That seems to be how people familiar with Coach Dave Wannstedt perceive him to be now. This column from the Naples News sees a man very much at ease with himself.
The way Dave Wannstedt was received in Collier County on Tuesday, you’d think he was running for mayor.
Lucky for Barnett, the current Naples mayor, Wannstedt was only shaking hands, posing for pictures and signing autographs as part of the recruiting blitz for the University of Pittsburgh.
The new Panthers coach looked at home meeting and greeting potential recruits on the prep stage. Decked out in a Navy Panthers’ Fiesta Bowl polo and matching microfiber, wrinkle-free beige slacks, Wannstedt even dressed the part of collegiate headhunter.
He looked young again. He looked fresh — much fresher than he did last November when he stepped down as the Dolphins head coach after starting the season 1-8.
For Wannstedt, the Dolphins’ demise, Ricky Williams’ inauspicious retirement and his departure from the NFL was now a distant memory. Just like any successful politician, he overcame a potentially damaging moment and landed on his feet. And now he’s back out on the campaign trail.
“The reception has been overwhelming,” Wannstedt said. “I have received nothing but the utmost respect from the coaches, players and administrators at all of the schools that I visited. It’s a great feeling.”
But maybe Barnett should worry.
Wannstedt’s quite familiar with Collier County.
He’s a part-time resident and actually just stepped it up by buying a house in Port Royal. And by the looks of his white-collar, Panthers-visor wearing posse that met up with him at Naples High practice, Wannstedt has plenty of influential friends in high places.
…Two area teams winning state titles in the last five years has changed the opinion of Wannstedt and all of college football — evident by a Florida Gators assistant coach also present Tuesday in Naples.
Wannstedt started his day at Immokalee, a place he’d never been before. He came away with five players from John Weber’s roster that he likes. He was then off to Lely, Barron Collier and then finally to see Bill Kramer and the Golden Eagles.
Today, he’s heading across the coast to Broward County, visiting six different schools. He’ll follow that up by visiting six more in Dade on Wednesday.
After accepting the job at his alma mater, Wannstedt made a recruiting edict. He ordered all of his coaches to scour a 500-mile radius of Pitt and venture no farther with one exception: Florida.
“There are so many great athletes here that you have to make a presence and with my familiarity with the Hurricanes and the Dolphins, I need to take advantage of the situation,” Wannstedt said.
Nice to know how hard he is working the road.
