Former Arkansas coaches say players quit on team

Several coaches who guided Arkansas through the 2012 season after coach Bobby Petrino was fired say that the team quit, reports the Sporting News. 

Paul Haynes, who now coaches at Kent State, and Paul Petrino, who is at Idaho, said they had problems with the school hiring interim coach John L. Smith for 10 months. The Razorbacks started the season as a preseason Top 10 pick and ended up finishing 4-8. Smith was fired in November and now coaches at Division II Fort Lewis College.

“There were some seniors who kind of hung it up, to be honest with you,” Petrino said. “They were going to worry about their futures more than that team. A couple seniors said they were hurt and I don’t know if they really were.”

“I don’t think an A.D. should ever hire somebody for 10 months,” Petrino said. “Players know what that means; they understand that. It hurts the power of the head coach and the assistants.

Haynes said that the school planned on getting rid of the coaches but instead of giving Smith 10 months, two years would have been better.

 “When you give 10 months, everyone is on egg shells," Haynes said.