Petrino, Tuberville move past ‘jetgate’

Phil Paramore
Published: May 28, 2008

It hardly rivaled the sort of stuff that will be rehashed leading up to the football game on Oct. 11, but at least the ice has been broken.

The Southeastern Conference football coaches, athletic directors and presidents are in Destin, Fla., this week for the conference’s annual meetings. The items on the agenda include considering an early December signing period for football prospects, the expiring television contracts and the distribution of what is expected to be record payouts from shared revenues over the past year.

But Tuesday, Bobby Petrino and Tommy Tuberville sat down at the same table as SEC brethren for the first time since 2001. That’s when Petrino landed his first head coaching job in the collegiate ranks as he left his role as Tuberville’s offensive coordinator for the Louisville opening. Two years later, the now-infamous “jetgate” episode unfolded, as Auburn’s then-president, athletics director and two board of trustee members flew to Indiana to meet with Petrino about possibly replacing Tuberville.

Some speculated the situation would be tense in Destin, but apparently not. Both men downplayed the incident, as Petrino said he thought the relationship with his former boss was “in good shape.” Tuberville, sounding like he has grown into the Auburn job over the last decade, was even more philosophical.

“This is a business,” Tuberville said. “I can understand the situation more and more after you look at it. I have no ill feelings.”

A brand new $2.85 million per year contract can do that, especially when it’s guaranteed. The deal makes Tuberville the eighth-highest paid coach in the country.

Meanwhile, Petrino is vowing to stay at Arkansas after leaving the Atlanta Falcons with three games remaining last season. He indicated his window of opportunity to accept the Fayetteville job was so slim it demanded he make a difficult decision. He was widely criticized for walking out on his team, but when you think about it, he had only two choices: follow Nick Saban’s lead and deny he was taking the job, or get out of town while he had an offer on the table.

Upon reflection, Mal Moore’s course of action with Saban was some kind of risky. Already rebuffed by Rich Rodriguez and possibly others, Moore was forced to play a difficult hand of stone-faced poker with Saban. Had Saban held true to his promise — who can ever forget the “I will not be the coach at Alabama” vow — what would Moore have done? As the recruiting clock ticked away precious days while Saban finished out the string with the Miami Dolphins, to say the Tide Nation was growing impatient is a tremendous understatement.

In short, how could Moore have saved both his reputation and Alabama’s program? Sadly, he may not have gotten another chance had Saban not said yes. Instead, Moore hit what most college football experts consider a home run.

Now, in a somewhat ironic twist, all three coaches are not only in the same conference, but the same division. Alabama catches Arkansas Sept. 20, three weeks before Petrino’s uncomfortable return to the Plains.

The safe money says the SEC West crown will be at least partially decided based upon the outcome of those contests. And with coaches who at one time looked like extreme longshots to be in the fray.