By Patrick Cooley, Sports Editor
UNO head football coach Pat Behrns announced the hiring of secondary coach Jason Petrino on Monday.
Petrino, the cousin of Bobby Petrino – head coach at Arkansas – and Paul Petrino – offensive coordinator at Illinois – served last season as the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Winona State University in Winona, Minn.
Prior to Winona State, Petrino was the director of football operations at the University of Wyoming from 2008-10. He had previously served as a graduate assistant at Wyoming, coaching safeties from 2003-04. Petrino helped coach a Cowboy team that defeated UCLA, 24-21, in the 2004 Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl.
In between stints with the Cowboys, Petrino was the defensive coordinator, secondary coach and speed enhancement coach at the University of Mary (N.D.) from 2005-08.
Petrino joins a Maverick secondary that gave up a league worst 278.2 yards per game last season. UNO also ranked last in total defense at 443.5 yards per game.
