From Gossip, Fast Fashion, Female Lifestyle, Sex & Love: CollegeCandy » College Candy - “Ignore No More” App Forces You to Call Your Parents Louisville’s season hasn’t even started yet and he’s already drawing criticism — from inside his program.
According to Sports Illustrated, which cites sources with ties to the program, Petrino has had feuds with defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and several players, who wanted to leave Petrino’s program before it even got started.
Sports Illustrated said there has been quite a bit of “friction” between Petrino and Grantham and that Petrino would have gotten rid of Grantham were it not for the guaranteed five-year contract that pays Grantham $1 million annually.
It’s important to note that Grantham was hand-picked by Petrino. Grantham had spent the previous four seasons as the defensive coordinator at Georgia and had some notable confrontations there. He got into some hot water with Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity in 2011 after Grantham got into a confrontation with Vanderbilt coach James Franklin.
In 2010, Grantham gave the choke signal to Florida’s kicker in overtime.
But Grantham isn’t the only one Petrino is rubbing the wrong way.
Sports Illustrated noted that several players thought of leaving the team and entering the NFL’s supplemental draft in June.
“He’s a mean guy,” Jamaine Brooks, a former Louisville defensive tackle who left this past spring told Sports Illustrated. “He cusses you out. You’re never doing enough. He’s still Bobby Mother------- Petrino.”
No other players from Petrino’s former teams have publicly — publicly —mentioned verbal abuse from Petrino or noted that he’s difficult with which to deal. However, there was a small mention of it in an 2012 column in the Arkansas News.
Brooks told Sports Illustrated he originally supported Petrino’s hiring, but changed his tune after practicing under him.
“The way he came in doing business I didn’t like it,” Brooks said. “The way he treated people. He just wasn’t a good coach.”
For more Louisville news, visit CardinalSports.com.
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Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio was forced to do some shuffling to his offensive line after starting right guard Connor Kruse suffered an undisclosed injury in Friday’s scrimmage.
Dantonio said that the injury is “not season ending” and Kruse, a 6-foot-5, 325-pound senior, is expected back at some point this season.
With Kruse out, per Mlive.com, Dantonio moved junior Donavon Clark from right tackle inside to right guard. Additionally, redshirt sophomore Kodi Kieler will make the move to right tackle and junior Brandon Clemons will switch from defensive tackle to guard to provide depth.
Kieler primarily saw action on special teams for the Spartans last year and will likely join Clark (right guard), junior Jack Allen (center), senior Travis Jackson (left guard) and redshirt sophomore Jack Conklin (left tackle) on the team’s first-team offensive line.
“We’re very comfortable, Kodi Kieler is one of the guys I looked at in the spring,” Dantonio said. “He had an outstanding spring. He’s a very athletic big guy, he’s tough, and he knows what to do.”
The injury is a tough blow for Kruse, who played his first two years as a walk-on before earning a scholarship prior to the 2012 season. He saw time at all five line positions as a rotational player in 2013, but was entering his first season as a full-time starter. For his career, he’s played in 28 total games.
Coming off a Big Ten title and a win in the Rose Bowl, the Spartans’ season will open up at home against Jacksonville State on August 29. In week two, the Spartans, who were ranked No. 8 in the recent preseason AP poll, will travel across the country to face No. 3 Oregon.
For more Michigan State news, visit SpartanMag.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
