Sports

Paul Petrino Named Head Football Coach at Idaho

Posted: Dec 3, 2012 9:15 PM by MTN Sports
Updated: Dec 3, 2012 9:19 PM

MOSCOW - Former Carroll College All-American Paul Petrino has been hired as the head football coach at the University of Idaho.

Petrino spent the 2012 season at the University of Arkansas after a previous stint as the offensive coordinator at Illinois.

"I'm very excited," Petrino said at a media conference Monday. "It's a dream come true. I've wanted to be a head coach my whole life. I had a chance to come back out to the Northwest."

Idaho finished the 2012 season with a 1-11 record, including a 1-6 mark in the Western Athletic Conference. Former coach Robb Akey was fired in October, when offensive coordinator Jason Gesser was named interim coach.

The University of Idaho will compete as an "independent" in the FBS next season, as the WAC is disbanding on the football fields.

"Paul has coached college football at the highest level and brings the coaching experience, energy, toughness and commitment to developing the entire student-athlete at the University of Idaho," Idaho Director of Athletics Rob Spear said. "He has an outstanding coaching pedigree and is known as one of most creative offensive minds in the country, which will bring an exciting brand of football to the University of Idaho."

Petrino was an assistant at Idaho from 1992 to 1994. The brother of former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino also has stops in Utah State, Louisville, Illinois and Southern Mississippi.

"I look forward to getting back, getting the Vandal Family all excited and fired up," Paul Petrino said. "We want to score a whole bunch of points, be explosive on offense and hit that quarterback on defense. We want to win a whole bunch of games and go to bowls."