If you look close enough — with assistant coaches seemingly moving around every year — you’re bound to find a coaching connection between any two teams facing each other.
For the Idaho Vandals (1-2) this week, it’s Vandal head coach Paul Petrino and Kevin Peoples, defensive line coach for Georgia Southern (2-1).
Peoples played at Carroll College in the late 1980s and early ’90s under coach Bob Petrino Sr. — Paul’s dad. Peoples started his coaching career at Carroll in 1993.
“His big brother, I played with my freshman year in college,” said Paul Petrino, who played for his dad at Carroll. “My junior and senior year, his middle brother was my center, and then I coached at Carroll (1989-91) when he played there. His parents and my parents are best friends; they grew up together.
“In this profession, it’s a tight-knit profession. Everybody takes care of each other. There’s a lot of guys from Carroll College out there coaching in the profession. Happy for him (Peoples), proud of him, he’s a real good football coach.”
It’s the conference opener for both teams; Georgia Southern won the Sun Belt last year, it’s first season in FBS.

Notes: Tight end/wide receiver Deon Watson, who was banged up and missed Saturday’s 41-38 win over Wofford, could return this week, Petrino said. Watson, a junior from Coeur d’Alene High, had 11 catches for 114 yards and one touchdown in the first two games. Watson practiced on Tuesday. Junior wide receiver Jacob Sannon, who caught a career-high nine passes vs. USC, also missed the Wofford game with an injury. Petrino said he hopes Sannon will be back this week, but “I think we have a lot better chance of getting (Watson) back,” he said.