The latest in the Bobby Petrino / Jessica Dorrell Sex Scandal: I found a long version of Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long’s press conference held on Thursday, where Mr. Long announced that he placed the successful Arkansas Football Head Coach on paid administrative leave after Coach Petrino called Long to let him know he’d not been “forthcoming” in telling all, including at his Tuesday Press Conference, that he not only had a female passenger, his employee Jessica Dorrell, but that they had been involved in an affair.
Mr. Long said he visited with Petrino at 7:15 PM, CST, and said that he was not forthcoming with the information about Dorrell. Long placed Petrino on leave due to the “freshness” of the information. Long asked Taver Johnson, the Assistant Head Coach, to take over running the program in Coach Petrino’s absence.
What’s interesting is that Long said he did not have a morals clause in his contract, and “I don’t know what a morals clause is.” But as the person who “brought Coach Petrino here,” Long says he’s disappointed in Petrino. Whatever the case, it’s clear that Long gave the press conference to be open about what was going on, so props to him for doing that. It’s also clear that he’s starting almost from ground zero, is going to go through a review, and (as he said) doesn’t know what he’s looking for until he finds it. Long also said he would make a decision on what to do about the situation, and within a reasonable amount of time.
If you don’t know the story, here’s my video that shows the hot, engaged to be married, Ms. Dorrell, and tells the story – the presser comes after the video.
This, below, is the press conference given by AD Jeff Long. This is the long version, including a good question and answer session with the press:
Stay tuned.