Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino was texting other athletic department employees inquiring about his job status while on administrative leave, just days before he was fired.

Petrino was placed on leave April 5, following a motorcycle accident with a female football staff employee that it was later deemed the coach hired unfairly. A day after Athletic Director Jeff Long placed Petrino on leave the coach sent a text to associate AD Chris Wyrick inquiring about his job status.

"... Is the mood to fire me or to keep me???" Petrino texted the evening of April 6, according to documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Wyrick's response, presumably talking about Athletic Director Jeff Long: "I can't honestly speak to his pulse on that, but my gut is he wants it to work. You have done the job and most feel like you are due a mulligan. I would hope as that starts to finalize, you would be open to some PR ideas that I think could help. I wil not impose those on you, but certainly would help you with that of [if] called upon. He has not asked me one time If I've talked to you, so it's not like he is saying this or that."

Long didn't think Petrino was due a mulligan. Following a review of Petrino's motorcycle wreck involving a female employee, the coach was fired with cause. Long said Petrino engaged in a pattern of “manipulative and misleading behavior” in hiring Dorrell and covering up her involvement in the crash.

Before his employment was terminated, Petrino spent five days on paid leave.

During the leave Petrino contacted Long. A message included: "Hey Jeff I'm just sitting around wondering what I should be doing?? I just want you to no how sorry I am that all this happened!!"

As the review continued Wyrick urged the coach to come clean on anything else that Long might need to know. Wyrick's message: "Coach I know I sometimes aggravate you, but PLEASE listen to me. Does jeff know EVERYTHING from your standpoint."

Petrino, who guided the Razorbacks to 21 wins and a Top 5 ranking the past two seasons, contacted a football offensive coordinator Paul Petrino, his brother, and another staff member to find out how the team's April 6 scrimmage. Petrino followed up by asking "Andy" if messages could be pulled off of his phone.

"So Andy can they get content off my text," Petrino asked.

Responding to the coach, Andy seemed unsred, but added: "It also is probably going to depend in [sic] which phone".

Records reveal more than 4,000 text, video and picture messages sent between Dorrell and Petrino over a seven-month period. Long is currently reviewing Dorrell's status at the UA.

Dorrell worked until March as a fundraiser for the Razorback Foundation. She was announced to Petrino's staff as student-athlete development coordinaor on March 28, after being one of only three candidates among 159 interviewed for the position.