Welcome Back, Paul Petrino

With reports surfacing at press time that Paul Petrino was expected to rejoin his brother as a football coach at the University of Arkansas, we couldn’t help but wonder about the timing.

Petrino, the offensive coordinator for the University of Illinois the last two seasons, might be wondering about the same thing — and gnashing his teeth. It was only about six months ago Whispers told you Petrino and his wife, Maya, finally unloaded their upscale home in Fayetteville’s Candlewood subdivision for $629,0000, absorbing a loss of about $60,000.

Petrino, the younger brother of Bobby Petrino, was the Hogs’ offensive coordinator and receivers coach until leaving for Illinois in December 2009. So, instead of relocating to a ready-made house — their own — in Fayetteville, the Petrinos will again need a realtor.

Or, Paul might just need a generous (i.e. desperate to sell) brother. Bobby’s two-story home in Bridgewater Estates, on the market for about 18 months as he and his wife, Becky, try to downsize, remains available.

They paid $2.5 million for the property in March 2008, and are asking $2.5 million.