Bobby Petrino to be named head coach at Missouri State

There were conflicting reports on Tuesday regarding which controversial head coach Missouri State is on the verge of hiring, but it appears everyone is now on the same page.

Chad Plein of KY3/KSPR in Springfield, Missouri reported late Tuesday night that Missouri State has agreed to a deal with Bobby Petrino. Around the same time, Football Scoop cited a source who claimed Art Briles was getting the job. But on Wednesday, Football Scoop said their previous report was incorrect and Petrino will be introduced as Missouri State’s coach this week.

Petrino should be a good fit for Missouri State and be able to win with an FCS program, but the hire will draw plenty of criticism. The 58-year-old walked out on the Atlanta Falcons midway through his first season with them in 2007, covered up an affair with his mistress in 2012 (leading to his firing by Arkansas) and was fired by Louisville after going 2-8 in 2018.

Briles was fired by Baylor in 2016 after presiding over the football team while multiple players were accused of multiple instances of sexual assault. There was also some controversy surrounding him with the high school team he is currently coaching, so you could argue Petrino is the lesser of two evils.

Even if Petrino gives Missouri State an excellent chance of winning, it’s tough to celebrate a hire like that.