Paul Petrino, the longest-tenured football coach in University of Idaho history, will not be returning to the Vandals’ sideline next season.
Tubs at the Club, a prominent Vandal fan site, reported Thursday that Petrino and his staff will coach their final game for UI on Saturday against Idaho State in Pocatello.
Petrino has been at the Vandals’ helm since 2013, when he was hired to rebuild a program that was left in shambles after former coach Robb Akey was fired during the 2012 season. But Petrino’s Vandals never found consistent success in both the Sun Belt Conference and the Big Sky Conference. Idaho has gotten a 33-66 record in his tenure, including a 14-25 mark since 2018, when the Vandals returned to the Big Sky after 22 seasons in the FBS. The Vandals posted one winning season in nine years under Petrino, a 9-4 campaign in 2016 that concluded with a 61-50 win over Colorado State at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise.
Petrino’s contract runs through June 30, 2022 and his base salary is listed at $446,214.40 – the highest among Big Sky coaches. (Idaho Statesman)
