Petrino was dismissed on April 10, nine days after he was injured in a motorcycle accident and then covered up the fact that a female football staff member also was on the bike. The former coach later acknowledged having an “inappropriate relationship” with the woman, 25-year-old Jessica Dorrell, who has since resigned from her job.
Athletic Director Jeff Long accused the 51-year-old Petrino, who led the Razorbacks to a Cotton Bowl win and a No. 5 final ranking in the Associated Press college football poll last season, of a “pattern of misleading and manipulative behavior.”
The Las Vegas-based Reynolds Foundation gave $1 million, the university said in a statement. Foundation Chairman Fred W. Smith donated $250,000 to support the school’s Student-Athlete Success Center and what will now be called the Jeff Long Student-Athlete Development Program.
“Mr. Long acted with integrity and with the best interests of Razorback student-athletes and the University of Arkansas in mind,” Smith said in a statement released by the university.
Petrino had a 34-17 record in four seasons at Arkansas, with total pay last year of $3.6 million, according to university records.
The Reynolds Foundation said on its website that it is dedicated to helping communities in Arkansas, Nevada and Oklahoma; speeding research on atherosclerosis and atherosclerotic heart disease; aiding physician training in treating the elderly; and improving quality and integrity in journalism.
