Wow....not true at all.
Matt Jones said that Petrino wanted to meet with him, but that Matt was told by people at UK they weren't going to hire him regardless. That morally UK wouldn't take Petrino even if Matt Jones changed his mind.
And I am straight up calling Matt Jones a liar. We know that Petrino's dad called to gauge interest in the opening. You can't blame him for inquiring. But the timing was awful. Petrino was toxic, and no P5 school in their right mind was going to hire him without the story at Arkansas having time to fade away, certainly not a school in the same conference of the one he just was fired from. So, no one should blame the University for saying "thanks, but no thanks".
For Jones to make claims that he was a part of this story just illustrates what a lying, self-promoting, hypocrite he is. Let's go back to the decision to fire Tubby Smith. Jones had nothing but distain for Cal. And even when it appeared that UK was going to hire Cal from Mempiss, Jones was highly critical. Now Cal is a saint, and Jones is claiming he was for hiring Cal instead of Billy Clyde. Lie. Jones is now claiming that Petrino tried to contact him to gain some support, as if he has some influence in the process. Bobby Petrino is not the guy who reaches out to the media for a helping hand.
This is just a case of Matt Jones using lies and revisionist history to criticize the UK administration without illustrating what a ridiculous fool he is. Fact is: Matt Jones thinks he's a much bigger deal than really is. Bless your heart, Matt Jones. You are merely a lame attempt of a local sports shock jock.
All of this is silly, really. Time to look forward and not backwards in what shoulda, coulda been done. Either UK will pay to end the relationship, ala Charlie Weis, or they will stick it out until it is finacially feasible. When that day comes, they will have to hire someone that can keep pace with Bobby Petrino. Good luck with all that. But Bobby Petrino never has been and very likely never will be the coach of the Kentucky Wildcats. Any conversation about how he could have been or should have been is merely envy of Louisville's success.