Arkansas Sports 360.com - July 2008 - (Page 13) Bob Sr. said. “They have to do what they want. What they wanted was to coach.” Casey Dick: Playbook Hog By Chris Bahn Home Sweet Home? Petrino knows as well as anybody how public the life of a coach can be. Despite his best efforts to remain private, to keep the media and general public at bay, Petrino has seen his career spark nationwide debate. ESPN columnists and analysts torched him for leaving Atlanta. Petrino and his supporters have said the decision was made for family reasons. Issues with Falcons management factored in, though Petrino will not discuss that with anyone outside an inner circle that consists almost entirely of family. Now Fayetteville is home — at least for the time being. It’s the sort of college town Petrino grew up in, the sort of place he and his wife, Becky, feel is much better suited to raising a family than is Atlanta. “This is an atmosphere that we’re used to,” Petrino said. “We both grew up in Montana and in college towns and college atmospheres before. So it’s easy to get comfortable.” While Petrino is saying all the right things, he’s said them before. He took the Falcons job after signing a 10-year contract with Louisville. Petrino’s résumé is about as thick as his playbook. He’s worked for 12 different teams on the college and NFL levels since beginning his coaching career full time in 1988. Those job changes and Petrino’s interest in others have been well-documented. Petrino routinely flirted with other programs while at Louisville, issuing multiple public apologies whenever he would irritate the fan base and administration. Petrino’s wanderlust became known nationally in 2003, his first season with Louisville. Petrino agreed to a clandestine meeting with Auburn officials interested in lining up a replacement for Tigers coach Tommy Tuberville, even before Auburn’s season finale against Alabama (which Tuberville and the Tigers would win). Petrino had served as Tuberville’s offensive coordinator the previous season. Five years later, Tuberville is still employed by the school. Arkansas took note of Petrino’s past when structuring its contract with the coach in December. His employment agreement with the Razorbacks includes a $2.85 million buyout and a no-compete clause that prohibits him from serving in “any coaching capacity with another SEC Western Division” school for the five-year term of his contract and any extensions. ExPERIENCE IS SuPPoSED To matter in football. It’s believed to be especially important at the quarterback position. Considering the number of starts senior quarterback Casey Dick has under his belt, conventional wisdom would suggest Arkansas is in pretty good shape this season. of course, it all depends on what gauge of experience is being considered. Dick has started 18 consecutive games, but he and everybody else wearing a Razorback uniform this season enter with limited knowledge of new coach Bobby Petrino’s offensive system. Spring practice allowed multiple installations of what has been dubbed the “Power Spread” offense, but a true gauge first: Casey Dick showed the mental and physical tools to top Arkansas’ depth chart at quarterback. of what players know won’t be revealed until the season begins. Arkansas opens things off with Western Illinois on Aug. Petrino, who has a reputation for as the clear-cut No. 1 when first-team 30. Fall camp begins Aug. 3, and in the developing quarterbacks, was encouraged snaps were distributed. meantime Dick and the team’s other by what he saw from Dick. Because Nathan Dick, Casey’s younger brother, quarterbacks understand what they have Dick had a good understanding of the and Alex Mortensen also took snaps. to do with their free time. playbook and spent hours breaking Mortensen was slotted in the back-up “Study. Study. Study,” Dick said. “If down film, he was able to perform role much of the spring and moved the you don’t study you don’t play.” well in spring workouts. team well in scrimmages. Mortensen’s Familiarity with the “He’s worked hard at really inability to throw quick passes with offense on paper is understanding the timing and accuracy hurt his cause. crucial, especially for offense,” Petrino said. Nathan Dick eventually moved ahead, the quarterback, because “He’s worked just as hard and his confidence seemed to grow with of the complexity of it. A at understanding defense each practice and each scrimmage. By the single play can be run from 10 and what coverages are doing. Incoming freshmen Tyler Wilson and or more formations. This keeps numBers Now he’s starting to put the Jim Youngblood will see practice snaps opponents off guard whenever 404 Red-White two together and being able to when two-a-days begin. Youngblood was game passing possible. distribute the ball according among a number of freshmen on campus yards for Dick. Dick emerged from spring to the play call and what the for the first summer session, and he and practice with what seemed like Wilson attended spring scrimmages in 1,697 Dick’s defense is doing.” season high a pretty good grasp of things. Truthfully, though, Dick hopes of gaining a better understanding passing yardage. He threw for 404 yards and two was never really pushed by of the offense. touchdowns in the Red-White It is unlikely any of the team’s other 2 Freshman QBs other quarterbacks during the expected to game to conclude the team’s 15 spring. quarterbacks will unseat Dick, who compete for spring practices. Dick began the spring showed the mental and physical tools playing time. It was a far cry from what splitting time with Michigan necessary to reach the top of the team’s Dick had been asked to do in transfer Ryan Mallett, who depth chart. All of them should compete previous seasons. He has never thrown filed an appeal seeking a waiver of for the chance to back up Dick this fall. for 300 yards in a game, and his 2007 NCAA transfer rules. Mallett broke his Whoever gets that spot should have a season totals of 1,697 yards and 18 thumb during the team’s first full-scale head start on 2009. They’ll have the sort touchdowns eclipsed those of his first scrimmage and was denied his appeal for of knowledge and experience with the oftwo seasons combined. immediate playing time, which left Dick fense that will truly make a difference. m and game-planner. Petrino counts his father as his primary mentor. Bob Sr., an NAIA Hall of Fame member, emphasized the importance of detailed planning and exhaustive film study. Petrino no doubt picked that up, but he is quick to point out his influences do not end with his dad, who served at Carroll College for 28 years and amassed a 168-90-2 record. “I think I learned from everybody,” Petrino said. “There is no doubt about that. one thing I’ve tried to do my entire life is continue to learn and learn from anybody you’re around.” Petrino, while working for Mike Price at Weber State and Dennis Erickson at Idaho, learned passing philosophies he uses today. At Arizona State with Bruce Snyder, Petrino learned the value of a power running game. Petrino’s belief in a strong ground game was further cemented while working for Tom Coughlin with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. Working for John L. Smith at Louisville helped Petrino develop his current system of goal-setting with players. Each week the Razorbacks will be asked to identify three goals, the obstacles facing them and the solutions available. It’s a philosophy that wouldn’t be out of place in corporate America. Whatever critics think of Petrino’s methods or his movement, it’s hard to petrino (continued on Page 14) July 2008 ArkansasSports360.com 13 GrACe riley Always Learning Don’t expect Petrino to apologize for his nomadic lifestyle. Each stop along the way has afforded him the opportunity to hone his skills as a renowned play-caller http://ArkansasSports360.com
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