Pitt Athletic Director Jeff Long is closing on a contract extension for an additional 3-years. I feel astoundingly indifferent about this, but ultimately feel that it is best that Long is staying.
I have been critical of AD Long when it comes to issues of media rights and what appears a stubbornness or lack of vision about the future of Pitt athletics with that regard and the future of the Big East. At times, it very much seems that he is merely the frontman for Chancellor Nordenberg. So, I do have major concerns about some long term issues.
By the same token, Long has done much good. His disliked — but unfortunately necessary — fundraising tactics have been vital to improve the athletic facilities for the “other” sports. A problem that had not been addressed dating back for decades. Even the oft-revered Steve Pederson did not do much to address that issue.
Long was not responsible for the hiring of Coach Jamie Dixon, but he was the one to work out the contract extension and raise that kept him here.
The hire that will define Long’s success or failure, really is the Dave Wannstedt hiring. Wannstedt was the guy the entire Pitt administration wanted and to Long’s credit, he did land him. Now, it’s up to Wannstedt to prove it was the right call. The assistants are being paid. The facilities are in place. The excuses just aren’t there.
The other factor is that for Pitt’s athletic department and the individual programs to thrive, stability at the AD position is vital. In this otherwise, highly puffed piece on WVU AD Ed Pastilong are some nuggets of truth. Pastilong has been there for 18 years and has overseen some big changes to WVU. Transitioning from two long-tenured coaches in basketball and football and improving the overall facilities with an even tighter budget. Pastilong is the longest tenured AD in the Big East and the little sidebar list of longest tenured ADs lists schools with at least one major programs that have had great success (Mississippi State being the exception).
In that respect, I think it is important that Long continue and provide stability.
All that aside, back to the whine about the terrible schedules … once he had us settle for the mess we have, he has subsequently also settled for the inevitable D-II crap we are dealt with (thanks to not convincing the conference to take Memphis or Navy), as well as the unbalanced “decent year, awful year” mix of home conference games. Meanwhile, everyone reads of LSU and USC with available games and ending up with deals with other Eastern schools that are at best our equals.
Again, much of this could be Nordenberg’s fault solely. Could any AD in the world accomplished all the things I am bitching about? Maybe not, especially if his hands are tied.
Sorry to rehash old gripes but in the current situation, we are pretenders in football, and masochists in basketball.