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Arkansas has fired Bobby Petrino, saying the former Razorbacks coach "knowingly misled" the university and engaged in reckless behavior in a relationship with a female football employee half his age.
The 51-year-old Petrino was injured in an April 1 motorcycle accident. He was put on paid leave last week after admitting he lied about the presence of 25-year-old employee, Jessica Dorrell, who had been riding with him.
Athletic director Jeff Long said Petrino misled him and gave Dorrell $20,000 at one point, though he said he couldn't disclose what it was for. Long said Petrino was fired "with cause" -- meaning he will not receive a multimillion-dollar buyout -- and there were no discussions about ways to keep Petrino at Arkansas.
Assistant head coach Taver Johnson had been placed in charge of the program while Petrino was on leave and sources told ESPN.com's Chris Low that Johnson will continue to lead the program. The sources said Long has informed the coaching staff he would like to keep the assistants in place through the rest of spring practice and then open up the coaching search to see what options are available.
Dorrell, who has yet to comment publicly since the accident, was hired March 28 by Petrino as the student-athlete development coordinator after serving as a fundraiser with the Razorback Foundation. A former Arkansas volleyball player, Dorrell is in charge of organizing the recruiting process for the football team, including initial eligibility for each incoming player.
Long declined to comment on Dorrell's job status Tuesday.
Petrino signed a new seven-year contract in December 2010 after completing his third regular season at Arkansas. The contract, for an average of $3.53 million annually, had a clause in it allowing Arkansas to dismiss Petrino for "engaging in conduct, as solely determined by the university, which is clearly contrary to the character and responsibilities of a person occupying the position of head football coach or which negatively or adversely affects the reputation of the (university's) athletics programs in any way."
A police report released Thursday said Petrino was riding with Dorrell when he lost control of his motorcycle. Dorrell said in the report she wasn't sure what caused the accident, during which Petrino was unable to maneuver a turn and laid the motorcycle down on its left side while sliding off a rural, two-lane highway about 20 miles southeast of Fayetteville.
Petrino said in the report that wind and sun caused the accident. The police report said Petrino and Dorrell were taken by a passer-by to an intersection in southeast Fayetteville, where Arkansas State Police Capt. Lance King, who often was assigned to protect Petrino, took the coach to the hospital.
The police report said Dorrell wasn't taken to a hospital, and that she was dropped off at her vehicle parked at the intersection. State police spokesman Bill Sadler said Petrino didn't try to hide Dorrell's part in the accident when questioned on Tuesday.
"Coach Petrino was as cooperative as anybody that we could ever hope to encounter following the traffic crash," Sadler said.
Petrino, who wasn't wearing a helmet, was hospitalized and had since returned to practice. The police report said he will not be cited for the accident that occurred near the small town of Crosses on a road popular with motorcyclists. Petrino has said he has been an avid rider since he was 10, and the Helena, Mont., native said several years ago that he owned a Harley-Davidson and four other motorcycles.
Source: AP
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