Arkansas football offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino is the latest candidate to say no to Charlotte, for its head coaching job. Petrino is removing himself from the list of candidates for the position, per On3. Petrino is a former head coach with stops at multiple locations, including the NFL's Atlanta Falcons.

It's unclear why Petrino is backing away. The Razorbacks offensive coach had discussed the job with Charlotte officials, and seemed to show interest in recent days. The Arkansas football offensive coordinator has been a head coach at multiple schools, including Louisville and Arkansas. He has a 137-71 record as a head college football coach.

There are several candidates being mentioned for the Charlotte position, including former West Virginia coach Neal Brown. Brown was fired at West Virginia on Sunday, after going 37-35 over six seasons. North Carolina State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson is rumored to have turned down the job.

Charlotte went 5-7 in 2024, including a 4-4 mark in the AAC.

Arkansas football is keeping Sam Pittman for 2025

Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman prior tot he game against the Pine Bluff Golden Lions at War Memorial Stadium.
© Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Arkansas football announced at the end of the regular season that Sam Pittman would be back in 2025. The Razorbacks had a disappointing 2024 season, posting a 6-6 record. Pittman managed to improve from his 2023 record, when he went 4-8. The head coach is 29-31 in Fayetteville.

Arkansas did post some good wins this year, including a victory over Tennessee. The Razorbacks also lost some close games to Texas A&M, Texas and Missouri. Razorbacks fans are certainly hopeful the team can improve in 2025, and Pittman will enter that campaign with a lot of pressure on him to produce victories.

The head coach spent many years as an assistant, including at Arkansas, before getting a chance to lead the program in 2020. His last job was at Georgia, where he served as associated head coach in the 2019 campaign.

Petrino joined Arkansas once again before the current season, to come on as offensive coordinator. He served as head coach in Fayetteville from 2008-2011. He went 34-17 in four seasons, and won the Cotton Bowl during the 2011 season. Petrino was one of the hottest names in college coaching a decade ago, and he may once again be leading a program in 2025.

Arkansas is bowl eligible, and waits to hear its opponent.