Proving that you can always go home again (right?), Bobby Petrino is reportedly set to become the next head coach at Louisville. Yahoo's Pat Forde reported Wednesday the hiring was "imminent" and that the school would announce Petrino as its head coach on Thursday.
Petrino led Louisville to a 41-9 record from 2003-06, including a 12-1 season capped by an Orange Bowl win in 2006, before departing for the Atlanta Falcons and Arkansas, two jobs in which he left as ungracefully as possible. Now, after one 8-4 season at Western Kentucky, Petrino is set to return to Louisville.
As if they needed repeating, there's a fact that should be self-evident here: winning matters above all else in this business.
Petrino is 83-30 in nine seasons as head coach and has had only one season - his first at Arkansas - with less than eight wins.
For a sampling of how the Petrino hiring is playing nationally, well, here goes nothing:
Petrino's departure would create a subsequent opening at Western Kentucky, the 18th in college football so far this season. Western Kentucky athletics director Todd Stewart has already spoken with offensive coordinator Jeff Brohm about the job, according to USA Today's Dan Wolken.