers.

Petrino replaces Willie Taggert, a coach seen as up-and-coming on the national scene. Taggert accepted the open coaching position at South Florida, leaving the door open for Petrino to accept the position at a smaller school.

[Check out the details of Petrino's visit to the Western Kentucky campus]

According to a source, Petrino sees Western Kentucky “as a program with an excellent administration with vision and a commitment to facilities and other elements necessary to win”.

The details of his contract have not been released. However, when he was fired from the Razorbacks, he was in the middle of a seven-year contract that averaged $3.53 million annually.

Petrino had reportedly been hoping to break back into the SEC, but the biggest programs in the nation passed on him and his baggage.

Thus, the Western Kentucky opening provided Petrino with a unique opportunity to rebuild his reputation while also providing a mid-major school with a nationally recognized coach with one of the strongest offensive minds in the game.

“I love football. I love coaching,” Petrino said after his firing by the Razorbacks. “I of course hope I can find my way back to the profession I love. In the meantime, I will do everything I can to heal the wounds I have created.”

Source: ESPN

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