A person familiar with the situation says Western Kentucky's Bobby Petrino has accepted an offer to return to Louisville as the Cardinals' football coach.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday night on condition of anonymity because the university had not announced its decision.
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The University of Louisville Athletic Association, which must approve the hire, meets Thursday morning to review athletic director Tom Jurich's recommendation to have Petrino replace Charlie Strong, who has accepted the Texas job.
Jonathan Blue, a Louisville board of trustee, told AP "if it's a done deal" he fully supports the decision.
ESPN.com's Joe Schad reported that Petrino had been offered the job Wednesday.
Bobby Petrino has been offered and is expected to become the next Louisville coach per source close to decision
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) January 8, 2014Petrino's buyout is $1.2 million and terms of the buyout require that Western Kentucky receives a home-and-home series with Louisville, Steve Berkowitz of USA Today reported.
In addition to $1.2M buyout, Bobby Petrino's move from WKU to for L'ville would require 2-game, home-home series between the schools
— Steve Berkowitz (@ByBerkowitz) January 8, 2014Earlier this week, Petrino's father told the Courier-Journal that his son would take the Louisville job if offered.
Petrino’s career has been a series of ups and downs.
After his successful stint at Louisville, he left shortly after signing a long-term extension with the Cardinals to be head coach for the Atlanta Falcons. After 13 games with the Falcons, he resigned to become head coach at Arkansas.
He was 34-17 with the Razorbacks from 2008-11, but was fired in 2012 after a motorcycle accident eventually led to a relationship the married Petrino was having with a university employee he had helped hire in the Arkansas athletic department.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.