Growing up in Montana, many children spend their free time on the water fishing or in the woods hunting and camping.
Paul Petrino didn’t go on many family camping trips. Instead, he learned football.
He grew up watching his dad, Bob Petrino Sr., run practices at Carroll College.
“It was the only life I knew,” he said. “I would go up to work with him every day. His work was about four blocks from my grade school so I’d go with him before school sometimes, go back there after school.”
Paul started playing football in the backyard before first grade. He started attending his dad’s camps the next year.
“I played other sports,” he said. “Wrestling and baseball were actually two of my better sports and then I ended up playing basketball and football in high school. But I played every sport (and) football was always my passion.”
Paul wanted to play football for as long as he could.
“But I knew the day I got done playing I was going to be a coach,” he said.
He never wanted to be anything else.
Paul went on to be a four-year starting quarterback at Carroll College. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Carroll and led the team to four conference titles.
Born and bred
Paul learned how to be a coach from his dad and attributes a majority of his coaching style to Bob Sr.
“He was a great motivator,” he said. “(He) coached on the run, with passion. I was in those locker rooms I don’t know how many times, listening to him motivate.”
Paul and his brother Bobby learned fundamentals while watching Bob Sr. run drills. Because of this experience, Paul had an idea of how to coach positions other than his own.
“When I first came (to Idaho) as an assistant, I was coaching the running backs,” he said. “I had a good idea from all the time I spent with my dad learning.”
Coaching with Bobby helped him develop his offensive scheme.
Paul considers his other mentor, John L. Smith, a second father.
“I coached for him for so many years when I was young,” Paul said. “He had a huge influence on me.”
Paul said his children have influenced his coaching style.
“I think as they’ve gotten older it’s probably played into it a little bit more,” he said. “Sometimes you really reflect on how people are coaching them and learn things that way.”
During practices and games, Paul is known for his energy. Whether it’s gestures, shouting or running down the field with his players, he’s always moving.
“That’s just my personality,” he said. “Practice is one of the things I love the most out here.”
His love of practice stems from helping his children practice.
“I’ve always loved watching them play,” Paul said. “But then I’m really nervous. What I’ve loved is just practicing with them. Going and throwing with them, going and working on their technique, just playing catch or whatever.”
He met his wife, Maya, at Carroll College through mutual friends. They’ve been together for 23 years.
The couple moved often as Paul accepted different positions across the country.
His former organizations include Utah State, Louisville, Illinois, Southern Mississippi and Arkansas. He also spent one season with the Atlanta Falcons.
“I loved living in different parts of the country,” Maya said. “I always did try to take advantage and see the surrounding areas.”
They loved Chicago and Louisville, Kentucky, because of its proximity to other major cities. But when the couple started a family, their focus shifted.
A new chapter
Maya and Paul wanted to find a head-coaching job and settle into a community before Anne Mari and Mason Petrino reached high school.
They were just a year off.
The twins started their sophomore year at Pullman High School– a decision the family is still catching heat for three years after the fact.
“These two were freshmen in high school when we were in Arkansas and (Mason) made the varsity soccer team,” Maya said. “It was sad that he wouldn’t have the opportunity to play soccer. He’d played his whole life.”
In Idaho, men’s soccer and football are both fall sports. Men’s soccer is spring sport in Washington. After moving so often, Maya and Paul wanted the next move to benefit their children the most.
“I think we tried to explain our decision as best we could,” Maya said. “We’ve moved a lot. These guys had a great high school experience. People are still mad about it.”
Paul said it was the best decision for the whole family.
“Anyone who loves their kids would understand,” he said. “Anyone who doesn’t, who cares.”
Maya and Paul both agree, there’s nothing more important to them than their children.
He said expected the kids to play sports from day one.
“I probably pushed it on them just a little,” he said with a laugh. “We’ll just load up and throw every ball there was in the back and go to the indoor facility or here at the Dome and play sports. It was fun for me, I hope it was fun for them.”
Anne Mari will be a freshman at Montana this fall. She’ll be playing outfield on the Grizzlies’ softball team after graduating from Pullman High School with a 4.0 GPA. During high school, Anne Mari was named first-team All-Great Northern League her sophomore and junior year, as well as the Hounds’ offensive MVP both years.
She said that moving never gets easier, but the Palouse grew on her.
“That kind of affected my decision when looking for colleges,” she said. “I’ve grown up in way bigger cities but the small town community really grew on me.”
Meanwhile, Mason will be playing quarterback for Idaho under his dad and studying broadcasting and digital media. Mason was the starting quarterback for three years for the Hounds, earning 7,116 total yards and 68 touchdowns.
“I got to see Mason play a lot of soccer,” Paul said. “What I probably missed the most was him playing football. Now I see him every day. I played for my dad, it’s hard being a coach’s kid but I also think it’s a great experience.”
Family first
Throughout Moscow, there is a strong presence of Vandal spirit and community.
That sense of family is reflected in the Idaho football staff schedule. After practice on Thursdays, the staff leaves for family night by 5 or 6 p.m.The season schedule is demanding and Paul is often in his office until midnight, or 10 p.m. on an early night.
Even on his off-night, Paul finds himself playing and watching sports.
Some Thursdays, the Petrinos would watch Anne Mari play soccer for Pullman.
Other weeks the family does homework and relaxes with an episode or two of TV. Ava, Paul’s youngest daughter, loves to watch The Voice and Modern Family.
Now that Anne Mari and Mason have graduated high school, Maya and Paul will be watching Ava play sports on Thursdays.
Paul said his limited family time makes him more present.
The day after games, typically Sundays, are important days.
“One of our things I always try to do is get up … and make these guys pancakes,” he said. “Kinda have a morning before you have to go back to work and the grind of the next week.”
With hard losses and long days, Paul’s kids keep him grounded.
After a loss during last season, Ava helped provide some stress relief.
“Ava said, ‘Hey dad, do you want to go to Dairy Queen?’” Maya said. “It was like, OK reboot. I think maybe these guys put things in perspective.”
Tess Fox can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @tesstakesphotos