One of the most cherished moments of Paul Petrino’s coaching career was spent with one of the most special people in his life.
As Petrino fielded questions from reporters after a 26-24 win over Temple, the first and only of his head-coaching career, an excited guest was sitting next to him and smiling at each question.
His youngest daughter Ava sat next to him waving her feet up and down, maintaining a smile on her face. Surely she didn’t quite understand the intricacies of the read-option offense or the blocking schemes reporters asked about.
Philip Vukelich | Argonaut
Idaho coach Paul Petrino and his family walk off the field after the post-game handshake following the game against Temple University on Sept. 28.Philip Vukelich | Argonaut
Idaho coach Paul Petrino and his family walk off the field after the post-game handshake following the game against Temple University on Sept. 28.
But the look on her face did show something — just how much that moment meant for her father.
“That was really awesome. That’s what it’s all about,” Petrino said of the moment.
For Petrino, his family is as much a part of the Idaho program as he is. Being a coach’s kid is something Petrino is very fond of. From his introductory press conference to game-week preparation this week, he has grinned when the subject is brought up, reminiscing on the two decades he spent in and around the Carroll College football program where his father Bob Sr. coached for 28 years.
Of course those were the simpler days of coaching college football when head coaches weren’t moving around the college football landscape nearly as frequently as happens in today’s game.
That’s the landscape Petrino’s three children have grown up around. Petrino and his family have moved eight times since his last stop at Idaho as an assistant in 1994.
“When you’re an assistant coach, you live month-by-month and my kids would be literally nervous every January ‘do we get to stay in school here or are we moving again,'” Petrino said. “Usually, if you made it through January then you’re okay, if you didn’t you’re moving.”
The family had already moved once the year before Petrino took the job at Idaho, moving back to Arkansas from Illinois when he took the offensive coordinator job for the second time with the Razorbacks.
That was one of the selling points in coming back to Idaho when the job opened up — this time he would have the opportunity to stay in one place.
“I think that’s the most exciting, happiest thing about me being a head coach is that they know they’re going to be here and finish out their high school career,” Petrino said.
These days Vandal football is a family activity for the Petrinos. His son, Mason, can be found throwing the football around with the kickers on the sideline of practice and cheering on the sidelines during the games. His two daughters also like to be around on game days.
“Being a coach’s kid is hard, because you don’t see them a lot during the week. Anytime you can be around, anything that can be special whether that’s being on the sideline or coming out to practice, or sitting down there next to me,” Petrino said. “Anytime you have a chance to do one of the things that are great, make sure you do it.”
Time will tell if Ava is going to crash any more press conferences with dad.
Sean Kramer
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