UT Vols: Does Bobby Petrino have less baggage than Greg Schiano?

Since Tennessee’s attempt to hire Greg Schiano didn’t work out — and that’s an understatement — it obviously needs to broaden its search. How about broadening it all the way to Louisville?

At this point, do you really think Tennessee could hire a better coach than Bobby Petrino?

He never has been mentioned as a possibility. Perhaps that has something to do with his scandalous departure from Arkansas in 2012.

Petrino had an extramarital affair. He lied about it.

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But after all the controversy regarding Schiano, what’s an extramarital affair? When you Google Petrino’s name, Jerry Sandusky’s name won’t come up. Nor would you have to worry that someone would ask questions about a pedophile trial at an introductory press conference.

When word leaked out Sunday that the Vols were on the verge of hiring Schiano, the Tennessee fans reacted so strongly in opposition that the deal fell apart. Their opposition had nothing to do with Schiano’s work as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator or his success as a head coach at Rutgers in the early 2000s.

It was all about what happened when he was an assistant coach at Penn State in the early 1990s.

USA TODAY reported in 2016 that court documents revealed that former Penn State assistant coach Mike McQueary testified that another assistant, Tom Bradley, informed him Schiano had reported seeing assistant Sandusky engaged in inappropriate behavior with a boy. Schiano denied that he ever saw abuse or had any reason to suspect abuse.

In 2012, Sandusky was convicted on 45 counts of child sexual abuse and sentenced to at least 30 years in prison.

Sunday’s fan protests — not to mention the uproar on social media — proved Tennessee fans wanted no part of Schiano. So UT athletic director John Currie’s search team had to regroup in his search for former coach Butch Jones’ replacement.

I don’t know how interested Petrino would be in the Tennessee job. But Tennessee should be interested in him.

He has won in two different coaching stints at Louisville. He won at Western Kentucky. And he had success at Arkansas that recently fired Bret Bielema couldn’t come close to matching. Petrino’s 2011 Arkansas team finished fifth nationally. Six years later, the Razorbacks aren't bowl eligible.

In 13 seasons as a college head coach — at three schools — Petrino has won fewer than eight games only once. He has won 70 percent of his games overall and 11 or more games in three seasons.

He also would fit UT’s immediate needs. Not only can he run a high-scoring offense, he has a great record with quarterbacks, his most recent example being 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson.

Petrino didn’t succeed in the NFL. In fact, he quit on the Falcons before his only pro season was done.

But there’s a long list of great college coaches who didn’t hit it big in the NFL. What matters is how well Petrino has done in college.

He has a better and longer track record than some of the coaches whose names have come up in conjunction with UT’s coaching search. And given the state of Tennessee football and the Schiano fiasco, why wouldn't Currie consider Petrino?

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: Twitter.com/johnadamskns.

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