Former Missouri State Bears head coach Bobby Petrino during the bears win on the Western Illinois Leathernecks Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK

Bobby Petrino is officially returning to the FBS.

After spending three seasons as the head coach at FCS program Missouri State, Petrino has accepted a job as the offensive coordinator at UNLV. ESPN’s Chris Low reported the news on Thursday morning.

Petrino has been at Missouri State since 2020. He led the team to the FCS playoffs in his first two seasons, but the Bears finished 5-6 this year.

Petrino was the head coach at Louisville from 2014-2018. That was his second stint as head coach of the Cardinals. He was the head coach at Western Kentucky, Arkansas and of the Atlanta Falcons in between his stints at Louisville.

The 61-year-old Petrino reportedly drew some interest from a much bigger program as well.

UNLV fired Marcus Arroyo last month after the former head coach went 7-23 in three seasons with the Rebels. Barry Odom, who was previously the defensive coordinator at Arkansas, was hired to replace Arroyo.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST
Pirates announce date for 2023 No. 1 overall pick's MLB debut
LeBron James rues 'missed opportunities' against Nuggets
Cardinals star gives update on timeline for injury rehab
Police investigating Patrick Beverley incident
J.J. Watt addresses possibly ending retirement to play for Texans
Inter Miami's Lionel Messi could surpass two major MLS records
Reporter weighs in on potential Giants quarterback controversy
Cowboys to release veteran WR
Lakers want Anthony Davis' opinion in search for next head coach
Patriots exec explains why team drafted two QBs in 2024 NFL Draft
Borussia Dortmund legend 'considering' move to MLS
NHL announces Ted Lindsay Award finalists
Mavericks' Luka Doncic lists Thunder swingman among best perimeter defenders in NBA
Cowboys reportedly meeting with recently released veteran WR
Joe Burrow shares 'support' for Bengals who requested trades
Dodgers star latest victim of announcers jinx
Mike Conley discusses what makes Anthony Edwards so special
J.J. Watt and others destroy Austin Rivers over NBA/NFL take
Celtics dominate short-handed Cavaliers in blowout Game 1 win
Rangers special teams, goaltending help them take control against Hurricanes

Want more College Football news?

Join the hundreds of thousands of fans who start their day with Yardbarker's Morning Bark, the best newsletter in sports.