Will Bobby Petrino bail on Louisville? Paul Finebaum weighs in

The colossal mess regarding the University of Louisville’s men’s basketball could end up having a negative impact on more than just that sport.

After the news broke that head basketball coach Rick Pitino and athletic director Tom Jurich were fired, a lot of people were left wondering what that meant for the entire athletic department.

Well, SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum believes it’ll at least effect one of the other major sports: the football program.

Will Bobby Petrino bail out of Louisville? In my mind he will. https://t.co/yNwaJbMCVO

— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) September 27, 2017

“Will Petrino bail? In my mind, he will,” Finebaum stated. “I’ve spoken to people who believe he will get out as soon as he can. And, believe it or not, despite of his past, he will find some places to go. Perhaps, not all that far away.”

That last sentence is the most intriguing part of what Finebaum said. There are several SEC coaches, including Kevin Sumlin, Bret Bielema and Butch Jones, who are currently on the hot seat.

While it’s highly unlikely that Petrino would return to Arkansas, he could be a potential fit at one of the other high-profile jobs that could come open in the SEC.

No one has ever doubted Petrino’s ability as a coach, and with the recent misses on coaching hires in the conference, a guy like Petrino could end up being a hot commodity at some point in the near future.

Clint Lamb

Clint helps cover the SEC West for Saturday Down South. His work can also be found on USA TODAY Sports, The 'Bama Beat podcast and The Bullpen with TonyMac and The Lamb. Previous stops include SEC Country, 247Sports and Touchdown Alabama Magazine.