Falcons looking for a coach

[Ricky]

I just saw on NFL.com that Bobby Petrino resigned as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday and will become the head coach of the University of Arkansas

[omac]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071211/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_petrino_resigns


Bobby Petrino resigns as Falcons coach

By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP Sports Writer
47 minutes ago

ATLANTA - Bobby Petrino resigned as Atlanta Falcons coach on Tuesday, a person within the league told The Associated Press. He lasted only 13 games with the NFL team. Petrino left Louisville to become Falcons coach in January for a five-year, $24 million contract, largely because Atlanta felt he could help star quarterback Michael Vick reach his full potential.

A few months later, Vick came under investigation for a grisly dogfighting operation that eventually led him to plead guilty to federal charges. He was sentenced Monday to 23 months in prison without ever taking a snap for Petrino.

The person familiar with Petrino's decision requested anonymity because the team has not yet announced it. There was immediate speculation he had quit to take a college job, with Arkansas among the schools seeking a coach.

Arkansas has been looking for two weeks for a coach to replace Houston Nutt, who resigned after a tumultuous season and hours later took the Mississippi job.

After losing Vick, Petrino tried three other starting quarterbacks without success. The Falcons are 3-10 and assured of the 32nd losing season in their 42-year history.

The resignation of Petrino was another jarring blow to the Falcons, who dealt with Vick's legal troubles since the first day of training camp, when a plane flew overhead pulling a sign that said: "New Team Name? Dog Killers?"

Petrino assembled one of college football's highest-scoring offenses at Louisville, but the Falcons were anemic without Vick. They also were plagued by injuries on the offensive line, which forced them to start two players who weren't even drafted out of college.

Just hours after Vick's sentencing in Richmond, Va., Atlanta took its fourth straight double-digit loss, 34-14 to the New Orleans Saints.

"Not a good day," Petrino said afterward.

Wow, nice job, Petrino; get rid of Grady Jackson, looks like he's tanking the season for the draft, then he resigns. When the going gets tough ....

Now Marty will have at least 2 suitors.

[Stargazer]

Nick Saban 2.0

[Kapaibro]

So they need a coach, a QB, an O-line, a.... uh pretty much a whole damn team.

Oh and some brainwashing to forget that Vick dude was ever there!

[omac]

So they need a coach, a QB, an O-line, a.... uh pretty much a whole damn team.

Oh and some brainwashing to forget that Vick dude was ever there!

Yeah, except for their defense, which Petrino has helped weaken by releasing Grady Jackson, they're practically an expansion team.

The way Petrino resigned was wrong; it left them unprepared, and showed no respect to the owner, coaches, players, and fans.

Next season, they should get Marty, Derek Anderson or Brady Quinn or Aaron Rodgers or Sage Rosenfels, and McFadden. They should also have a change of uniforms.