REPORT: Wyoming Set to Hire Jason Petrino as Safeties Coach

LARAMIE -- Wyoming has found its next safeties coach.

Jason Petrino, who spent the 2023 season as the defensive coordinator at North Dakota State, will be the latest hire by new head coach Jay Sawvel, according to sources familiar with the situation. ESPN's Adam Rittenberg also reported the hire on Thursday.

This won't be Petrino's first stop in Laramie.

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He served as a graduate assistant under former head coach Joe Glenn in 2003 and '04. Petrino was also the program's Director of Operations in 2008 and 2009, the first year of Dave Christensen's tenure on the high plains.

That's not all.

His older brother, Mike Petrino, began his coaching career at Wyoming back in 2011, serving on Joe Legerski's women's basketball staff. He spent four years in Laramie and is currently an assistant at Boise State. Younger brother, Jared Petrino, was also a graduate assistant at UW. He now works for FieldTurf, the company that installed the new playing surface inside War Memorial Stadium.

He is also cousins with Paul and Bobby Petrino, both of which are current offensive coordinators at Central Michigan and Arkansas, respectively. His uncle, Bob Petrino Sr., was the head coach at Carroll College (Montana) from 1971-98. He was replaced by former Wyoming player and coach Mike Van Diest in Helena.

Jason Petrino played for Van Diest at Carroll.

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NDSU ranked ninth in the FCS -- out of 122 programs -- in total defense last fall, allowing just 302.6 yards per game while finishing 11-4 overall. The Bison held its opponents to just 116.5 yards an outing on the ground. That's an average of 3.88 yards per carry. Petrino's defense surrendered only 186.1 yards a game through the air.

NDSU safety Cole Wisniewski led the FCS with eight interceptions in 14 games in 2023.

Before heading to Fargo, he spent four years as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Southern Illinois. Petrino was also the head coach at Rocky Mountain College (Montana) from 2016-18, finishing with an 18-16 record. After his resignation, Petrino was replaced in Billings by former Wyoming quarterback Chris Stutzriem.

Petrino was part of the defensive staff at Wyoming that helped the Cowboys secure a Las Vegas Bowl victory over UCLA in 2004 and a New Mexico Bowl win over Fresno State in '09.

Sawvel officially hired new offensive coordinator Jay Johnson on Wednesday afternoon. Aaron Bohl, son of former Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl, was also named the next defensive coordinator in Laramie on Thursday. Bohl spent the previous four seasons as the Cowboys' linebacker coach.

Sawvel served as the team's safeties coach since arriving on campus in 2020.

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