Tom Herrion was all class as he takes over at Marshall.

“Obviously, I’m forever grateful for coach Dixon,” Herrion said. “I know I am leaving a much, much better coach for having had the opportunity to work for him and be around such a great, successful program.”

One of Herrion’s players next season will be incoming freshman guard Deandre Kane, who was former Pitt star DeJuan Blair’s teammate at Schenley.

Dixon, who’s on the road recruiting and couldn’t be reached for comment, said in a statement: “We have been extremely fortunate to have Tom on our coaching staff for the past three years. … We are happy and excited for Tom and his family. He will do a great job at Marshall.”

You know, I had forgotten about Kane. Kind of disturbing that he still hasn’t reached freshman eligibility in college, though.

With several coaches serving under Coach Dixon now successfully in charge of their own programs the job is more attractive than ever. There won’t be any shortage of interested parties.

Chris Dokish breaks down the names that might be in the running for the top assistant position.

Looking at the list — and it is a pretty comprehensive list — these are my thoughts.

Not great recruiters: Mike Dunlap, Scott Rigot and Pat Duquette.

Duquette was no where near the talent evaluator and recruiter for Skinner that Bill Coen (Northeastern head coach) and Ed Cooley (Fairfield head coach). Besides, the skill of the BC staff under Skinner was finding underrecruited diamonds in the rough. Pitt is looking beyond that at this point.

Dunlap has an excellent basketball mind, but is not a recruiting guy. Lavin wants him at St. John’s for Xs-and-Os. Factual point. Dunlap turned down being the interim coach after Lute Olson’s abrupt resignation. He stayed on staff as an assistant and helped Russ Pennell run things.

I know Kentucky fans can be a little insane, but they do know their stuff. Scott Rigot was not exactly a favored assistant under Tubby Smith there. There was no clamor for Gillispie to keep him and it does say something that Smith didn’t bring him to Minnesota.

None seem like a great choice, and I would be nervous.

Recent head coaches/fine recruiters: Norm Roberts, Dino Gaudio, Dave Leitao.

I would have no problem with any of these choices. Roberts was a very good recruiter for Bill Self at Kansas. Leitao and Gaudio both have reputations primarily for their recruiting chops. Dokish indicates that all three obviously want to be head coaches again, so as likely short-timers Coach Dixon may not want that.

Considering Rice lasted a year and it was almost a shock that Bill Herrion made it 3 years after missing on Holy Cross last year, I don’t know if Coach Dixon would really be that bothered. Especially considering any successful program regularly sees assistants poached.

Any of these three as hires would be a home run. Not sure if Roberts and Gaudio, though, would want to jump right back in as assistants this season.

Chicagoland/Midwest recruiters: Sean Kearney, Tracy Webster, Billy Garrett, Sr., Tracy Dildy.

These are some intriguing choices. Especially for expanding Pitt’s recruiting. If Coach Dixon feels confident about how Brandin Knight can work New York and New Jersey, any of these would be very interesting options. All of these are good recruiters but center in a different geographic base.

Coach Dixon has primarily stuck to hiring assistants who know and recruit the East Coast.  These guys have built their recruiting success in Chicago are and midwest. I’m sure they would also do fine recruiting in NY/NJ, but their roots are not there.

Absolute homeruns, but unlikely: Book Richardson and Jeff Battle.

If Pitt and Coach Dixon can get either of these guys, it is an unqualified great hire.

Book Richardson has been an outstanding recruiter for Sean Miller at Xavier and Arizona. He is still recruiting NY/NJ well even from the other side of the country. Not sure he would leave.

Jeff Battle is also an outstanding recruiter at Wake Forest. Indications are, though, that Wake wants him to stay after they hire Jeff Bzdelik from Colorado. Battle lost his wife to cancer and is raising his son on his own. If Wake and Bzdelik want him to stay, I’d guess he would.

I don’t know enough to have an opinion: Pat Skerry, Pete Strickland, Fred Quartlebaum, Rob Moxley.

I will defer to Dokish on these guys. He seems fairly positive on them.

Really, might as well call this the Dokish post since the other items are authored by him.

He measures Pitt’s post-season success under Coach Dixon and does not see disappointment. He sees more that the team so overachieves in the regular season that what happens in March seems like a letdown.

Finally, from a piece he did last week for NBE Basketball Report on Big East players to watch in 2010. Under established players who should improve:

Brad Wanamaker, Pittsburgh, Sr.- Perhaps no head coach in the league has had as many players improve as Pitt’s Jamie Dixon, and all the proof you need is to look at the Panthers’ dominance in the league’s Most Improved Award. Wanamaker, a 6?4? wing probably won’t win that award since he’s already pretty good, but that doesn’t mean he still may not see a lot of improvement in his last season as a Panther. As a junior, Wanamaker averaged 12.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 4.7 apg, and 1.2 spg, and even though the Panthers’ will have more depth next season, Wanamaker has proven that he’s the most productive all-around player on the team, and his numbers should continue to rise.

Commencing fierce opinions on both sides in 3, 2, 1…

He also touches on a couple of other players who should make significant progress:

Travon Woodall, Pittsburgh, So.- The 5?11? PG was handed the starting job at the beginning of the season, but lost it because of sloppy play. However at the end of the season, the cat quick Woodall showed much better consistency, averaging 5.0 ppg and 3.2 apg, and could regain that starting spot again next season if his outside shooting improves .

Dante Taylor, Pittsburgh, So.- The 6?9? big man disappointed many Panthers fans this year after being the school’s first McDonald’s All-American in a few decades. But Taylor still managed 4.1 ppg and 3.7 rpg in just 14 minutes a game, showing that there is definitely talent present.

Seems about right.

Pitt has lots of depth at WR. Even more as Greg Cross has emerged.

“I want to do whatever it takes to help the team win,” Cross said. “I was excited when we first talked about moving to receiver — I never played this position before but I always wanted to because I always believed I could do some things catching passes, returning kicks and blocking.

“Really, I felt like, when I first was talking to the coaches about moving, all I needed was just some extra time and that’s why redshirting last year as a junior was so important.”

Cross caught only one pass for 15 yards in the scrimmage Saturday but showed a glimpse of the weapon he could be. He ran a reverse and also threw the touchdown pass to Baldwin on a trick play.

He ran only 4 yards on the reverse. The truth is the play should have been an 8-yard loss but he made two tacklers miss with a little shuffle of his feet and made a positive play out of nothing.

Some have made much of a seeming obsession among a contingent of Pitt fans that have decried the non-use of Cross after one successful Wildcat TD run against Iowa two seasons ago. Count me among that contingent.

And maybe it has only grown in my own mind, but what I remember when he came in was that everyone knew he would be running it. Everyone. Including Iowa. He didn’t appear to be moving that fast, but he just kept moving and evading. He stayed upright and was seemingly untouched for the 17 yard TD.

Pitt’s receiving depth is in far better shape than down in WVU where two consensus 4-star WRs have left the team without even finishing their freshmen seasons — apparently because they are lazy (H/T to Dave).

Walk-on Alex Karabin may be the starting center come the fall. He’s also hoping for a scholarship for his final season at Pitt.

“Alex is one of those guys you probably take for granted,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “He’s very consistent. He knows his strengths and weaknesses. … He continues to get better.”

Lippert, a redshirt freshman, might be the center of the future, but Wannstedt said he is lagging behind Karabin after making the transition from defense.

“Jack Lippert, every day is a new adventure,” Wannstedt said. “He’s not ready to line up and play center and win for us yet. Might he be in September or October? I hope. I’m very pleased with the progress he has made, but he has a long way to go.”

That leaves Karabin as the starter entering camp in August. Even if he does earn the job, he might not get a scholarship. Last season, Wannstedt gave scholarships to three former walk-ons — kicker Dan Hutchins, reserve quarterback Andrew Janocko and defensive lineman Chas Alecxih.

“If we have one, nothing would make me happier than to give one to Alex,” Wannstedt said. “He’s deserving.”

Hopefully it will work out for him.

Finally a piece on new linebackers coach Bernard Clark. Hits the expected notes. Played for the “U.” Check. Still looks like he could play. Check. Intensity still there. Check.

That said, I really like to read about emphasizing tackling. Not hitting.

Clark has greater expectations for what could be among the best trio of linebackers in the Big East next season. He isn’t bothered by much but admitted he’ll be troubled if his safeties, Jarred Holley and Dom DeCicco, lead the Panthers in tackles.

“The first thing (Clark) said to us was that his priorities are tackling and make sure we aren’t loafing,” Gruder said. “He wants us to be 1, 2, and 3 in tackling. That’s the way it should be. That’s the way it’s going to be.”

Even though Holley and DeCicco will play close to the line of scrimmage, Clark said he fears the run defense will break down if the safeties are being pressed to make tackles.

“A linebacker should be sick to his stomach to see a defensive back with more tackles,” said Clark, who has coached at Florida International and South Florida. “Our linebackers understand the pressure, but if they learn something new every day — like how to take on blockers — they’ll play well.

“Of course, the biggest thing is intensity. If they go full speed, we can correct a mistake. If they’re loafing, we can’t correct that. The only thing you can’t coach is effort.”

Not talking about being fearsome hitters. Or setting tone.  It is about making the tackle and stopping the play.