Long: No Replacement in Mind by ZACH TURNER Asst. Sports Editor
Athletic director Jeff Long said he hasn’t yet considered a replacement for Arkansas head football coach Bobby Petrino, who he fired Tuesday evening. Long announced that assistant head coach Taver Johnson would remain in charge of the football administrative duties through the end of the Razorbacks’ spring practices. “I have spoken with assistant coach Taver Johnson and have asked him to continue the responsibility for the football’s administrative operation through the completion of spring practice,” Long said. Long said he will begin searching for Arkansas’ next coach in the coming weeks. “We will maintain as we are through spring practice on April 21,” Long said. “At that time, I will assess where we are in the search process and make a decision on an interim head coach going forward.” The fourth-year Arkansas athletic director said there is no timetable set for hiring a head coach. “It is so fresh for me and has happened so quickly, I haven’t had a chance to contemplate that,” Long said. “Certainly we are going to conduct a search and determine whether we can attract a head coach that can lead this program. “If not, we would go with an interim and do a search following the season.”
see REPLACEMENT on page 8
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012 VOL. 106, NO.100 8 PAGES UATRAV.COM
PHOTO: GARETH PATTERSON, PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: DYLAN CRAIG
The End of an Era: Petrino Out by JIMMY CARTER Sports Editor
Bobby Petrino won’t have to rush back from his April 1 motorcycle accident. Petrino was fired by athletic director Jeff Long Tuesday night, five days after it was revealed he withheld information to try to cover up an inappropriate relationship with a 25-year-old female football department employee who was a passenger in
his motorcycle crash. “In short, coach Petrino engaged in a pattern of misleading and manipulative behavior designed to deceive me and members of the athletic staff both before and after the motorcycle accident,” Long said. “He engaged in reckless and unacceptable behavior and put his relationship in the national spotlight. No single individual is bigger than the team, the Razorback football program or the University of Arkansas.”
Petrino was fired for withholding information about football employee Jessica Dorrell’s involvement in the wreck, his inappropriate relationship with Dorrell and the role he played in her being hired in the football department just four days prior to the accident, Long said. “Do I regret hiring him? That’s a difficult question,” Long said. “If he hadn’t been engaged in this inappropriate behavior, no, I wouldn’t be disappointed in hiring him. His action resulted
in me having to take this action.” The announcement Tuesday night ended a nine-day period of uncertainty following Petrino’s accident. Because Petrino was fired for cause, he will not be paid the $18 million buyout included in his contract, which ran through 2017. “The simplest response I have is: I’m sorry,” Petrino said in a statement released through his
see FIRED on page 5
Homework Placed on Back Burner to Petrino Firing
BEN FLOWERS PHOTO EDITOR
Keaton Piper, UA student, watches Athletic Director Jeff Long address the media about former head football coach Bobby Petrino’s termination on Tuesday night from the Union.
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NEWS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012
PAGE 2
“The simplest response I have is: I’m sorry. These two words seem very inadequate, but that is my heart. All I have been able to think about is the number of people I’ve let down by making selfish decisions. I’ve taken a lot of criticism in the past. Some deserved, some not deserved. This time, I have no one to blame but myself.”
- Bobby Petrino, Former Head Football Coach
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Petrino Shows Remorse in Statement by BRADY TACKETT Enterprise Writer
Former head football coach Bobby Petrino issued an apologetic statement following his termination Tuesday evening. “The simplest response I have is: I’m sorry,” Petrino wrote. “I accept full responsibility for what has happened.” In the statement, which Petrino issued through his agent, the former coach apologized to the UA and his family. “My sole focus at this point is trying to repair the damage I’ve done to my family,” he wrote. “I am committed to being a better
Chancellor Gearhart Issues Statement
husband, father and human being as a result of this and will work each and every day to prove that to my family, friends and others.” The release followed a press conference by Athletic Director Jeff Long, who twice choked back tears during his announcement of Petrino’s termination. “No single individual is bigger than the team, the Razorbacks football program or the University of Arkansas,” Long said. “In this case, Coach Petrino abused his authority when he made a staff hire that benefited himself and jeopardized the integrity of the football program.” Long was referring to Petrino’s unfair hiring of
25-year-old Jessica Dorrell, one of several details that emerged in the Tuesday night press conference. Dorrell was hired over 158 other applicants just four days before the April 1 motorcycle accident that exposed her “inappropriate relationship” with the former coach. “I chose to engage in an improper relationship,” Petrino wrote. “I also made several poor decisions following the end of that relationship and in the aftermath of the accident.” Petrino told UA officials he was alone on the motorcycle, a lie uncovered by a Thursday police report that pegged Dorrell at the scene. The botched cover-up and
five-day investigation that followed proved to be an embarrassing debacle for the university. “I’ve taken a lot of criticism in the past. Some deserved, some not deserved,” Petrino wrote. “This time, I have no one to blame but myself.” But elsewhere in his statement, Petrino hinted that he did not agree with all of Long’s account of the scandal. “Given the decision that has been made, this is not the place to debate Jeff ’s view of what happened,” he wrote. “In the end, I put him in the position of having to sort through my mistakes and that is my fault.”
The Long Wait
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Chancellor G. David Gearhart responded to the firing of coach Bobby Petrino with a brief statement released Tuesday evening, holding that he could not comment further because of his possible role in the coach’s review. “This is a sad day for the University of Arkansas and Razorback sports,” Gearhart wrote. “After a thorough review, Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long has made his decision. Mr. Petrino’s contract establishes a process by which he may have his termination decision reviewed. “Given my role in the review process as Chancellor, I must decline further comment on today’s announcement.” Gearhart refrained from commenting further because of his future involvement in any appeals Petrino might make, said John Diamond, associate vice chancellor of University Relations. “If Coach Petrino decides to appeal, he submits by a process that goes through the Chancellor, and so he’s not answering any questions,” Diamond said. ASG president Michael Dodd agreed with the decision, he said. “I told Jeff earlier that I was fully in support of his decision and I am still,” Dodd said. “The decision was right for the UA. If anyone lied to me in a position of leadership, I know I could never trust them again. The trust that Jeff has for our head coach is more important than wins. He is such a great leader for our campus.” Mattie Quinn contributed to the reporting of this story.
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NEWS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012
The Path to Petrino’s Downfall Sunday, April 1, 6:45 p.m.
Arkansas State Police responded to the scene of Petrino’s crash, about 20 miles southeast of Fayetteville. Petrino had already left the site.
Monday, April 2, 9:46 a.m.
The Petrino family released a statement through the UA confirming Petrino was “in stable condition and expected to make a full recovery” after a motorcycle accident “that involved no other individuals.”
Tuesday, April 3, 11:20 a.m.
Petrino released from the Physician’s Specialty Hospital in Fayetteville.
Tuesday, April 3, 3:45 p.m.
Petrino addressed the media before watching football practice from the Reynolds Razorback Stadium press box. Following the press conference, he responded, “Yeah,” that he was alone during the accident when asked by KFSM Channel 5.
Thursday, April 5, 3:12 p.m.
Petrino called Long to tell him that he previously withheld information that Jessica Dorrell, a 25-year-old UA football department employee, was a passenger on his motorcycle during the crash.
Thursday, April 5, 3:36 p.m.
The Arkansas State Police report about the crash is released and news about Dorrell’s involvement breaks to the public.
Thursday, April 5, 8:49 p.m.
Long called a 9:45 p.m. press conference to update the Petrino situation.
Thursday, April 5, 9:55 p.m.
Petrino released a statement saying he withheld information about Dorrell to protect “a previous inappropriate relationship from becoming public.” He also said he “hoped to remain the head coach of the Razorbacks.”
Thursday, April 5, 10:05 p.m.
Long announced he placed Petrino on indefinite paid administrative leave while he reviewed the situation surrounding the accident.
Friday, April 6, 3:12 p.m.
Arkansas State Police released a statement saying it will require Capt. Lance King to provide a detailed summary of his involvement after the wreck. King met the vehicle carrying Petrino and Dorrell at a Fayetteville intersection and took Petrino to the Physician’s Specialty Hospital while Dorrell left in her own car.
Friday, April 6, 4:08 p.m.
A 911 call is released revealing Petrino and Dorrell asked a man not to call 911, then left the scene in another car.
Monday, April 9, 5:09 p.m.
Arkansas State Police Capt. Lance King did not violate state police policies or state laws in his involvement with Arkansas football coach Bobby Petrino’s April 1 motorcycle accident.
Tuesday, April 10, 5:45 p.m.
Through Petrino’s statement through his agent, he received a letter notifying him that he had been terminated from his position as head coach of the Razorbacks.
Tuesday, April 10, 7:30 p.m.
Athletic Director Jeff Long annouced at a press conference in Bud Walton that he made the decision to terminate coach Bobby Petrino earlier in the day.
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OPINION THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER
PAGE 4
EDITOR: SABA NASEEM MANAGING EDITOR: MATTIE QUINN
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012
FROM THE BOARD
Petrino Terminated After Completed Review by Long Head coach Bobby Petrino was fired Tuesday night after athletic director Jeff Long concluded his review and released shocking information to the public about the nature of the motorcycle crash and the events surrounding the Petrino scandal. In a press conference Tuesday night, Long stated that Petrino was terminated from the head coaching position for the Razorback football program after his review concluded that Petrino had withheld information regarding his motorcycle crash and the “inappropriate relationship” he had with passenger Jessica Dorrell. Long stated that Petrino “knowingly misled” the university, releasing information that Dorrell was one of 159 applicants who applied for the position. Dorrell was hired under an unfair advantage, given $20,000 by Petrino, and was part of an “inappropriate relationship” that took place for a significant amount of time. Not only did Petrino mislead the athletic department about the nature of his professional and personal relationship with Dorrell, but also left opportunities open to reveal information about the nature of the motorcycle accident earlier in the month. Long stated his disappointment in the situation and the actions that Petrino took. The press conference was emotional and upsetting not only to Long but to the Razorback family as a whole. Information that was released during the press conference about the nature of Dorrell’s hiring and other violations was shocking to students and Razorback fans, and Long expressed his extreme disappointment with Petrino’s dishonest actions. Across the nation, the news that Petrino had been let go was a trending topic on social networking site, Twitter, a top headline on websites such as ESPN, Yahoo Sports, CNN, USA Today and the New York Times, and the topic of student conversation for the week leading up to the breaking news. As Razorback fans and students, it’s important that we support our athletic department through this tough time, no matter how much we agree or disagree with the decision Long made. It is apparent, through the press conference, that many people were affected by the situation on a personal level, and that the decision that was made was not an easy one. Now that the review has been completed, we can stop speculating on the outcome and know that the next step is to support our student athletes, coaches and athletic department as a whole. We stand behind Long and his decision to terminate Petrino for his actions and for jeopardizing the football program. Though many are not in favor of the decision that Long made, we stand behind his choice to let Petrino go and to look for a new head coach. At this time, we must come together as a student body and support the student athletes and staff who were directly affected by Petrino’s actions. We must also come together as a unified body of students and Razorbacks to support one another during this time that many of us are hurting and upset over the situations that took place over the past week. We are still a Razorback family, and together we stand in support of the decisions that were made and the changes that will come in the future.
Traveler Quote of the Day “In short, coach Petrino engaged in a pattern of misleading and manipulative behavior designed to deceive me and members of the athletic staff both before and after the motorcycle accident.” - Jeff Long, UA athletic director, in his statement at the Tuesday press conference.
EDITORIAL EDITOR Saba Naseem MANAGING EDITOR Mattie Quinn OPINION EDITOR Emily Rhodes The Arkansas Traveler welcomes letters to the editor from all interested readers. Letters should be at most 300 words and should include your name, student classification and major or title with the university and a day-time telephone number for verification. Letters should be sent to traveler@uark.edu.
HEBRON CHESTER STAFF CARTOONIST
Razorback Family: One That Stands Together
by EMILY RHODES Opinion Editor
It’s not every day that I get to spend an evening in the Traveler office watching one of the most idolized people on our campus get fired on television. Upon hearing that there would be a press conference late Tuesday afternoon, I could only think of one thing: “Here we go.” All week, I had been in lengthy discussions with friends and family over the speculated future of the Razorback football program, and whether Petrino would be a part of it. In every conversation, there was one person who would insist that he would be given a short suspension and a pay cut, and every time I had to disagree. With the information that was presented earlier in the week, and after the information that was released tonight, it was evident that Petrino could no longer be a part of the University of Arkansas. His actions were too far, and too much for the UA to
counteract with press conferences and insistence that nothing like this would happen again. When the news came out that Petrino would be terminated from his position as head football coach for the University of Arkansas, I felt that I could account for the majority of UA students in saying that we were shocked, upset and disappointed not only in the fact that Petrino would not be coaching our team in future seasons, but also upon learning about the reasons behind the termination. What was released last week was only a fraction of the information that accounted for the termination of Petrino from his position. Fans, students and faculty were angry and saddened at the idea of Petrino no longer being a part of our Arkansas athletics, to the point of holding rallies to ask athletic director Jeff Long for a second chance for Petrino. I can account for the staff in the Traveler office, who were shocked and who sat silent as the details of the scandal unfolded. As the highly publicized “inappropriate relationship” that accounted for an unfair advantage in the hiring process to the giving of funds, might I add a lot of funds, to Jessica Dorrell unfolded, it was difficult to watch as a Razorback fan and a student of this university the dishonesty and manipulation that happened
on our campus, our home. The student media staff sat wide-eyed as the details unraveled, our hearts sinking just a little more as Long read off the lengthy list of violations. The atmosphere in the office was cold, quiet and very obviously sorrowful as we heard Long speak. When Long teared up in the middle of the conference, I knew that we had really hit rock bottom. For those of us who were adamant that Petrino would be given a slap on the wrists for what he did, the reality of what happened was unable to be fixed through a simple apology. For those of us who stated that his personal relationship had nothing to do with his coaching relationship, I agree. His personal relationship should have been kept private, away from his intense talent as a coach and his successful athletic program that he built over the years. Yet, as the details became public, it was apparent that these relationships could not be kept private with the nature of the situation. Petrino integrated his personal life with his professional life. He pulled the entire university into his personal situation by engaging in an relationship with an employee that was built around dishonesty and unfair advantage. 158 people were denied the job that Dorrell received because of the advantage that Petrino gave
her. Thousands of dollars were given to a single individual who received them through personal motives. Petrino made the mistake, and he now has to pay the consequences for his actions. Long made the right decision in terminating Petrino. As Long said in the press conference Tuesday, “No single individual is bigger than the team.” This goes past than the athletic programs that we have at the University of Arkansas. As a student body, we are unified. We are a team. We must now come together and support the many people who were hurt and affected by the actions of Petrino and the situation that unfolded. It’s not going to be easy, and it will take time to heal the relationships that were broken by this. But it’s not impossible. We will make it through, as athletes, coaches, directors, students, faculty and the university as a whole. We are a Razorback family, a team. No individual is bigger than the team, and we must use this mentality to break through the barriers that were put up through this unfortunate situation and move beyond the issues, becoming an even closer Razorback family. Emily Rhodes is a journalism major, and the opinion editor.
Painting a Portrait of an Entire Generation Good To Know
byCHRIS SONNTAG
Traveler Columnist
“Is it possible to paint a portrait of an entire generation?” This was the question TIME Magazine asked in 1951. The cover article tried distinguishing between what the majority of a generation believed and what its biggest faces said in an attempt to find the features that might define millions of people born in a specific time. The author understood that the idea of generations was fluid, with no clear beginnings or endings and with motives and desires hidden beneath the surface. The landmark book “Generations” by William Strauss and Neil Howe set up a pattern of four similar generations following each other in a 90-year cycle. The last four were the Greatest Generation, the Silent Generation, the Baby Boomers and Generation X. Supposedly, the Millenials and Generation Y followed them, though because there have been so many technological changes, low-level social conflict, and
cultural changes present in our lives as adulthood is staved off longer and longer, there is a lot of confusion over how the newer generations should defined and how they fit in with the rest of the world. Whatever we’re called (personally, I like the Wired Generation), I wonder which group we will resemble to future historians. Supposedly we should be following the path of the Greatest Generation, but there’s a range of negative qualities attributed to us - we’ve been called entitled, faithless, and narcissistic, especially before the economic downturn. It’s been said that we haven’t produced any artists except tattoo artists, and haven’t yielded great literature but made good use of fonts. On the other hand, many of us have started to feel the effects of the “Great Recession” as the older members of our generation entered the workforce. A large group of us are still in college and will continue to live with the effects as we graduate. Because of that, there have been countless articles that have praised how we’ve grown to become frugal, how we generally haven’t rebelled against our parents unlike the Boomers, and how seamlessly we’ve integrated ourselves into the new world and faced its new challenges like the Greatest Generation did. And there are plenty of new challenges to tackle. A recent Esquire article showed that in 1984, those 35 and younger had a net worth of about $11,500,
while those 65 and older had a net worth of $120,500. Today that number has increased to $170,500 for the older Americans and dropped down to $3,600 for the younger. That’s a change from the elderly having roughly 10 times as much to 47 times as much as young adults. Now, I don’t want to make this sound like a “don’t trust anyone over thirty” diatribe, but the facts show that the youth of today are generally having a harder time getting on their feet than many expected they would and are having to make hard choices, putting off marriage, home ownership and kids and working for little or no money. Part of this is because of the economy, which assisted in making 85 percent of college graduates move back in with their parents in 2010 with an average of $25,250 in debt. And entering the job market in a recession has been shown to do long-term damage—for every percent that unemployment rises, new graduates take a six percent pay cut according to the National Bureau of Economic Research. Youth starting their jobs in the late 1960s and early 1980s recessions had to deal with no job openings and being told they looked good on paper but had a lack of experience. The Silent Generation often had to take worse jobs than they would have liked, which affected them for the rest of their lives with slower promotions, raises, and earnings. Sound familiar? And
in 2006, 84 percent of college grads had served an internship, up from 3 percent in the early 1980s. Essentially, many grads are paying for the pleasure of working for a major company that needs free work—something unthinkable in the past—so that they can say they have some experience to actually land a job. Until the recent Occupy Wall Street movement, which fizzled over the winter but has plans for a spring resurgence, our generation hasn’t really had much of a voice politically, reminiscent of the Silent Generation. No matter your thoughts on the social safety net, it doesn’t seem like it’ll be there for us like it is for the Boomers when we’re older unless drastic measures are taken, as CNN reports that Social Security is projected to stop paying full benefits in 2036 and Medicare in 2024. So as we stare down the calendars and make plans for our futures, I wonder how history will see us. Will we turn out to be a group that stands by, seemingly lost in the crowd as the ages run like the Silent Generation, perpetually having lowered results because of a system that failed us in our youth? Or will we somehow manage to roll with the punches and recreate the American Dream like the Greatest Generation? For our sake, I hope it’s the latter. Chris Sonntag is a Traveler columnist. His column appears every other Wednesday.
PAGE 5
NEWS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012
Students Weigh In On Petrino Firing by JACK SUNTRUP Staff Writer
As students gathered around the Quads for free barbecue Tuesday night, the talk was all about Bobby Petrino. “I think they made the right choice, I honestly do, because he can’t do that,” Alex Mardian said. “You can’t just lie to the university, the athletic director and the nation. You can’t [have a relationship] with someone on the payroll. It’s as simple as that.” Marion said that Petrino’s termination was inevitable after news broke about conflict of interest and the inappropriate relationship. “Some people say, well,
you shouldn’t have done it,” Marion said. “Well, you know what, when you get caught this is the stuff that happens.” Terminating Petrino was a bad move, freshman Ethan Williams said. “He has came and made
About 20 students gathered around the TV in the Quads to watch the broadcast. Even as details surfaced about Petrino’s lies and payment of $20,000 to Jessica Dorrell, many students, including Williams, stuck by their coach.
ing to take another coach to come in and put in the same amount of work that he has put in for the past two years. “It comes down to your moral standings and how you think it looks on the university,” he said.
going to take good care of him both morally and ethically,” Stayton said. “She’s probably thinking, ‘No, you’re just going to cheat on that kid like you did your wife.’” Freshman Raquel Lopez also voiced recruiting
this program what it is, in my opinion. I believe he should be punished, but I don’t believe he should be fired,” he said. “That was a little extreme for them to do.”
“His contract shouldn’t have been terminated,” he said. “Petrino had already established himself with the players, had formed relationships with them. Now it’s go-
James Stayton, who was sitting next to Williams, disagreed. “Imagine going into a recruit’s house and trying to explain to his mother that you’re
concerns. “People are actually proud to be a Razorback,” she said. “People want to play for Petrino. I wouldn’t be surprised if we lose recruits. I don’t think
we can find a coach of that caliber to keep the positive movement going.” Meanwhile, outside the press conference at Bud Walton Arena, the sidewalks were bare. The only students present were walking toward Pomfret after a game of frisbee. “I feel it’s a shame he got fired,” sophomore Houston Garner said. He got a lot of support from the community, but it was the right thing, even though it wasn’t popular, he said. “You can’t be a big figure like that and be snooping around,” said freshman Lance Dunham. “He had it coming.”
Members of ‘Team Save Coach Petrino’ Shift Allegiance by KRISTEN COPPOLA Staff Writer
RYAN MILLER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Members of the ‘Save Coach Petrino’ Facebook group had a rally Monday evening in support of Petrino after he was placed on indefinite paid administrative leave Thursday evening by Athletic Director Jeff Long.
Petrino’s Firing Echoes Across Social Media by MEGAN HUCKABY Multimedia Editor
Trending on Twitter Tuesday night: “Jeff Long,” “Bobby Petrino” and “Dorrell.” Media outlets were buzzing over the dramatic timeline of events that led to the firing of Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino. The story hit the web on ESPN at 6:28 p.m. CDT, barely an hour before the official press conference. UA fans took to social media to voice their views on Petrino’s firing. “UofA just made a huge, huge mistake. Not just for the football program but the school’s overall fiscal health as well. #BadDecision#ByeBMFP,” Geoff Hamby, senior political science major, tweeted before the evening press conference. Athletic Director Jeff Long was adamant in his announcement. “No single individual is bigger than the team,” Long said. ESPN columnists gave the situation plenty of coverage. “Over and over, it was
posed as a major moral dilemma for Long, when in reality he made the only decision a right-thinking person could. Allowing Petrino to continue as a leader of college student-athletes —scoff if
“Oh dang! He bribed her too? Ok, I’m satisfied. This is disappointing but it had to be done. #StandWithJeff,” Hamby wrote after the conference. Former players also used Twitter during the
“Sad, but proud that my University didn’t put victories above all else.” - T.J. Holmes, Former CNN Anchor and UA Alum you must, but the NCAA mandates the terminology — was nearly impossible,” wrote Tim Keown, ESPN columnist. Another writer described Petrino’s firing as inevitable. “Give Long credit for making a difficult decision. He made the right one, but it’s only a correction from an egregious mistake he made four years ago —hiring Petrino in the first place. Long made the Hogs’ bed — he finally decided to get rid of the fleas Tuesday,” wrote ESPN’s Mark Schlabach. The press conference also presented new evidence that changed fans’ minds.
minutes leading up to the conference. “You can say what you wanna say about the man. He made me into a damn good football player. #Bobbyp,” wrote former wide receiver Jarius Wright. In the hours surrounding the press conference, “Jeff Long” made its way to the number one Twitter trend in the U.S. Famous Arkansas alumni and natives such as golfer John Daly, former CNN anchor T.J. Holmes and musician Joe Nichols took to Twitter to make their opinions known. “My first loyalty is to the University of Arkan-
sas. I trust that Jeff Long will do what’s best for the program. Everyone in the Razorback Nation is devastated! This is heartbreaking as Coach Petrino is a very good friend of mine! From here, I think we will need a great coach like him to continue our winning ways! I myself, would hold out for a great NFL coach—GRUDEN! #GoHogs,” Daly wrote. Nichols tweeted his dream list of coaches. “John Gruden, Butch Davis, or Chris Peterson you are needed at Arkansas immediately!!!” Nichols wrote. Holmes gave his support to the UA. “@UAtrav I’m sick about it. We’ve been trying to build the football program and the U of A reputation for yrs. Petrino gave UA no choice,” he wrote. “Sad, but proud that my University didn’t put victories above all else,” Holmes wrote. The search for a new head coach began the moment the press conference ended, Long said.
The creator and fans on the “Team Save Coach Petrino” Facebook page shifted their loyalties away from Petrino following his termination Tuesday. “I stand by Jeff Long,” said Amy Payne, administrator of the Facebook group and organizer of the Save Coach Petrino Rally. “I’m upset at Bobby Petrino [because of] the facts that came out,” she said, adding that there were “a lot of tears” when she heard Jeff Long’s announcement. Payne credited her support of Long to reports that Petrino and the UA “were trying to come to an agreement,” which Petrino wouldn’t accept.
FIRED
from page 1 agent less than an hour after Long’s press conference. “These two words seem very inadequate, but that is my heart. All I have been able to think about is the number of people I’ve let down by making selfish decisions. I’ve taken a lot of criticism in the past. Some deserved, some not deserved. This time, I have no one to blame but myself.” Petrino would have entered his fifth season with the Hogs this fall. He went 34-17 the first four years, including a 21-5 mark and trips the Sugar Bowl and Cotton Bowl the last two seasons. “We worked together to build the football program,” Long said. “Coach Petrino had a huge part in that. So this is very difficult.” When news of Dorrell’s involvement and the inappropriate relationship broke, the story and Petrino attracted negative attention from national news media and fans. Starting Friday, ESPN stationed a film crew and reporter in Fayetteville to update the story. “Casting the negative light or negative publicity onto our program, onto our university, onto our athletic program, that was one of the factors, probably more of a key factor,” Long said. At least one UA donor was in attendance Tuesday when Long made the announcement. Board of Trustees member John Tyson said he agreed with the decision. “It’s a facts-based decision,” Tyson said. Long revealed Tuesday night that Petrino gave Dorrell a cash gift of “some $20,000” and the inappropriate relationship hadn’t been short-term. “It was a significant period of time,” Long said. Petrino indicated in his
However, during the press conference, Long said “there was no negotiation about ways he could remain as football coach.” Other members of the Facebook group posted support of Jeff Long following the press conference, too. Group member Patricia Lucas posted a link to another Facebook group titled “Thank You Jeff Long,” adding that it was “for those of you who support AD Long in this difficult decision and still love our Hogs!” Other posters were concerned with the players and the future of Razorback football. “I know players were thinking that he was staying,” Payne said, but declined to mention names of players.
statement that he might disagree with some of Long’s assessment. “I’m sure you heard Jeff Long’s reasons for termination,” Petrino said. “There was a lot of information shared. Given the decision that has been made, this is not the place to debate Jeff ’s view of what happened. “In the end, I put him in the position of having to sort through my mistakes and that is my fault.” Dorrell’s salary as studentathlete development coordinator is $55,735, same as Dann Kabala, who had the position prior to Dorrell and left for a job at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to working on the football staff, Dorrell served as Razorback Foundation Assistant Director. She was one of just three candidates out of 159 applicants interviewed for the football department job, Long said. “Coach Petrino’s relationship with Ms. Dorrell gave her an unfair and undisclosed advantage for a position on coach Petrino’s football staff,” Long said. “Coach Petrino himself participated in the review and selection process without disclosing his relationship with her and that constitutes a conflict of interest under university policy.” Long had not been contacted by a representative for Dorrell as of Tuesday night, he said. Her job status was a personnel matter he said he “could not discuss.” Even without a threat of a legal action from Dorrell, Long made the decision to fire Petrino. “I chose to engage in an improper relationship,” Petrino said. “I also made several poor decisions following the end of that relationship and in the aftermath of the accident. I accept full responsibility for what has happened.”
DOWNTIME THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER
PAGE 6
Comics, Games, & Much Much More!
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012
LAUGH IT UP
SUDOKU
Q: Why was the scarecrow awarded a nobel prize?
A: Because he was out standing in his field.
Q: What do you call a Frenchman wearing sandals?
A: Philippe Philoppe Difficulty:
Q: What did the green grape say to the purple grape?
A: Breathe, idiot! BREATHE!
TODAY’S SOLUTION
Q: Did you hear about the fire at the circus?
A: It was in tents.
WELCOME TO FALLING ROCK
Josh Shalek
THAT MONKEY TUNE
Michael A. Kandalaft
BREWSTER ROCKIT
Tim Rickard
BLISS
Harry Bliss
CALAMITIES OF NATURE
CROSSWORD ACROSS
1 Dark, to a poet 5 Tony who played a sitcom 17-Across employee 10 Sitters’ charges 14 Lee with frozen desserts 15 Barkley who served under 41-Across 16 “... thunder, lightning, __ rain?”: “Macbeth” 17 It arranges pickups 19 Modest dress 20 Like a crowd in awe 21 End-of-week exclamation 22 Vagrants 25 Emir 28 Mocedades hit whose title means “you are” 30 Golf units 31 Slippery swimmer 32 How Dennis Eckersley pitched 36 Simple ... or a hint to the hidden puzzle theme in 17-, 25-, 50- and 59-across. 40 Desexes 41 FDR’s successor 44 Outbursts that provoke blessings 47 Harley alternative 50 Maryland seafood fare 54 The Lusitania, e.g. 55 Sidewalk border 56 Guitarist, slangily 58 Carlisle’s wife in “Twilight” 59 Sit-up relatives 63 It may be barred or bolted 64 Songs for two 65 English aristocrat 66 __, meeny ... 67 Muslim god 68 June 6, 1944
DOWN
1 Key to the left of F1 2 Sheepish reply? 3 Heavenly body 4 Cheese-topped snacks 5 Electricity generators 6 ___-Bits: cereal 7 Pro hoopster 8 “The Prisoner of __” 9 Vague quantity 10 Tiny fairy tale hero 11 Starting point 12 Cleaned (up) 13 Searches like a detection dog 18 Give the boot 22 Donkey syllable 23 Cinnabar or magnetite 24 Lugosi of “Dracula” 26 Having a lot of nerve 27 Chef Cat __ 29 Patriotic Olympics chant 33 Believer’s suffix 34 Gray hair disguiser 35 Place for a ring 37 Elitism 38 Fed. anti-discrimination org. 39 Biggers’s detective 42 54-Across pronoun 43 Pit goo 44 Acquiesce 45 Defoe title surname 46 Longtime Tiger Woods coach Butch __ 48 Astronaut Shepard 49 Chopped, as garlic 51 Afghan capital 52 Stand out in a field 53 Mattress giant 57 Sled dog command 59 Drillers’ org. 60 “I’ve been __!” 61 Important time 62 Surreptitious
Crossword provided by MCT Campus
SOLUTION
Tony Piro
SPORTS THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER
PAGE 7
SPORTS EDITOR: JIMMY CARTER ASST. SPORTS EDITOR: ZACH TURNER
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012
FOOTBALL
“This afternoon, I informed coach Petrino that his employment with the university was being terminated immediately.”
GARETH PATTERSON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
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Long’s Emotions Proved His Worth
Old Fashioned 3-Point Play
ZACH TURNER
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SPORTS from REPLACEMENT on page 1 Long said that deciding on whether to name an interim will not affect the impending coach search. “We can command a high-level of football coach and we are not going to compromise that,” Long said. “If we have to go through the season with an interim, I am going to consider that, but again, I need some time to lay out the search.” Long said he hasn’t considered candidates for interim head coach, either. “I think that I have not made a decision on that,” Long said. “Following spring practice, I will make the decision as to who I thought was the best leader on an interim basis. It could be Taver, it could be Paul Haynes or (Paul) Petrino.” Long met with the remaining Razorback coaching staff and some of the support staff prior to meeting with the Razorback players Tuesday evening. “I talked to them about the fact I hoped they would carry on, obviously through spring practice, and then I plan on meeting with each
of them individually to discuss the future,” Long said. “I will do that with each member of the football coaching staff.” Long met with the team shortly after the culmination of the team’s Tuesday practice and informed them of his decision. “I shared with them my disappointment in having to make the difficult decision,” Long said. “I asked them to try and remain focused on their academics and finishing spring practice. I think honestly, they were understandably concerned. Coach Petrino was the leader of their football program. “At the same time though, they know they have a special football team and teammates that are looking forward to the upcoming year.” Following consecutive 10-plus-win seasons, Long said he believes the job is more lucrative now than it was when Petrino was hired in December 2007. “Certainly the success our young people have had on the field is a great factor in that,” Long said. “Also, upgrading the
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012 football stadium with the new artificial surface and then our football complex that we are building now all make the job more attractive than it even was when coach Petrino took the job.” Long acknowledged that his decision to terminate Petrino came at an inconvenient time. “It is a difficult time of year to be searching for a head coach, no question,” Long said. “I do think our program is one that I think people will be interested in and that is part of the process, seeing what coaches self-identify to us that they are interested in our program.” Long assured that he would conduct the search with character of a new coach at the forefront. “I assure you that we will seek a head football coach that possesses the expertise, the leadership skills and character to maintain Razorback football as one of the nation’s elite programs,” Long said. “We will maintain a program of student-athletes and coaches that all of Arkansas and Razorback fans across the nation will be proud of.”
PAGE 8
Bobby Petrino Timeline December 2007-April 10, 2012
Dec. 2007 Bobby Petrino leaves the Atlanta Falcons and becomes the head coach at the University of Arkansas.
Jan. 2008 Arkansas finishes with a 5-7 record and misses the postseason.
RYAN MILLER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Arkansas assistant coach Taver Johnson will continue to run the football operations through the end of the Razorbacks’ spring practice on April 21.
Jan. 2009 Jan. 2010
Arkansas finishes with an 8-5 record and Liberty Bowl win.
Arkansas finishes with a 10-3 record and Sugar Bowl berth.
Jan. 2011 Arkansas finishes with 11-2 record, No. 5 ranking and Cotton Bowl victory.
April 10 Bobby Petrino ousted as Arkansas’ football coach.
SEAN MORRISON
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION