Bobby Petrino big reason for new optimism

FAYETTEVILLE — There is a lot of increased optimism for the Arkansas Football team in 2024 and part of that credit goes to Bobby Petrino.

Sam Pittman hired Petrino as offensive coordinator in the offseason and on Thursday following the first preseason scrimmage, Pittman credited Petrino for the job he has done since being hired.

“I think he was automatic bringing optimism to the program when we hired him because of the success he had here as a head coach,” Pittman said. “I love Bobby. He’s done a really good job helping me. With him and Travis [Williams], I run a ton of stuff off them. And usually it’s, ‘Yeah, I think we should do that,’ and sometimes it’s, ‘What do you think about this, what do you think about that?’

“The thing that Bobby brings to our program is just — and Travis as well — Bobby brings that swag to the program. He brings that belief of our players, they believe in whatever he says that it’s going to work. The schematics of how it’s going to work, they believe that he knows all the answers for that. There’s a lot to be said about that when you’re coaching kids and they’re not questioning how you’re coaching them. They’re going, ‘If he tells me something and I do it like he says with my athletic ability and my mind, it’s going to work.’ And I think he has a very unique way with people. I think (quarterback) Taylen (Green) could probably answer it better than me, but that’s how I feel the kids see him.”

Green who was Petrino’s hand-picked quarterback in the Class of 2024 also heaped praise on the offensive coordinator and job he’s doing.

“I’d say first, just the mentality,” Green said. “The mentality of every single time we get the ball our goal is to score. And he’s like, ‘We are going to score.’ Coach Pitt said ‘belief’ and that’s really big too. Anything that he (BP) says, we’re not going to question. We believe if he says this coverage, our progress is this, this and this, we’re going to do it every single time. When we’re a little slow, he’ll have the offense bring it up and he’ll say a couple words. That’s just the belief and the mentality we have, that every single time we step on the field, we’re going to score.”

Petrino was head coach at Arkansas 2008-2011 compiling a record of 34-17. Petrino and the Hogs will return to the practice fields on Friday at 9 a.m.