Bobby Petrino ditches his new UNLV job to become Texas A&M offensive coordinatior, per report
After leaving Missouri State to become UNLV's offensive coordinator just a few weeks ago, Bobby Petrino is leaving Las Vegas to become an offensive coordinator in the SEC, according to a national report.
ESPN's Chris Low reported that Petrino is finalizing a deal with Texas A&M to become its offensive coordinator under head coach Jimbo Fisher. He noted that Petrino will take over play-calling duties.
Petrino was announced as UNLV's offensive coordinator on Dec. 15. A day after, Missouri State promoted Ryan Beard, Petrino's son-in-law, to head coach. Petrino's son, Nick Petrino, and another son-in-law in L.D. Scott remains on Missouri State's staff.
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Petrino was initially tied to the Texas A&M offensive coordinator position in the weeks before he was hired at UNLV as its offensive coordinator. The Aggies fired Darrell Dickey as the team's OC late in the 2022 season. Texas A&M was 5-7 the past season and had the 94th-ranked offense in the country at the end of the regular season.
Petrino, who had coached Missouri State since 2020, began his head coaching career at Louisville in 2003 and spent four years coaching the Cardinals before moving to Arkansas in 2008. He spent four years as head coach of the Razorbacks before departing in 2011. A one-year stint at Western Kentucky in 2013 led Petrino back to Louisville for a second stint coaching the Cardinals. Petrino's tenure at Louisville ended in 2018 following a 2-8 season.
When the 2023 season begins, Petrino will be in his first year as an offensive coordinator since 2002 when he was at Auburn. He has been a play-caller at every head coaching stop he's had since and will reportedly continue while working with a program that has some of the most resources in the nation, some of the best facilities and recruiting with Name, Image and Likeness opportunities.
Petrino was reportedly going to make less money at UNLV than he did at Missouri State when he was paid $275,000 annually. Before Dickey was fired as Texas A&M's offensive coordinator, he was paid $850,000.
Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or Twitter at @WyattWheeler_NL.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Bobby Petrino leaving UNLV to be offensive coordinator at Texas A&M
