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Paul Petrino was hired as No. 7 Arkansas' offensive coordinator on Tuesday, the first addition for the Razorbacks in what has become a coaching overhaul.
Petrino, the former Illinois offensive coordinator, was hired to replace Garrick McGee, who was introduced a day earlier as the new coach at Alabama-Birmingham.
McGee was the first of three coordinators to leave Arkansas in recent days. He was joined on Tuesday when defensive coordinator Willy Robinson resigned and special teams coordinator John L. Smith left to become the coach at Weber State.
Petrino previously served as Arkansas' offensive coordinator under Bobby Petrino, his brother, during the 2008-09 seasons before leaving for the Illini. Paul Petrino expects the coaching transition to be a smooth one as the Razorbacks prepare to face Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 6.
''I think any time you have a leader at the top and everything is run with consistency and with discipline, then that transition is smooth,'' Petrino said. ''We have a great leader at the top, so there's no question in my mind that will go smooth.''
While at Illinois, Petrino helped lead an offense that broke school records for total points (423) and points per game (32.5) in 2010. However, a six-game losing streak cost head coach Ron Zook his job this season and had Petrino looking elsewhere.
He was driving home from a job interview with another school when his brother called and offered the job over the weekend, and he said he would start work Tuesday night with anticipation of working during the bowl game.
''I really started thinking, you know what, I need to get back where the head coach believes in everything that I believe in,'' Petrino said. ''Where the head coach starts everything with discipline where he believes everything I believe in offensively.''
''That's when it probably came to me that this is where we needed to be.''
Petrino said he left Arkansas to help in his pursuit of becoming a head coach. His first goal now, though, is to remain with the Razorbacks for the next four years while his twin eighth-grade daughters finish high school.
''Paul has had several options with high level programs the past few days, and I'm excited he made the decision to rejoin our program,'' Bobby Petrino said. ''His experience the last two seasons, blended with our philosophy, will give us continuity with our aggressive scheme.''
Paul Petrino inherits an Arkansas offense he's well familiar with from his previous stint at the school. The Razorbacks (10-2, 6-2 Southeastern Conference) led the SEC in passing offense this season behind first-year starting quarterback Tyler Wilson, who was Petrino's first recruit when he was hired the first time around.
''It's exciting,'' Petrino said. There (are) a lot of players that I've always had a lot of love for and coached for two years, and now I get to come back and work with them again.''
Arkansas had a seven-game winning streak this season following a loss to Alabama, and it did so despite the loss of running back Knile Davis to an ankle injury in the preseason. The Razorbacks lost 41-17 in their last game to top-ranked LSU, less than a week after the sudden death of late teammate Garrett Uekman from an enlarged heart.
Arkansas wound up ranked No. 6 in the BCS, the highest team not to receive a bid to one of the coveted bowls. It couldn't be selected because the SEC already had two participants with LSU and Alabama, the two teams to beat the Razorbacks this season.
While the offense continued to shine following the departure of record-setting quarterback Ryan Mallett to the NFL, the defense took a step back in Robinson's fourth season. The former defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers helped Arkansas improve from 89th in the country in total defense in 2009 to 36th last season.
This season, however, the Razorbacks fell to 51st, allowing 371.4 yards per game. That was ninth in the SEC and well behind SEC West powerhouses LSU and Alabama.
''I want to thank Willy Robinson for his role in helping our defense, which he leaves in better shape than when he arrived,'' Bobby Petrino said. ''I have the utmost respect for Willy Robinson as an individual who wants the best for the young men he coaches.
''I give Willy credit for his part in the building process the last four years and wish him future success.''
