Petrino out as Idaho football coach
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 4 years, 4 months AGO
Photo courtesy Idaho Athletics Paul Petrino talks to a player at a game earlier this season at Indiana.
From staff reports and news services
MOSCOW — Idaho football coach Paul Petrino will not return in 2022, the school announced late Thursday afternoon.
Petrino and the school will "part ways" after Saturday's season finale at Idaho State, Idaho athletic director Terry Gawlik announced in a school news release.
Tubs at the Club, a Vandal blog, first reported the news early Thursday afternoon, citing sources saying Petrino was not coming back. Tubs at the Club said boosters had raised the necessary money to cover the remaining portion of Petrino's contract, which runs through June 30, 2022 and has a reported base salary of $446,214.40.
"I have nothing but the utmost respect for Paul. He is a man of integrity and strong character," Gawlik said. "He has helped hundreds of football student-athletes become better men. I am personally grateful for his loyalty to Vandal Athletics, his willingness to be a team player and the care and attention that he gave to his student-athletes."
Petrino is 33-66 in his nine seasons at the helm of the Vandals. His tenure was highlighted by the 2016 season that saw the Vandals go 9-4 and capture the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl with a 61-50 win over Colorado State in Boise. His time in Moscow also included a transition from FBS to FCS and a return to the Big Sky Conference.
Idaho is 3-7, 2-5 in the Big Sky Conference this season heading into Saturday's finale in Pocatello.
"I'm very proud of all we accomplished during my time leading this program," Petrino said. "(My wife) Maya and I remain grateful for the opportunity and will take incredible memories with us as we transition to our next endeavor. Our kids grew up here and this University and program will always hold a special place in our hearts. I want to thank our current and former players as well as every coach who has been a part of this program over the past nine years. They are what make this such a special place. I wish nothing but continued success for the current team and will always be in their corner."
Petrino took over at Idaho in December 2012, after a 2012 season in which Robb Akey was fired eight games into his sixth season, and assistant Jason Gesser served as interim coach for the final four games.
Under Petrino, Idaho went 1-11 in 2013, his first season, when the Vandals were an FBS independent after the Western Athletic Conference stopped sponsoring football after the 2012 season.
Idaho was 1-10, 1-7 in its first season back in the Sun Belt in 2014. The Vandals went 4-8, 3-5 the following year before winning the bowl game in 2016.
Petrino was named the Sun Belt Coach of the Year for the 2016 season after leading Idaho to a 6-2 league record.
Idaho was 4-8, 3-5 in 2017, its last season in the Sun Belt.
The Vandals returned to the Big Sky in 2018, and went 4-7, 3-5 that first season, 5-7, 3-5 in 2019 and 2-4, 2-4 in the COVID-19-delayed spring 2021 season.
Since dropping back down to the FCS level, Idaho is 14-25 overall, 10-19 in Big Sky games, and 1-13 in road conference games.
After Petrino took the helm before the 2013 season, the Vandals made an immediate jump in APR (Academic Progress Rate). The academic improvement was indicative of a complete overhaul of the program.
Idaho said it will immediately begin a nationwide search for a new head football coach. College Sports Solutions will assist with the search.
"We are committed to competing at the top of the Big Sky Conference and the FCS," Gawlik said. "We will work tirelessly to find a dynamic coach that will lead the Vandals back to the playoffs. Our goals are lofty, and our expectations are high, but we know the Vandal family expects nothing less than championship-caliber football in the Kibbie Dome."
Petrino, who grew up in Butte, Mont., and played for his father at Carroll College in Helena, got his Division I coaching start at Idaho, where he was a Vandal assistant for three seasons (1992-94).
He also was an assistant at Utah State, Louisville, Southern Miss, Arkansas and Illinois, as well as the NFL's Atlanta Falcons.
Petrino is the second Idaho coach in two days to part ways with the Vandals.
On Thursday, St. Maries native Debbie Buchanan announced she was retiring after 22 seasons as Idaho head volleyball coach.