Biography & Early Wealth Journey
It may not have been pretty, but he still reached the goal. Now, Arkansas owes Pittman $7.8 million to not coach the team. It actually would have been even more at $9.3 million, but Pittman reportedly agreed to a reduced buyout from the program. Arkansas will save $1.5 million in what it pays its former coach. Had it waited until he dropped below .500, the buyout would have been $5.7 million instead.
Sam Pittman (L) and Bobby Petrino (Andy Altenburger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, it's Petrino's second stint as Arkansas's head coach. He previously led the team from 2008 to 2011, posting a 34-17 record over four seasons. The Razorbacks won 10 and 11 games in 2010 and 2011, respectively, finishing the 2011 season ranked 5th overall.
Primary Income Streams & Multi-Million Contracts
In the spring of 2012, Petrino crashed his motorcycle on an Arkansas highway. After initially reporting that he was alone, he admitted he was riding with Jessica Dorell, a former Arkansas volleyball player. Petrino had hired her less than a week earlier as a student-athlete development coordinator.
The university investigated the situation and found that Petrino had given Dorell several gifts, including a payment of $20,000. Arkansas also believed the hiring of Dorell was showing preferential treatment, and fired Petrino with cause.
Over the following years, Petrino bounced around different schools in head coach, offensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach roles. He reunited with Arkansas in 2023 as the school's offensive coordinator. Now, he's back in the driver's seat to turn the school around.
He'll do it with a revamped staff. But as Petrino can attest, sometimes a fresh start makes all the difference.