THE FRONT ROW WITH MARK NELKE: Sunday, April 3, 2016

Here’s a sign that perhaps University of Idaho football is headed in the right direction:

Paul Petrino turned down much more money recently to see if he could finish what he has started at Idaho.

FootballScoop.com, and the Louisville Courier-Journal, among others, reported last month that Petrino was contacted by his brother, Louisville coach Bobby Petrino, to gauge his interest in becoming offensive coordinator at Louisville, replacing Garrick McGee, who took the OC job at Illinois.

It’s a position Paul Petrino has held before, coaching with his brother at various stops like Louisville and Arkansas.

But Paul, it was reported, said no to his big brother. After winning one game in each of his first two seasons in Moscow, Paul Petrino coached the Vandals to four wins last fall (as well as two other should-have-been wins where the Vandals blew huge fourth-quarter leads). This year, Idaho expects to be bowl eligible — and how often have you heard that type of optimism around Moscow?

Also, Paul Petrino’s son, Mason, signed a letter of intent in February to play for his dad at Idaho.

Still ...

“Dominos happen across the country, and you never know how they’re going to hit you,” Idaho athletic director Rob Spear said. “Never did I think when I see Illinois dismiss their football coach that they would go hire the offensive coordinator from Louisville and create an opportunity for Paul.”

So what did Spear think when Paul Petrino, 6-29 in three seasons as head coach, decided to stay at Idaho?

“I just think it speaks volumes of Paul for wanting to stay and turn this program all the way around,” he said. “I think he showed his commitment, and I think it shows our Vandal supporters that we feel that we’ve got a chance to be pretty good next year, and that Paul is committed to staying and making sure that happens.

“Financially there was no way we could match what he was offered. It was significantly higher than what he makes now.”

MEANWHILE, AS Idaho progresses through spring football practice these days, the Vandals continue to mull their options in football beyond the 2017 season.

You probably already know the choices.

They could try to make a go as an independent, something they did in 2013 while they were between the Western Athletic Conference and the Sun Belt Conference.

Or they could accept an invitation from the Big Sky Conference to rejoin that league, a league in which the Vandals enjoyed their greatest gridiron success in the 1980s and early ’90s.

“We are still in that evaluation stage,” Spear said recently. “We are evaluating all options.”

Though we’ve heard whispers, they haven’t publicly stated which way they are leaning. But the fact they haven’t jumped at the Big Sky’s invite could tell you something.

If Idaho goes back to the Big Sky, its FBS days are likely over.

But if they try to make it as an independent, they would be holding out hope that another current FBS conference might want them someday. Or, their preferred scenario — perhaps a new FBS conference forms in the West, and they can join that.

By going the independent route, hopefully for just a year or two, Idaho would still be available if the Sun Belt got raided by, say, Conference USA and suddenly needed more members again. The Sun Belt could keep Idaho and New Mexico State on speed dial, and bring them back every few years when it suits their needs, then dump them when it doesn’t.

Kinda like the last few years.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.