How Bobby Petrino Helped Jessica Dorrell Get Hired
By: Matt Turner / KNWA Nightly News Anchor
Updated: April 13, 2012
The University of Arkansas is releasing new details about the hiring process that led to Bobby Petrino's 25-year-old mistress receiving an office just down the hallway from his own at the Broyles Athletic Center.
Jessica Dorrell is now on paid administrative leave at the University of Arkansas and the fact that she even got the job of Player Development Coordinator for the football team is one of the key reasons Petrino was fired.
New documents show how Dorrell had an unfair advantage over numerous candidates who appear to be more qualified. 159 people applied for the position and if Petrino had hired anyone other than Dorrell, he might still be the Razorbacks' head coach.
Despite having no experience with football recruiting, the Dorrell ended up on the short list with two others.
The finalists include Benjamin Wilkerson, a former All-SEC offensive lineman for LSU who played for Petrino in the NFL. Wilkerson has a masters degree and worked closely with LSU as an offensive intern and graduate assistant. His references include head coaches: Les Miles, Nick Saban, Jimbo Fisher and Will Muschamp.
Tiffany Fields is another finalist. She has two post graduate degrees from the University of Arkansas -- including a masters in sports management. Fields listed Bobby Petrino and several other Razorback football coaches as her references. She's assisted with day to day recruiting duties at the school from 2009 until the present.
And then there's Jessica Dorrell, a former Razorback volleyball player and Arkansas graduate, who's resume was added to the list just one day before she interviewed for the job.
Despite her lack of experience in football recruiting, Petrino wrote school officials saying, "I would like to offer this candidate." His statement also explained that, "Out of the candidates, she had the best experience and we felt like she would be the best fit for this position."
Petrino also requested a waiver to give her the job earlier than usual, avoiding the 30-day waiting period. So on March 20th, Dorrell accepted the offer from UA Athletic Director Jeff Long, receiving an annual salary of more than 55-thousand dollars along with four complimentary football tickets.
It was later disclosed that Petrino failed to mention his affair with Dorrell and that he recently gave her a gift of 20-thousand dollars.
Jessica Dorrell is now on paid administrative leave at the University of Arkansas and the fact that she even got the job of Player Development Coordinator for the football team is one of the key reasons Petrino was fired.
New documents show how Dorrell had an unfair advantage over numerous candidates who appear to be more qualified. 159 people applied for the position and if Petrino had hired anyone other than Dorrell, he might still be the Razorbacks' head coach.
Despite having no experience with football recruiting, the Dorrell ended up on the short list with two others.
The finalists include Benjamin Wilkerson, a former All-SEC offensive lineman for LSU who played for Petrino in the NFL. Wilkerson has a masters degree and worked closely with LSU as an offensive intern and graduate assistant. His references include head coaches: Les Miles, Nick Saban, Jimbo Fisher and Will Muschamp.
Tiffany Fields is another finalist. She has two post graduate degrees from the University of Arkansas -- including a masters in sports management. Fields listed Bobby Petrino and several other Razorback football coaches as her references. She's assisted with day to day recruiting duties at the school from 2009 until the present.
And then there's Jessica Dorrell, a former Razorback volleyball player and Arkansas graduate, who's resume was added to the list just one day before she interviewed for the job.
Despite her lack of experience in football recruiting, Petrino wrote school officials saying, "I would like to offer this candidate." His statement also explained that, "Out of the candidates, she had the best experience and we felt like she would be the best fit for this position."
Petrino also requested a waiver to give her the job earlier than usual, avoiding the 30-day waiting period. So on March 20th, Dorrell accepted the offer from UA Athletic Director Jeff Long, receiving an annual salary of more than 55-thousand dollars along with four complimentary football tickets.
It was later disclosed that Petrino failed to mention his affair with Dorrell and that he recently gave her a gift of 20-thousand dollars.
