Missouri State University announces the hiring of Bobby Petrino as its next head football coach

Missouri State University Wednesday announced the hiring of Bobby Petrino as its next head football coach.

The school will introduce Petrino Thursday morning at a news conference. He becomes the school's 21st head football coach. KY3 Sports Director Chad Plein first reported the hiring late Tuesday night.

Petrino led the Arkansas Razorbacks to 10 and 11 wins respectively in his final two seasons in 2010 and 2011. The school fired him in April of 2012 for misleading school leaders about a mistress with him in a motorcycle crash. He then coached at Western Kentucky and Louisville. University of Louisville school leaders fired him in 2018 after going 2-10 and winless in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

He also coached the NFL's Atlanta Falcons in 2007.

Athletics Director Kyle Moats announced Thursday the school and Head Coach Dave Steckel entered into a separation agreement, effective Tuesday. The school paid him a buyout of $340,000. Steckel compiled a 13-42 record in five seasons with the Bears. He previously was the University of Missouri's defensive coordinator. Missouri's defenses ranked near the top of the Big 12 and Southeastern Conference.