The Good of Petrino's Resignation

[SRS]

Although this yet another blow to our franchise, Petrino's departure is an extremely good thing. First, he was inexperienced and not ready to coach at the pro level, as evidenced by our 3-10 season, his sometimes questionable playcalling, and his random roster changes. Although he may have be an amazing playcaller in college, there is no reason to believe that success at Louiville in the Big East translates to success in the NFL and NFC South. Petrino was just not ready for the NFL. We didn't necessarily hate him, but some people are suited to doing one thing well. For Petrino, that is college football, which is slower, less complex, and more controllable than the NFL and NFL players.

Second, we now have an opportunity to bring in a real, smart, and most importantly, experienced, head coach. By Petrino leaving now, Blank, McKay, and the rest of the organization have much more time to find a good, fitting replacement. Because of this extra time, at the end of the season we can go into free agency and eventually into the draft targeting the players that will fit our new (and most likely improved) system. The players themselves also have more time to deal with the loss (or maybe celebrate).

Finally, we can now head into next season with a new head coach who has had time to get situated and develop and strong system, bright spots on our team like Roddy White, Michael Boley, and Michael Koenen, an extremely high draft pick, and most importantly, hope for a great season in 2008.

Go Falcons.