FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — With Bobby Petrino not on the field and his conduct under review by his boss, Arkansas is doing its best to concentrate on spring practice.
The Razorbacks returned to the field Friday, less than 24 hours after the coach was placed on paid leave following the revelation he had lied about being alone during a motorcycle accident last weekend.
This may have appeared to be a normal practice at Razorback Stadium. Of course, it was anything but without the coach who has turned Arkansas into a national contender over the past four seasons. Several hundred fans watched from the stands, their cheers noticeably reserved.
Arkansas athletic director Jeff long placed Petrino on leave Thursday night. The move came after Petrino told Long he had initially lied about the presence of 25-year-old football department employee Jessica Dorrell during the accident. The 51-year-old coach, married with four children, also admitted to a “previous inappropriate relationship.”
Long said Saturday he expected to review Petrino’s conduct on Easter Sunday. He didn’t hide his disappointment in Petrino when announcing the paid leave Thursday. Now he must decide whether to fire the coach or keep him with some other punishment.
Acting head coach Taver Johnson, who was put in charge of the program by Long, withheld immediate judgment.
“Disappointment, I’m not sure,” Johnson said. “Again, you don’t know all the facts, you don’t have all the information. So, until you have all those things, you can’t really pass judgment.
“The players, I think they’re along the same lines. Nobody really knows, so you can’t really answer a ton of questions yet until you find out.”
Arkansas entered the spring with high expectations after going 11-2, finishing with a No. 5 ranking and beating Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl. The team’s only losses last season were to the top two teams in the country, Alabama and LSU.