Players' thoughts on Petrino's chances to get interim tag removed for Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Interim coach Bobby Petrino is an official candidate for the Arkansas head coaching vacancy. Athletic director Hunter Yurachek announced the 65-year old has interest in officially returning to his post nearly 15 years after leaving it behind in a press release the day Sam Pittman was fired.

He is currently approaching the halfway point of a seven-game trial run that could decide if the interim tag gets removed from his title. The Razorbacks are 0-3 under Petrino and just blew a 21-10 halftime lead against an Auburn team that was below .500 and winless in SEC play.

The Hogs also had an 8-point lead heading to the fourth quarter. Ahead of the Mississippi State game, Petrino avoided answering questions about the future beyond this season.

"That's a question that's not for me to address right now," Petrino said Monday. "For me to address right now is what do we need to do to go out on the field and put a good product out there, and find a way to win the game. And that's all I can focus on."

Arkansas is coming off its worst offensive performance since the Notre Dame game that officially sent Pittman packing from Fayetteville and opened the possibility of Petrino becoming the next head coach. The Razorbacks only managed 17 offensive points against Auburn and just 331 yards of total offense, a season-low after coming into the game averaging 513.7.

Petrino is focused on the more immediate issue of getting quarterback Taylen Green to bounce back after throwing a career-high three interceptions. The offensive players who have been under his tutelage for the entire season gave him a ringing endorsement as to why Petrino should be the head coach long after they leave the program.

"He has a different type of aura," wide receiver Raylen Sharpe said. "A lot of people ask why the defense has been playing the way they've been playing, his aura. Just being around him. Everyone wants to be a winner, everyone believes they want to be a winner. He puts belief in you that everyone can be a winner."

Sharpe played at Missouri State under Petrino in 2023 where he last held the position of full-time head coach.

Tight end Rohan Jones is just 62 yards away from breaking his career-high of 470 receiving yards in a season, which he set in 14 games in 2024 at Montana State. Petrino has molded the senior into a breakout star despite making the jump from the FCS to the SEC.

Jones praised Petrino's energy.

"He's a very intense coach," Jones said. "He makes you want to win. The first meeting that he was the interim head coach, he had the whole team pretty fired up and just motivated just to go out there and win."

The wins haven't come yet, but the players remain optimistic that the Hogs will get their SEC win in over a year.

The defensive players are still adjusting to getting the full Petrino experience now that he is the head coach. The unit is coming off its best performance in SEC play, holding the Auburn offense to a single touchdown.

"It's not really up to us to determine whether he's a strong candidate or not," linebacker Stephen Dix said. "He's a coach we will get behind 100%, but we're just trying to focus on the season, man, and knock out these games."

Fellow linebacker Xavian Sorey, who recorded a tackle for loss and a sack against Auburn, echoed Dix's sentiments.

"I don't know," Sorey said when asked about Petrino and the head coaching job. "I really don't know,
I'm going to be honest."

Arkansas will have another chance to pick up its first win under Petrino 3 p.m. Saturday against Mississippi State. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network.

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