Arkansas has fired football head coach Bobby Petrino, following a scandal involving his mistress and covering up her presence in a motorcycle accident.

In a scathing press conference, Athletic Director Jeff Long outlined Petrino's deceptive behavior in the events leading up to the accident and the cover-up following the accident. 

According to Long, Petrino, a 51-year old father of four, unfairly hired 25-year old Jessica Dorrell over other applicants and had given her $20,000. Long said that Petrino and Dorrell had an inappropriate relationship for a "significant" amount of time.

Petrino and Dorrell were on a joy ride on a windy road and got into an accident, totaling Petrino's Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Petrino failed to tell Long  that a female passenger was with him in the accident.  

"In short, coach Petrino engaged in a pattern of misleading and manipulative behavior designed to deceive me and members of the athletic staff, both before and after the motorcycle accident," Long said. 

Petrino had guided Arkansas into a football powerhouse in the SEC, widely regarded as the toughest conference in the nation, leading the Razorbacks to a 21-5 record over the past two years.

Petrino was in the midst of a seven-year contract averaging $3.53 million per year.