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Jurich: Petrino's contract will still be honored

Posted: Sunday January 2, 2005 4:10PM; Updated: Sunday January 2, 2005 6:33PM

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- One day after Bobby Petrino pulled out of consideration for the LSU football coaching job, Louisville's athletic director said Sunday wants the university to honor his coach's newly sweetened contract.

But Tom Jurich expressed disappointment with the timing of Petrino's contact with LSU, which fueled intense speculation about the coach's future as Louisville prepared for its Liberty Bowl game against Boise State. The No. 7 Cardinals defeated 10th-ranked Boise State 44-40 on Friday, giving the Cardinals a best-ever 11-1 record.

"As of now, I will honor his contract. It will be up to him whether he wants to honor it," Jurich, who hired Petrino, told reporters before Louisville's basketball game against Tennessee State.

Petrino, who just completed his second year at Louisville, did not attend the news conference at Freedom Hall but university officials said he was scheduled to meet with the media on Monday.

Petrino met with LSU officials just days after agreeing to a new deal with Louisville that gave him a raise from $550,000 to $1 million a season, plus incentive clauses.

Jurich said he still considers Petrino the "right person for the job, but I think he's going to have to make that decision." Jurich said he would meet with Petrino soon to discuss what transpired in recent days.

University President James Ramsey said he supported Jurich's position but also offered a scolding that seemed aimed at Petrino without mentioning the coach.

"I am greatly disappointed that any member of our university family would find it necessary to maintain a relationship with an agent to pursue future employment opportunities," Ramsey said in a statement. He added that the university would support and assist "any employee who believes that other opportunities are in their best professional interest."

Jurich said it was Petrino who contacted him asking for discussions over a new contract. At the time, Petrino had had discussions with Notre Dame officials, who at the time were looking for a new coach, but Petrino indicated he was ready to stay at Louisville, Jurich said Sunday.

Days after the new contract with Louisville was announced, Petrino's name was linked to the LSU job, which became vacant when Nick Saban left for the NFL's Miami Dolphins.

"I thought this issue was a little bit disturbing simply because of the timing," Jurich said.

Jurich said he doesn't want Petrino to stay only because he didn't land what he might perceive as a better job.

"I want him to coach here because he thinks this is the greatest football job in the country," Jurich said.

The Cardinals, champions of Conference USA this season, are set to join the Big East Conference next season -- which could put them in line to play in a lucrative BCS bowl if they win the conference.

Jurich also acknowledged that Petrino has to win back some Louisville fans, adding, "I'm not going to do it for him."

Jurich said he considers Petrino among the nation's top coaches, and said he expected other high-profile schools to approach Petrino.

"He is going to get other people coming after him, that's the nature of our business," Jurich said. "So we will all be prepared for that."

Jurich said he already had a "short list" of candidates for the head coaching job if Petrino leaves.

I really like the Louisville AD. from The Courier-Journal
Jurich says Petrino's contract will stand, UofL coach has hurt ties, he says

"As of now, I will honor (coach Bobby Petrino's) contract. It will be up to him whether he wants to honor it."
— TOM JURICH, University of Louisville athletic director

University of Louisville Athletic Director Tom Jurich will honor the rest of football coach Bobby Petrino's contract, but he made it clear yesterday that Petrino has damaged his standing with him and with UofL fans by pursuing the Louisiana State University coaching job.

"We have contemplated greatly on it," Jurich said, speaking haltingly and with emotion during a press conference in Freedom Hall. "...As of now, I will honor his contract. It will be up to him whether he wants to honor it."

Jurich was moving to put out a public relations fire and settle a riled-up fan base a day after Petrino announced he was no longer a candidate for the LSU job. But Jurich did not take the heat off his head coach and said it was up to Petrino to repair his relations with fans and the administration.

Petrino met with LSU officials on Dec. 26 in Nashville, Tenn., on his way to Memphis for the Cardinals' Liberty Bowl game against Boise State.

Five days before the LSU interview, Petrino had said that speculation about his future could be put to rest after signing a contract with UofL that raised his salary to $1million annually and offered him $866,666 in longevity and performance incentives. He also specifically ruled out a candidacy for the LSU job.

LSU put an end to questions about the job last night, when the chairman of the school's board of supervisors confirmed that Les Miles of Oklahoma State University will be named LSU's next coach, according to Gannett News Service.

Doubts have persisted

It wasn't the first time, Jurich said, that his coach had given his explicit word that he wants to remain at UofL. Yesterday, when asked if he could believe or trust anything Petrino tells him now, Jurich said, "I'm going to work very hard at that."

When a reporter said the answer sounded as if Jurich's trust in Petrino had been damaged and asked if that was the case, Jurich repeated, "I'm going to work very hard at that."

Petrino was not present at Jurich's news conference and declined to comment through the school's sports information department for a second straight day. He is scheduled to hold a news conference at noon today.

Petrino announced in a statement released early Saturday that he wants to remain at UofL, his first definitive statement about his future after refusing to answer questions about LSU for a week.

Jurich said yesterday that he had asked the coach to offer more public explanation of his action for the benefit of fans, and Jurich acknowledged that fan frustration with the coach is running high. He said that the job of rebuilding relations both with the community and the university will primarily fall to Petrino.

"It's certainly going to be up to him," Jurich said. "Because I'm not going to do it for him. ... I really mean that. I think it's very important for him to stand up and say the way he feels."

While Jurich acknowledged that some consideration was given to severing ties with Petrino, he said that honoring the contract was the best course for the football program. Dismissing Petrino could have cost the university $5 million to $6 million, according to the terms of his contract.

Jurich said he is ready to move forward if Petrino does decide to leave.

"If Bobby chooses not to stay here — which that option is open also for him — I'll be ready to go in 20 minutes," Jurich said. "I can assure everybody of that."

The rift has come about after two months of heavy speculation about Petrino and his possible candidacy for other coaching jobs. He was reported to be a leading candidate at the University of Florida, a job that eventually went to Utah's Urban Meyer, though Florida President Bernie Machen said school officials believed Petrino was highly interested.

Petrino's next serious suitor was Notre Dame. Jurich said Notre Dame officials met with Petrino on Dec. 7, with Jurich's permission.

"When he was visiting with Notre Dame ... he called ... and said he wanted to be at the University of Louisville no matter what the circumstances were," Jurich said. "And he wanted to know if we could start on a contract."

That day, Petrino released a statement through UofL saying, "I am not interested in any other coaching jobs and am happy at the University of Louisville."

Two weeks later, on Dec. 21, UofL announced a new contract for Petrino.

"I did that contract as a good-faith issue with him," Jurich said. "I believed he wanted that."

Jurich has said he has been questioned by fans and media about why he gave LSU permission to speak to Petrino when he got a call from LSU's athletic director, Skip Bertman, at his home on Christmas Eve. Jurich said he allows his coaches to speak to whomever they want.

In this case, however, Jurich said he did ask LSU not to speak to Petrino until after the Liberty Bowl on New Year's Eve.

But the Tigers didn't wait. When asked yesterday why he didn't just deny LSU permission, Jurich said that he didn't think it would have made a difference and added, "Any coach of mine that wants to be somewhere else, I think they need to be. I give all my coaches that permission (to speak to other schools); every one of them gets that."

Questions about buyouts

Jurich also has been second-guessed for not including a buyout clause in the contracts of his coaches. Such clauses force coaches or the schools hiring them to pay the school losing its coach a specified sum of money, which could be a deterrent to coaches leaving or schools approaching them if the amount is large enough.

Jurich said yesterday he doesn't plan to start including such provisions in contracts he negotiates.

"A buyout clause is such a small figure that it's meaningless to me," he said. "That's why I set up an annuity that a coach has to earn, and if he walks away he leaves that on the table."

Jurich, who received a statement of support from UofL President James Ramsey yesterday, said that he wants to give Petrino credit for the coaching job he has done. And he said that he expects other programs to continue to come after Petrino.

Jurich noted that Auburn, whom Petrino secretly spoke with last year, and LSU are two of the top jobs in the nation, and he doesn't fault the coach for being interested in either school. But he added that the timing and Petrino's handling of the two situations were not good. He blamed Petrino's agent, Russ Campbell, for much of the LSU flare-up.

Still, Jurich said, Petrino is ultimately responsible, and needs to change the way he does business. He wouldn't specify those changes, but said he would discuss them with Petrino when the two meet after Jurich returns from several days of vacation.

"I am forgiving in a sense," Jurich said. "But I want to see some changes."

The rift has come about after two months of heavy speculation about Petrino and his possible candidacy for other coaching jobs. He was reported to be a leading candidate at the University of Florida, a job that eventually went to Utah's Urban Meyer, though Florida President Bernie Machen said school officials believed Petrino was highly interested.

Petrino's next serious suitor was Notre Dame. Jurich said Notre Dame officials met with Petrino on Dec. 7, with Jurich's permission.

"When he was visiting with Notre Dame ... he called ... and said he wanted to be at the University of Louisville no matter what the circumstances were," Jurich said. "And he wanted to know if we could start on a contract."

That day, Petrino released a statement through UofL saying, "I am not interested in any other coaching jobs and am happy at the University of Louisville."

Two weeks later, on Dec. 21, UofL announced a new contract for Petrino.

"I did that contract as a good-faith issue with him," Jurich said. "I believed he wanted that."

Jurich has said he has been questioned by fans and media about why he gave LSU permission to speak to Petrino when he got a call from LSU's athletic director, Skip Bertman, at his home on Christmas Eve. Jurich said he allows his coaches to speak to whomever they want.

In this case, however, Jurich said he did ask LSU not to speak to Petrino until after the Liberty Bowl on New Year's Eve.

But the Tigers didn't wait. When asked yesterday why he didn't just deny LSU permission, Jurich said that he didn't think it would have made a difference and added, "Any coach of mine that wants to be somewhere else, I think they need to be. I give all my coaches that permission (to speak to other schools); every one of them gets that."

Questions about buyouts

Jurich also has been second-guessed for not including a buyout clause in the contracts of his coaches. Such clauses force coaches or the schools hiring them to pay the school losing its coach a specified sum of money, which could be a deterrent to coaches leaving or schools approaching them if the amount is large enough.

Jurich said yesterday he doesn't plan to start including such provisions in contracts he negotiates.

"A buyout clause is such a small figure that it's meaningless to me," he said. "That's why I set up an annuity that a coach has to earn, and if he walks away he leaves that on the table."

Jurich, who received a statement of support from UofL President James Ramsey yesterday, said that he wants to give Petrino credit for the coaching job he has done. And he said that he expects other programs to continue to come after Petrino.

Jurich noted that Auburn, whom Petrino secretly spoke with last year, and LSU are two of the top jobs in the nation, and he doesn't fault the coach for being interested in either school. But he added that the timing and Petrino's handling of the two situations were not good. He blamed Petrino's agent, Russ Campbell, for much of the LSU flare-up.

Still, Jurich said, Petrino is ultimately responsible, and needs to change the way he does business. He wouldn't specify those changes, but said he would discuss them with Petrino when the two meet after Jurich returns from several days of vacation.

"I am forgiving in a sense," Jurich said. "But I want to see some changes."