Unbelievable. No, not that. The sad thing is, I can believe it.

University of Pittsburgh head football coach Dave Wannstedt announced changes to his assistant staff today, including the departures of two coaches and the reassignment of another.

Linebackers coach Curtis Bray and strength and conditioning coach Mike Kent will leave the Pitt staff to pursue other opportunities. Defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads, who has coached the secondary since 2000, will change his positional focus to linebackers. Rhoads will continue to coordinate the Panthers’ defense.

“Having been a coordinator for a significant part of my career, I know the advantages of having your linebacker coach, who is involved in defending both the run and the pass, also serve as defensive coordinator,” Wannstedt said. “Having Paul make this positional switch will better serve our entire defensive unit and help us put more emphasis on our rushing defense.

“In addition to hiring a secondary coach, I anticipate we will be making additional appointments on our strength and conditioning staff. I plan on interviewing strength coach candidates this weekend and expect to have someone in place by Christmas. This will enable our off-season program to begin full-speed when our players return the first week of January.”

Oh, I take it back again. The one thing Rhoads can do well is coach the secondary. It’s how he made his reputation. It’s the one area he’s helped recruit well.

Rhoads joined the Panthers after serving the prior five seasons (1995-99) at Iowa State, where he was the secondary coach his last four years after coaching the inside linebackers in 1995. Rhoads also assisted with the Cyclones’ special teams.

Prior to Iowa State, Rhoads spent three years at Pacific (1992-94), serving as the defensive backs coach and, in his final season, coordinator of the Tigers’ pass defense. In 1993, Pacific ranked 20th nationally, allowing just 152 yards passing per game. Rhoads began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Ohio State (1991) and Utah State (1989-90), working with the secondary at both schools.

One season in his entire coaching career where he coached inside linebackers. Aside from that, it’s been in the secondary. So now, he’s going to oversee the linebackers and stay focused on the entire defense.  Stunning.

I’m really struggling with this. I’m not sure whether Bray earned the right to stay, there’s been nothing in the development of Clint Session and outside of H.B. Blades there is little else of note at the position. So it’s hard to say he should stay. It’s never easy to fire an alum — and leaving “to pursue other opportunities” is clearly a firing.

There’s this ridiculously cynical, tinfoil hat-esque conspiracy thought that I can’t help but have. 2007 is going to be a struggle — as everyone says. 2008 is the big year where Wannstedt has to show something of a major step forward with the program. He’ll have had 3 years coaching and recruiting his players. Fans will not buy anymore excuses, the schedule is going to be as favorable as you can hope. It is the year he has to achieve, because even if he gets another year or two as coach, the fans won’t be there.
Paul Rhoads is a popular figure with the administration and the athletic department and has a contract, making him one of the few assistants where Wannstedt may not be able to  just cut him loose.
Is it a stretch to think that Wannstedt is setting Rhoads up for abject failure to allow him to get rid of him after a lost/(another) step back year? Then either hire a new DC or take it over himself for 2008 and look like he figured a lot out.

Tommie Campbell will be the only returning starting LB. The secondary is going to be worse without Revis back there. Who knows what to think the D-line will look like.
Yeah, I’m not buying it either. I really look forward to seeing the linebackers playing 5-8 yards off the line of scrimmage in the patented “bend but don’t break” defense.