New Idaho football coach Paul Petrino will fly back to Arkansas on Saturday morning to celebrate his daughter Ava’s sixth birthday.

And maybe, just maybe, take a deep breath.

“It’s crazy. You don’t even know what day of the week it is. It’s been crazy, but it’s been fun. The busier you are, the more fun it is. All the days go by and all of a sudden it’s Friday,” said Petrino, who was named Idaho coach on Dec. 3.

Since then he’s hired a complete coaching staff, signed four junior-college players and barely had a spare moment.

“It’s been recruiting, putting a staff together, meeting with players, evaluating the players on the team. You never feel at the end of the day that you got enough done,” said Petrino, who was in Boise on Thursday night for the Idaho men’s basketball game against Boise State.

His family will remain in Arkansas, where Petrino was the offensive coordinator, until the end of the school year. He has twins, Mason and Anne Mari, who are high school freshmen.

Mason made the varsity soccer team. He also plays football. Anne Mari is on the varsity softball team. She also plays basketball.

“They’re good athletes,” he said.

Family played an important role in Petrino’s decision to accept the Idaho job. He wanted to get back to the Northwest. Petrino grew up in Montana, where he played at Carroll College for his dad.

“My parents are getting older,” he said. “Them having the ability to come watch both my kids play sports and watch us, that was exciting to me.”

Of course, Petrino was also looking for his first opportunity to run his own program after successful stints as the offensive coordinator at Illinois and Arkansas.

He told Idaho fans at a pre-game function that his team would be disciplined and do things the right way on and off the field.

“We’re going to be a team you’re proud of,” Petrino said.

Brian Murphy: 377-6444