Bobby Petrino says he has the hunger and energy to continue coaching at a high level for the foreseeable future. His audition for the full-time head coaching role with Arkansas football begins this week with a road trip to Tennessee.
As the Razorbacks (2-3, 0-1 SEC) prepare to face the No. 12 Volunteers (4-1, 1-1) on Saturday, Oct. 11, Petrino is using his vigor to make changes across the program. The alterations began on his first day with sweeping changes to the defensive coaching staff, but he’s making adjustments to the margins of the program.
For example, the Hogs’ practice schedules have an entirely new feel. Arkansas is starting roughly an hour earlier than it did under Pittman, opting for shorter workouts with higher intensity.
“The tempo has definitely changed,” defensive end Quincy Rhodes said. “It’s a lot quicker, the periods are shorter but they’re again, a quick pace. So the coaches have done a great job with getting to the nail of things and being able to also focus on details”
And beginning this week, the days of practice will also change.
The team will come in Sunday after the game against Tennessee to watch film. The players who logged the most snaps will run to “get the soreness out,” while younger players further down the depth chart will practice to continue their development. Everyone will get Monday off before returning Tuesday to officially begin preparation for the next opponent.
“I’ve always believed this, and I think it’s because when I was young in the profession, a guy told me once, ‘You can only coach what you know.’ And what I know is the schedule that I like and the way it goes,” Petrino said.
Petrino’s responsibilities have also gone through some obvious changes in his move from offensive coordinator to head coach.
On Saturday, he’ll be back on the sideline instead of in the booth. The coach was down on the field in 2024, but he decided to make a switch this fall so he could get away from the referees and have a better view of the field.
There are also new week-to-week tasks like meeting with special teams coordinator Scott Fountain and his training staff. Petrino needs to know the severity of injuries across the roster as he decides on who travels and fills out the required SEC Availability reports that are first released on Wednesday nights.
“Sometimes it’s a lot easier just to call plays and coach the quarterbacks, but that’s part of it,” he said. “I have the experience doing it, so that makes it fairly easy.”
There could also be some changes with personnel against Tennessee. Petrino refused to dive into specifics during his Monday news conference, but he didn’t rule out new individuals stepping into bigger roles. If he does make changes, Petrino hopes there is an element of surprise that positively impacts the Hogs’ matchup with the Volunteers.
All of these changes are designed to perfect the Arkansas process. Petrino believes the only way to turn around the season with more wins than losses is execute better in the buildup to Saturdays.
“Do the things that you need to do to win games,” he said. “That’s in our preparation and how we practice, how we go about our daily business, how the players are in the building, in the weight room and and then that gives you the opportunity to win.”
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at jfuller@gannett.com or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
