Bobby Petrino has interest in returning to coaching at Kentucky, his father told the Louisville Courier-Journal on Wednesday.

"I just know this, that he's interested in Kentucky," Bobby Petrino Sr. told the newspaper. "He wants to stay in the SEC. That was his life's goal was to go to the SEC."

While the elder Petrino would like to see his son land at Kentucky, which announced Sunday that Joker Phillips would not return next season, Yahoo Sports! reported the same day the Wildcats would not consider hiring Petrino.

Petrino was fired by fellow SEC school Arkansas in April after a motorcycle accident and subsequent revelation of an affair with a 25-year-old woman who worked for him. Petrino lost $21 million in potential earnings and what he called his "dream job."

"You know, he made mistakes," Petrino Sr. told the paper, "but he couldn't have gone through any punishment worse than losing his job. He's missed coaching tremendously."

Petrino does have ties to the state of Kentucky, having coached at Louisville, where he went 41-9 from 2003-06. He guided the Cardinals to an Orange Bowl victory over Wake Forest in his final season.

Petrino's offense was among the top three in the SEC in each of the past three years at Arkansas. And his offense at Louisville was among the top 10 in the nation for four consecutive seasons.