Bobby Petrino’s three-year stint with Missouri State may have been short, but his impact on the program may be felt for years to come.
“Bobby Petrino came in here brought the name Petrino, which is a very big one in football circles, brought it in and brought a level of winning into this circumstance. Here’s a team that made the playoffs for the first time in 30 years,” said Missouri Sports Hall of Famer Ned Reynolds.
Petrino became the first coach to reach 18 wins in a three-season span since Jesse Branch in the early 1990’s.
In 2021, Petrino led MSU to its first winning season since 2009. That same team went on to host a playoff game for the first time since 1990.
“Bobby Petrino had the idea of what to do and the concept of how to make it work especially at the FCS level,” Reynolds said.
Now begs the question who replaces Petrino? One internal option is Bobby’s son Nick, who served as Offensive Coordinator for the Bears the last three seasons.
But a few players on social media have made their thoughts clear.
https://twitter.com/2LemondreJoe/status/1603524840975130627?s=20&t=h49W_j2KXy1s00_LRO29Fg
Defensive Coordinator and one of Missouri State’s top recruiters Ryan Beard is also an internal option. Beard is Bobby’s son-in-law
Speaking at media day back in August, Beard spoke about the pride he feels in helping MSU players reach the next level.
“That’s the goal of every single person that comes through our doors, first and foremost to get a meaningful degree, obviously develop as a person and as a man and to be a great future husband and future father,” Beard said. “At the end of the day this is a business, we want to show that we can help you achieve your dreams and your goals. You can do anything you want to do here at Missouri State and it’s proven now, it’s not just board talk and the fliers people put out on Twitter, this is proven. It’s substantial, it’s factual and I think that’s really helping recruiting and it’s building a major buzz around Missouri State football.”
The job is not Beard’s or Petrino’s just yet. Missouri State says the search for a new head coach is underway. We’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available.
