Bill Belichick has gone with a fairly big name as his new North Carolina offensive coordinator.
Former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino has agreed to become Belichick’s new offensive coordinator, according to multiple reports. Petrino most recently served as quarterbacks coach, offensive coordinator, and eventually interim head coach at Arkansas.
Petrino is arguably most famous for his 2012 motorcycle crash that led to him being exposed for having an affair with a former Arkansas volleyball player whom he had hired as student-athlete development coordinator for the football program. That scandal cost him his job. His reputation has also been hurt by some other decisions he has made, including quitting as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons just 13 games into his tenure.
Up until the last few years, however, Petrino did produce results. He won at Louisville and Arkansas, and found some more success with the Cardinals in his second stint there. However, he has not been successful over the last few years, and went 0-7 as Arkansas’ interim head coach this past season.
Belichick’s previous offensive coordinator, Freddie Kitchens, was one of the assistant coaches who took the fall after the Tar Heels’ mediocre season. Bringing in Petrino to replace him is certainly a risk.
