00:00Arkansas paid Sam Pittman an extra $3 million just to let Bobby Petrino gut the coaching staff.
00:07Bobby Petrino returns as head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, swiftly implementing major changes within 48 hours.
00:14He was appointed after Sam Pittman's firing due to a 56-13 defeat by Notre Dame.
00:20Petrino previously coached Arkansas from 2008 to 2011, but was dismissed after a scandal involving his motorcycle accident with staffer Jessica Durrell.
00:30According to reports, Petrino, the offensive coordinator in 2024, had been aiming for the head coaching job even while Pittman was employed.
00:38However, firing Pittman before the season's end required an additional $3 million buyout.
00:44This led some to believe that Arkansas would wait until the end of the season to make a move.
00:48As it turns out, that wasn't the case.
00:51The Razorbacks parted ways with Pittman on Sunday and immediately announced Petrino's role as the interim head coach.
00:57I just felt like how we performed on Saturday gave me an indication that maybe Sam had lost the team a little bit because they generally had played really hard for him throughout his tenure, Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Juracek said of the move.
01:09According to a report from ESPN's Pete Temel, Petrino immediately made his mark on the program after taking the interim role.
01:17Temel reported that Petrino dismissed defensive coordinator Travis Williams, defensive line coach Deke Adams, and defensive assistant Marcus Woodson.
01:25Coach Petrino, as we met yesterday, accepted this opportunity with the understanding that he also wanted an opportunity to formally be a candidate for our head coaching position.
01:35And he will have that opportunity, Juracek said of his new head coach.
01:38But will also subsequently run a search for our next head coach at the same time.
01:42The 64-year-old had a record of 34-17 in his first run with the Razorbacks, including consecutive seasons with double-digit victories in 2010 and 2011.
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