Texas A&M Football: Aggies Set to Hire Bobby Petrino as OC

Well, it looked like it definitely wasn’t happening.  But here we are.

Less than a month after accepting a job as the UNLV offensive coordinator, Bobby Petrino has reversed course and is now finalizing a deal to become the OC for Texas A&M football, per Chris Low of ESPN. Petrino is widely regarded as an elite offensive mind, and brought a formerly insipid Missouri State program to the FCS playoffs in his most recent HC stint.  Before that, Petrino served as the head coach for the Atlanta Falcons, Louisville Cardinals (twice!), and the Arkansas Razorbacks.

This is possibly the most controversial hire Jimbo Fisher could have made for this position. Petrino is a solid coach as far as Xs and Os go, but the number of off-field issues the guy has had is the sticking point for most people when considering this hire.

There will be an initial temptation to freak out and drown in negativity.  Honestly, I’m not sure that’s misguided, all things considered.  This is a high-stakes play for the Texas A&M football program.  After the season that just took place, most of the goodwill that Fisher had built up with fans was close to going out the window, and this latest move might cement that reaction with many.  This could be a development that kickstarts the offense or one that blows up spectacularly, bringing the Jimbo Fisher era as the head man for Texas A&M football to an inauspicious end.

How will he mesh with the players in this era of NIL and free transfers?  How will his scheme work with this level of talent? We can only wait and see for now.  But, in parting, let us ruminate on the words of Cyclone Larry:

Thank you Larry.