Petrino remorseful in ESPN interview

FAYETTEVILLE — Bobby Petrino was just a few months away from starting a fifth season in his “dream job” at Arkansas, which would have established the longest consecutive stint of his coaching career, when he wrecked his Harley-Davidson on April 1.

Then his world unraveled. The wreck helped uncover his extramarital affair with 25-year-old Jessica Dorrell, whom he had hired to work in the football program, damaged him physically, and led to his April 10 firing by Athletic Director Jeff Long.

Four months later, Petrino is in the midst of trying to salvage his marriage and reconcile his wrongs, and seems to be taking steps to resurrect his coaching career.

Petrino, in his first public interview since his dismissal, discussed his downfall Wednesday with ESPN reporter Joe Schad from Petrino’s hometown of Helena, Mont. Portions of the interview ran on ESPN on Thursday.

“When I look back on it, there’s no good answer,” Petrino said when asked why he would recommend hiring Dorrell. “All I know is that I wasn’t thinking and I wasn’t acting correctly. It’s not how I was raised. It’s not how I raised my children.”

Petrino, who showed the effects of facial surgery and sported a neck brace during his last public appearance at a news conference April 3, appeared in the interview to have recovered physically from the wreck. However, he told Schad that he has struggled to come to grips with the reasons behind the actions that led to his demise.

“I take responsibility for it, and I really am sorry,” he said. “I’ve played it over in my head a million times. How could I do this? How could this happen? And not just the hiring or that day, but my actions and my behavior for months was just wrong.”

Petrino, who admitted he had “drifted away” from what had always been important to him, spoke in a wavering voice when talking about trying to keep his marriage with wife Becky together. He told ESPN the two are in counseling.

“You keep your priorities straight. You put your energy into the people that love you, the people that count on you,” he said. “I’m working hard to save my marriage. I’m working one day at a time. I want to stay married.”

Petrino said the most difficult part of the wreck and its aftermath was coming clean with Becky.

“Looking at the look in her eyes of how I possibly could do something like this to hurt her,” he said. “And this is something that I guess anybody that’s ever hurt their loved ones or lost their dream job can relate to how that is.”

Petrino, after a 5-7 record in his Arkansas debut in 2008, the first losing season of his coaching career, had led the Hogs to a 29-10 record the past three seasons and back to-back appearances in top bowl games.

The apex of his Arkansas tenure came last November, when the 10-1 Razorbacks rose to No. 3 in the Bowl Championship Series rankings prior to a road game at No. 1 LSU. But Petrino was captured shouting obscenities across the field in a 41-17 loss at Baton Rouge, then pulled away angrily from LSU Coach Les Miles after a terse handshake following the game.

Petrino’s coaching acumen has never been questioned, and many analysts believe he will be back in football soon. ESPN reported Petrino wants to get back in coaching, he has been studying video, and he has recently visited with the coaching staffs at California and the Tennessee Titans.

Schad asked Petrino how he would answer a college administrator or NFL team official who wondered how he could trust Petrino.

“I hope and pray that I get a chance to sit down in front of a person who is making a decision like that and be able to explain the mistakes I have made, how I’ve become a better person, a better father, a better husband,” Petrino said. “Like I said, I know I’m going to be a better coach.”