LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- You knew it was coming. You had to know it was coming.

While the timing was a surprise, it was no shock that Bobby Petrino packed his bags and left the University of Louisville for the riches and supposed stardom of the National Football League.

Who can blame him? He has 24 million good reasons to make the leap. However, here’s hoping that his meteoric rise through the coaching ranks doesn’t crash on the Ron Mexico speed bump.

So what now for the Cardinals? As usual, Vice President for Athletics Tom Jurich did his thing.

In roughly 44 hours, he had a new football coach, and from the early indications, a coach who will let Jurich finally enjoy the holiday’s for once.

Steve Kragthorpe sports many of the same credentials as Petrino.

A coach’s son from the western part of the country, he worked his way through the ranks, spent some time as an assistant in the NFL, and took over a terrible Tulsa program and made it competitive while battling the state’s big boys in Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

Many have described Kragthorpe as having Petrino’s offensive genius, but having a personality as well. Let’s face it, Petrino was not exactly a “people” person, while Kragthorpe has a reputation of integrity and being media friendly.

He also seems to be a player’s coach, something not lost on some of the returned Cardinals stunned by Petrino’s late-night decision to leave.

As with any coaching change, fans worry, player’s wonder, and recruits reevaluate. However, it’s probably safe to say that the Cardinals won’t miss a beat going into next season, despite the loss of Michael Bush and the potential defection of Brian Brohm.

While it would be nice to have Bush back, the Cardinals went 12-1 and won an Orange Bowl without him. Players like Anthony Allen and George Stripling, plus the highly rated recruit Dale Martin can plug that hole.

Mario Uruttia and Harry Douglas are back at wide receiver, while Hunter Cantwell has proven he can seamlessly take the reigns when Brohm is out.

Name to remember: Redshirt freshman quarterback Tyler Wolfe, who may be the best of the three.

It's all good, Cards' fans. Trust me!