Texas A&M set to hire UNLV's Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator

Change is coming, and change is here.

Jimbo Fisher is set to hire Bobby Petrino to become Texas A&M's next offensive coordinator. Spending the last three years as the head coach of FCS Missouri State, Petrino brings nearly 40 years of coaching experience to Aggieland. Petrino was hired as UNLV’s offensive coordinator in December.

This hiring comes about a month after Darrell Dickey, who came to A&M as the offensive coordinator when Fisher was hired in December 2017, was relieved of his duties.

Petrino’s offensive scheme will bring spread concepts to Aggieland and an offense that thrives by utilizing a mobile quarterback, highlighted by 2016 Heisman winner Lamar Jackson, who Petrino coached during his second stint at Louisville.

A 61-year-old, Petrino’s coaching career began in 1983, and his head coaching credits include tenures as Louisville (2003-06, 2014-18), Arkansas (2008-11), Western Kentucky (2018) and Missouri State (2020-22) as well as one season leading the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons in 2007. At the college level, Petrino has achieved four 10-win seasons and six finishes inside the AP’s top 25.

In the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 FCS season, Petrino led Missouri State to its first conference title and first playoff berth in 30 years, for which he was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s Coach of the Year. This season, Petrino’s Bears finished 5-6 overall but scored 27 points on the road against then-10th-ranked Arkansas in September.

Petrino’s first stop in Louisville saw him win 41 games over a four-year span, including a 12-1 campaign in 2006 that culminated in an Orange Bowl championship. After spending one year in the NFL, Petrino became the head coach at Arkansas ahead of the 2008 season, guiding the Razorbacks to three straight bowl games, including a 2012 Cotton Bowl victory to complete an 11-2 season in Fayetteville. In April 2012, Petrino was let go from his post at Arkansas following an off-field scandal.

In 2013, Petrino returned to college football at Western Kentucky, leading the Hilltoppers to an 8-4 record before embarking on his second tenure at Louisville ahead of the 2014 season. Under Petrino, the Cardinals went to four consecutive bowl games, winning the 2015 Music City Bowl over Texas A&M, 27-21. In 2016, Louisville won the ACC Atlantic division crown, and as the signal-caller in Petrino’s high-powered offense, Lamar Jackson became the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner. That season, Jackson passed for 3,543 yards with 30 touchdowns and nine interceptions, while also rushing for 1,571 yards and 21 scores. Louisville’s 2016 offense ranked sixth nationally in points per game (42.5) and third in total offense (532.7 yards per game).

After playing quarterback at Carroll, an NAIA school in his native Montana, Petrino began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater. Stops as an assistant include stints at Carroll (1983, 1985-86), Weber State (1984, 1987-88), Idaho (1989-91) and Arizona State (1992-93) before becoming the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Nevada in 1994. Coordinator roles at Utah State (1995-97), Louisville (1998) and Auburn (2002) followed, and he also spent three years with the Jacksonville Jaguars (1999-2001), spending his final year as the offensive coordinator of the Jags.

With a new man guiding the offense, Fisher & Co. hope that Petrino can utilize the existing talent in College Station to springboard the Aggies back into contention following a 5-7 season in 2022.