MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) — Paul Petrino will coach his final game with Idaho on Saturday after agreeing to part ways with the school.
Athletic director Terry Gawlik says the school will begin an immediate search to find a replacement for Petrino, who has gone 33-66 during nine seasons at Idaho.
The 54-year-old Petrino was born in Butte. He is the son of the late Bob Petrino, who coached at Butte Central before enjoying a long, successful stint at Carroll College.
Paul Petrino’s best season in Idaho came in 2016, when the Vandals went 9-4 and won the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl over Colorado State. Petrino was the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year that season, but the Vandals have struggled badly since reclassifying to the FCS level.
Then-Idaho Athletic Director Rob Spear, a 1976 Butte Central graduate, hired Petrino to lead the Vandals in December 2012. Petrino was the offensive coordinator at Illinois at the time Spear lured him to the Palouse.
After a standout career at Helena Capital, Petrino played quarterback for Carroll College from 1985 through 1988.
