Louisville's Petrino signs 10-year, $25 million deal

	Bobby Petrino has compiled a 29-8 record in three seasons at Louisville. Matt Stroshane/Getty Images

By Stewart Mandel, SI.com

Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino, who has entertained overtures over the past several years from LSU, Auburn, Notre Dame and the Oakland Raiders, has agreed to a 10-year, $25 million extension through 2015.

Petrino's salary will start at $1.6 million next year and escalate to $2.5 million by the end of the deal. The contract includes a $1 million buyout if Petrino leaves for another employer before the contract is up and $5 million in loyalty incentives spread out over the duration of the contract.

Petrino, 45, has gone 29-8 in three seasons at the helm of the Cardinals, including an 11-1 record and No. 7 final ranking in 2004 and a 9-3 record and Gator Bowl berth last season, the school's first upon moving from Conference USA to the Big East.

Petrino, whose teams have finished in the top 10 nationally in total offense every season, was courted last winter by Raiders owner Al Davis. A source close to the program said Davis offered the coach a five-year, $18 million contract. The year before that, Petrino interviewed with LSU just days after agreeing to an extension with Louisville through 2010, which angered athletic director Tom Jurich and the Cardinals' fan base at the time.

"I felt it was important to get him near the top nationally in terms of compensation with some of the top coaches in the country," said Jurich. "The job that Bobby has done is second to none. I love stability and it puts him in position to be here for a very long time."

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