Fun Bobby

In a surprising move, the Atlanta Falcons announce today the hire of University of Louisville’s Bobby Petrino as the new head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. In four years as head coach, Petrino lead the Cardinals to a 41 – 9 record, going 12 – 1 this season and finishing with an impressive win over Wake Forest in the Orange Bowl. Petrino also spent three years with the Jacksonville Jaguars as the quarterback coach and offensive coordinator.

The hiring of Petrino was a total shock because many didn’t even know he was on the hiring radar. Most people thought the Falcons were going to hire one the hot NFL assistants: Ken Whisenhunt, Cam Cameron, Mike Singletary, or Ron Rivera, but I guess Arthur Blank and Rich McKay were using the old smoke and mirrors. You’d think this hire would be national news, since Petrino is a high profile college coach, but it’s not. This really lets you know that the Falcons have fallen from the national spotlight.

Petrino reportedly signed a five-year, $24 million contract. He’s known as a shrewd offensive coordinator and an expert at developing quarterbacks. Furthermore, he’s known has a tough coach, similar to Bill Belichick, who demands respect and holds players accountable. Honestly, I don’t know how I feel about the hiring of Petrino because I don’t know much about him or Louisville football. I do like the fact that Blank hired him so early in the year. Now, Fun Bobby can hire his staff, meet players, and hopefully get everyone acclimated to this his coaching and playing style. I also like the fact that he holds players accountable. I think Mora didn’t do enough of this because for the past two seasons the team quit during the second half of the season.