The Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Steve Wyche reports the Falcons’ search for a successor to Jim Mora took less than a week, as the club will introduce the hiring of Louisville’s Bobby Petrino as their new head coach tomorrow.
According to two people with knowledge of the situation, Blank signed Petrino to a five-year, $24 million contract ” a major deal for a coach with just three years of NFL experience as an assistant coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars (1998-2001). The Falcons are still obligated to pay Mora, who was earning less than $2 million a year, through the 2008 season. Mora signed a three-year extension last summer.
Petrino, who signed a 10-year, $25 million contract with the university this summer, had an out clause with no financial penalty to leave Louisville for the NFL. Petrino had caught the eye of several NFL teams, as well as college powers Auburn University and Louisiana State University, the past few seasons, and was the subject of regular speculation that he would leave Louisville.
To Petrino’s credit, there’s no record of his denying interest in the Falcons vacancy anytime in the past week.
The New York Times’ Dave Anderson casually tosses the names Charlie Weis and Bill Parcells into a discussion of the Giants’ Tom Coughlin getting the sack. The Colonel, however, has lost patience with his naysayers, according to Newsday’s Arthur Staple.
“We had first-and-30 and still scored a touchdown. Who wants to talk about that one?” Coughlin said. “Let’s not lose track of the good things. I know we’re in a mood and we’ve been that way most of the year, where it’s all negative, but it’s not all negative.”
I watched Coughlin’s postgame remarks on ESPN tonight, and I have to say, in an era of win-or-else, it’s refreshing to see someone take so much pride in an 8-9 season. And as football genius Matt Millen reminded us earlier in the week, other than hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy, it’s all just jockeying for draft positions (something, it should be said, Millen is much better at than Coughlin). Winning isn’t the only thing, Big Blue fans, just ask the coach.