Petrino, Kiffin, Muschamp and 3 very different kinds of 2nd chances

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Second chances are nothing new to the football world, but more often than not it's the players who are the beneficiaries. They're not exclusive to the guys that strap on the pads, though, with coaches throughout the nation earning multiple chances to prove their worth.

This season, a number of high-profile coaches are getting another shot, and it's worth taking a look at how they've come about.

Here are three coaches who will benefit from second chances in 2014:

Bobby Petrino - Louisville

Petrino's first stint as Cardinals head coach couldn't have gone much better. He led Louisville to a 41-9 record from 2003 to 2006 and won the Orange Bowl in his final season, earning the Cardinals their first BCS victory.

He left to take over the NFL's Atlanta Falcons in 2007, but that was a disaster. The Falcons went 3-10 under Petrino and he left the team without completing a single season. 

Things seemed to go better once he arrived in Arkansas, as the Razorbacks improved each season with Petrino at the helm before tying the school record with 11 wins in 2011. That's when things broke bad for Petrino once again. He suffered a motorcycle accident, and it was revealed that he had an affair with an assistant (who was riding with him at the time of the accident), leading to his dismissal.

Petrino resurfaced in 2013 at Western Kentucky and, following a fairly successful season with the Hilltoppers, he emerged as a candidate to return to Louisville after Charlie Strong was hired in Texas. It seemed like an unlikely reunion, but Petrino was introduced - again - as Louisville's head coach on Jan. 9.

Petrino claims to be a changed man, and he returns to Louisville with something to prove. He's been a winner in all but one college season and now just has to show some loyalty to win back the Cardinal faithful.

Lane Kiffin - Alabama

It wasn't long ago that Kiffin was supposed to be the next great coach. He became the youngest head coach in the NFL's modern era when he was hired by the Oakland Raiders in 2007, and was expected to bring the high-powered offense he deployed as USC's offensive coordinator. 

That never came to fruition, though, with Kiffin putting together a 5-15 record before being fired after less than a season-and-a-half on the job.

Kiffin's next stop was the University of Tennessee, but that lasted just one season. When Pete Carroll left USC for the Seattle Seahawks, Kiffin quickly bolted for a return to the Trojans as Carroll's replacement. 

The next few years were up and down for Kiffin, lacking the success that USC fans are accustomed to. Following a 62-41 loss to Arizona State last season, which dropped the Trojans to 0-2 in Pac-12 play, USC athletic director Pat Haden fired Kiffin immediately after he stepped off the team bus.

Kiffin's second chance may not be as a head coach, but taking over as the new offensive coordinator in Alabama keeps him in the public eye. Nick Saban offered Kiffin a chance to remind people of his prowess as an offensive mind, and if Kiffin can get the Crimson Tide's offense firing on all cylinders, he may be able to convince a school to make him a head coach again.   

Will Muschamp - Florida

Muschamp's situation is different than Petrino's and Kiffin's, in that he's entering his fourth season with the same team. But make no mistake, he's getting a second chance, too. 

Everything went wrong for Florida in 2013. Injuries devastated the Gators on the way to a 4-8 record (Florida's worst season since 1979), which included seven straight losses to end the season. Most embarrassing was a 26-20 loss to Georgia Southern of the FCS in which the Eagles didn't even complete a pass.

Muschamp's record at Florida is 22-16 after three seasons. Ron Zook, who coached the Gators from 2002 to 2004, and who was fired just prior to the end of his third season, had a 23-14 record in Florida. Needless to say, Muschamp is on the hottest of seats coming into this season.

The good news is Florida appears to be healthy heading into 2014, and more likely to look like the team that went 11-2 in 2012. However, if the Gators aren't successful, Muschamp will be looking for another second chance, but with a new team.