Bobby Petrino probably didn’t realize an April 2012 motorcycle accident would unravel his career. Its aftermath uncovered an extramarital affair with a coworker. That led to the end of his days as a Razorback.
Jerry Sandusky 1
Jerry Sandusky’s name has become synonymous with the idea of coaching scandals. The former Penn State coach is accused of sexually abusing young boys during his tenure and after it.
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Southern Methodist University’s 1987 death penalty sanction killed coach Bobby Collins’ career. Collins wasn’t sanctioned individually for violations, but he never coach again collegiately. SMU lost its football team.
Jerry Tarkanian
When you have a nickname like “Tark the Shark” controversy cannot far away. Jerry Tarkanian’s battles with the NCAA are legendary. The coach sued NCAA for two-year suspension he received.
George O'Leary
It may have been the shortest coaching stint ever. Five days. That's how long it took before George O’Leary resigned as Notre Dame’s head football coach in 2001 after admitting he lied about his academic record.
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Bob Knight's stormy career at Indiana ended after an altercation with a student.
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Ohio State's Jim Tressel resigned amid a scandal involving players selling team gear for tattoos and cash.
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USC's Pete Carroll left the school while it was being investigated for allegedly paying for top recruits.
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Mike Leach was canned at Texas Tech after having a player locked in a shed and then suing the school.
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A 2-time dis-honoree, Kelvin Sampson was fired from Oklahoma & Indiana for illegal recruiting.
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Mike Price was fired before ever coaching a game at Alabama, after a night out at a strip club.
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USC hoops coach Tim Floyd resigned amid claims he paid $1,000 to land a top basketball recruit.
Bobby Petrino now has the dubious distinction of being one of the most controversial coaches in history. After four seasons with the University of Arkansas, the Razorbacks have given Petrino the boot.
The school’s athletic director said Petrino wasn’t forthcoming about his “personal and professional relationship” with a female employee. It just happens to be the same female employee that rode with him during a motorcycle accident earlier this month.
But Petrino isn’t the only coach whose private actions led to a very public dismissal. Check out our list of some of sports’ most notorious coaches.
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