Should be filed under “WHO ME?”

link to washingtonpost.com

Sad. At some point you have to put the university and team ahead of your own interests. You have nothing left to prove, DW. And, come to think of it, you haven’t proven anything at all except that you’re a good guy but not a good football coach. Time to step aside and let a new generation take over. And I don’t care if we lose every damn game next year as long as we score points. I’ll take a 35 – 30 loss any day as long as I see passion and intensity on the sidelines. The Big East is an embarrassment in football and you are one of the reasons why.

Randy Shannon will be the new defensive coordinator – take it to the bank.

I just dont see any big moves here. Why would you fire Bennett with one to play? It does not seem to be an obvious move. Also don’t see this as a presser to “fire” Wanny. If you are going to fire, you call a conference and do it ala UM. My only thought is that Wanny may be announcing retirement at end of season, thus the delayed press conf. If he’s out, expect to see Cig named interim. Don’t see what else this would be, but this is Pitt and the AD is Pederson, so expect the unexpected.

Same old shit and the season isn’t even over yet. Can this team win at Cincinnati on Saturday?

According to Wanny, of all the reasons for the poor season this year, none of them had anything to do with coaching or preparation. Hey, Romeus was hurt, and we all know if one key player gets hurt, you can just about write off the season. Look at Stull’s thumb injury a couple of years ago. Same thing. Four more years.

Aww, you guys are spooked, just announcing uniform changes. Going to a powder blue, and a gold-orange. Also, they are taking the P and the last T of of PITT. We’re going to be “IT”. Allready has six kids and two adults preordering!!!

If there really is a presser, won’t be about assistants. Can’t believe they’ll let Wanny go. Must be about the volleyball matches coming up against Montauk. Remember Mark and Smug Smile Steve, yes, it has a huge amount about wins and losses, but, I’ll tell you something my friend, it has a lot to do with the brand of football they are playing. Tons of people have used the word “boring” talking about Pitt football, not a good word in the marketing dept. Now, if you run that offense and hammer New Hampshire 63-10, like any BCS conference team should have, then, you can take the “boring”. Moot point, won’t believe it till I see his hair blowing in the wind, in some other place.

On second thought, could be about dumping a few assistants, with Mark and Smug Smile Steve there to give full confidence to Wanny till 2014!!!

I just got the skinny on this press conference from a guy who used to work at the Art Cinema.

S-Pete will announce tomorrow that next season, the Pitt logo will be in 30-pt Comic Sans.

Where is this rumor of a press conference coming from?

And I can tell you there is no chance of Wannstedt retiring or quitting. He has a contract, he will make Pitt fire him to collect the cash – and who could blame him? I just hope that Nordenburg has the foresight to see that this program has no chance for success with wanny and his 1940 playbook. I dont think its any coincidence that most of the successful coaches in college football today are younger guys that rose through the ranks, not washed up nfl coaches. PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING AND END THE ERA OF THE STACHE AT PITT.

The nightmare will continue for a seventh season and Wanny will stay, next season will have the same old excuses, the same old brain dead schemes and the same results. We will be subjected to the boring brand of football aka “Wanny-Ball” again!

I do not think Cincinnati will roll over and die this Saturday and Pitt is not guaranteed a bowl game at 6-6!

I do not like to personally attack anyone but this guy failed in Chicago and Miami, he is just dense and just will never change.

2010 we had high expectations and as usual our hearts are ripped out, same old shit, same old Pitt!

I’ve always liked DW as a person but was concerned about his pro coaching record when Pitt hired him. I have resigned myself to Pitt being a perennially mediocre football team for the forseeable future…. since Pitt has no intention of removing such a beloved alum.

I just count blessings that DW is not a military officer in Iraq etc……….

Zeise spins so hard to promote Wanny he won’t need blood pressure meds for a month….
link to blogs.sites.post-gazette.com

I am here in Nashville and sports radio is announcing that Temple coach is interviewing at Vanderbilt.

Old line university looking at a younger up and comer…hmmmm.

As I mentioned before, Paul Zeise is a disgrace with his reporting of the Dave Wannstedt situation. It is beyond obvious that Zeise loves Dave and will do anything before he openly and directly criticizes him. He would rather insult and disrespect his audience. Paul and his hero, Dave Wannstedt, deserve each other.

Dave Wannstedt is an example of all that is wrong with American business. It is clear that he is completely unable to perform at his job. Yet he continues to either stay employed or get new work because of his “experience”. Nevermind that he hasn’t really achieved anything as a headcoach. Sometimes that doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that an individual had the job in the past, success or failure. In fact, the “experience” is a complete illusion and is what is holding him back. The only thing Dave Wannstedt has succeeded at is staying employed for almost 20 years in a job where he is completely and unequivically incompetent.

Great analysis Omar

Zeise has drunk the cool aid. I hope this conference today is something about Pitt going in a different direction and moving Dave upstairs. But in reality its probably just another contract extension to reward mediocrity and poor coaching performance.

As some have mentioned, the one and only thing that will get the attention of Pedersen and Nordenburg is empty seats. I for one will not attend one more game as long as Wannstedt is the head coach. I hope my fellow alum will join me and send a loud and clear message that we are done supporting this utter failue. I am tired of walking out of Heinz Field with my head down embarrassed to be wearing Pitt gear.

This has turned into some fantasy world. Pitt is going to fire it’s head coach days before an important game that could determine a BCS bid? Yeah, I’m sure that’s happening. Talk about completely irrational negativity just for the sake of being negative.

People on this site keep referring to a press conference today, but as far as I can tell, none of the media outlets in Pittsburgh are mentioning a press conference today. Usually that sort of thing would get mentioned, particularly given the current state of affairs. Just saying…

Nobody said to fire Dave before this Saturday’s blowout loss. I think we want to fire him after the game.

I think we need to lighten up on Zeise. He’s a good reporter and covers the Pitt beat well. He only reports the facts as he gets them from his sources, which indicate the continuing support Coach Wannstadt has from the Pitt administration.

As for Wannstadt, I respect his efforts on Pitt’s behalf, but it just wasn’t enough. His style of coaching is outdated.

Chas, I’d be interested in you posting a speculative story about possible coaching replacements and the odds of them coming to Pitt.

Zeise is an apologist who calls fans that care a bunch of lunatics. He has lost my respect.

They’re going to announce, in keeping with the Texas theme of yesterday and the announcement that TCU is joining the BigEast, the Panthers have decided to hire Mike Leach as HC and Wanny will remain on board in a new capacity. That being Yinzer Ambassador to Western Penna, Eastern Ohio & the panhandle of W. Virginia. He will now be known as
Ambassador Wannstache of Baldwin.

Tino has been given fair warning that new HC Leach might try to run him off campus with daily incarcerations in various small closets located thruout the South Side practice complex. All other hacks, washed up coaches, sons of NFL coaches, and the like have been told to pack up and leave campus before High Noon. When the new sheriff in town arrives.

One can only hope !

If anyone believes firing the coaching staff will solve Pitt’s problems you better think again. It runs a lot deeper than that. In any particular order, the team needs much more money in donations, more fans in seats, and at least 10,000 for bowl games. I just do not see it happening.

I think it was Boise St. losing near the end of the game and they were losing by 40 some points and the stands were full.

Pitt dose not have money to buy out mistakes and cannot aford a top coach who may not consider Pitt at any price. Sad but thats what I see. The biggest attendance that I remember was when RR and Fitz were playing catch. That and a Shady type runner puts butts in seats.

From the Fort Worth Star Telegram:

All of TCU’s major sports coaches were on hand for the announcement. Two coaches — men’s basketball coach Jim Christian and baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle — grew up on the East Coast. All were ecstatic about the prospect of joining the Big East. But the main and mutually beneficial ingredient between TCU and the Big East was the success of the TCU football team. The Big East’s highest-ranked football team is No. 23 West Virginia.

“The opportunity to be on ESPN and national exposure for our program is phenomenal….We are very fortunate to be in this position. If you play basketball in the state of Texas and you want to play against the best basketball in the country, you don’t have to leave the state, you can come right here. Bring all comers to Fort Worth, bring it on. Everyone is going to have to pick up their game. If you’re afraid of competition, this is not the place to be.”

link to star-telegram.com

Joel,

Which comes first the chicken or the egg? How do you expect a motivated fan base when the best thing that happened to the program in the last 30 years to is a win in the Meineke Car Care Bowl?

Boise has been tearing it up for the last 10 years and that builds a fan base.

I had an interesting conversation with a coworker yesterday about our situation with Wanny. He is a devoted Florida Gators fan, and he said some interesting things…

He compared Wanny to Ron Zook. Great recruiter, great ambassador of the program, erratic winner… Florida ran Zook out of town because he was mediocre and they demanded more. Now granted, I know Pitt isn’t FLorida, but I’m just saying that his mindset was very interesting. I asked him, why did you guys turn on him…his response was…”Well, we had some really rough years, than got better with the Ole Ball Coach, then Zook comes in and we just couldn’t get great…we were floating around mediocrity every year…losing stupid games to Mississippi State than rolling Georgia…then we’d lose to a cellar dwellar than beat Florida State…it was frsutrating and people were talking about how they need to improve was to get rid of Zook and bring in a gameday winner that was consistent and great.”

Now, my point here is the mindset. Someone earlier in a response made the analogy to Pitt FB like a mediocre stock that the Street refuses to dump (because they are not losing money)…but never seems to see any growth. Can’t remember the details, but the post was brilliant because they mentioned how these types of stocks were almost WORSE than underperformers because waste valuable time and resources on something that just can not make the jump and grow.

ROn Zook, Wanny, medicor stocks… sometimes being “not quite as sucky” is not acceptable.

We have come to that time.

The other thing that puts butts in seats, is winning, and I mean, a bad year is 8-4, 9-3 is an off year, 10-2 and 11-1’s. No, not sell out, but 50 to 55k, and not just what Smug Smile Steve tells the p.a. announcer to see, I mean warm bodies.

I also don’t mean having “drama” games with New Hampshire, Florida Internationals, Bowling Greens, Ohio’s, Maine’s etc. etc.. To be a real, college football team, you pound those teams 45-10, 55 to 14, 49-3. Yes, once in a blue moon, a team jumps up and suprises you, but, you shouldn’t have to look down your schedule, and see, that even the cupcakes are a struggle.

Also, I realize, people might think I’m dreaming. No, no delusions of Texas, Alabama, or USC, none at all. But, seriously, break it down, really, look at it honestly….

7 Big East opponents. We should be 7-0, 6-1 on a very, very, consistent basis….

2-3 cupcakes every year. Should never be in doubt. I totally cannot see, why we could, and should not, have 9 or 10 wins right there, every year. Yes, again, an occaisonal team jumps up, I get that, but, conistently……..

Then you have 2-3 out of conference opponents. They really haven’t scheduled top 10 teams for this. Yes, BCS conference teams, which is fine, liked Tex AM, Nebraska, Iowa, Mich St., absolutely nothing wrong with those teams. Now, you should on some years, beat all 2 or 3, split some years, and some years, “the off years, you may lose both”, I understand that.

When you add it all up, competing in the Big East, Pitt and WVU should be clobbering the others, and meeting for the championship pretty consistenly.

Now, if we were in the Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, no, of course not, but, where we are, we should be winning the Big East, pounding low lever divI and div II teams, and having some great games with BCS OCC opponents, that sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. If you do the math on this, you will see, that what sounds crazy, 9-3,10-2, 11-1, really is not crazy at all.

Now, if this is unrealistic, and maybe it is, just have Smug Smile Steve send me a note or drop me a line, so , I can close my checkbook, and stay home and watch good college football on the tube. Actually, he will be sending me a note, by his actions over the upcoming weeks.

Sports Illustrated recently did a long article about the BCS and indicated that all the Bowl Games make money by forcing the team schools to buy large blocks of tickets etc for their team to participate. I’m sorry but I can’t see the justification for Pitt to spend/ lose money to participate in a non-BCS bowl with a 6 – 6 record football team.

Absolutely Dan!! It seems like a really small thing, but when we play E.Tenn St, Akron, Northern Iowa, I want to see some 60-7, and 45 to zips. You are right, don’t need drama against Maine!!!

And I have to add, before embarrassed but not now, I didn’t travel to any Pitt games this year. After Cincy last year, I said I would put my tavel money towards basketball. Catching a Pitt BB game in Chicago and New York beats watching the football team. What a shame. No relief in sight. And I love Pitt football.

I like TonyinHouston didn’t travel to any Pitt games this year. THEY WERE DISTURBING ENOUGH TO WATCH ON TV.

Let alone travel to see them play Tinoball or Wannyball, whatever you want to call the mess.

I did have a trip planned to Tampa and the Burg for USF & Wvu, however when I watched that Uconn disaster, we went to Hawaii instead for 2 weeks.
Got a couple free tickets to watch Hawaii destroy San Jose State in Honolulu. The Hawaii QB’s combined to throw for almost 600 yards(the starting QB threw for over 500 yds.), quite amazing to watch. It took Pitt about a half of season to throw for 600 yards.

That was one of my better decisions lately. The only reason a bowl bid is important it gives the team about a month more of practice team and this team needs as much practice as possible.

Hey if we don’t hire Mike Leach, how about June Jones of SMU. Pitt should be able to afford him, if SMU can.

Seriously, everybody get off the fire Wanny bandwagon. He’s fine, and the whole city and school need to look in the mirror. I was at the brawl. It was boring…even before the blowout. After the game I watched the other big games of the day and the atmosphere, the athletes, the fans were all better. Maybe the players came out and playes like spit because they were deflated by all the yellow seats they saw. Maybe we’re not head and shoulders better than everyone in talent like we think. The fans and bloggers love to say it but I see equal or more athleticism on the teams we’re getting beat by. Remember, the whole team is not equal to the freaks like Baldwin. I see kidsa on the team that are undersized overacheivers. Constantly wishing for one man to get fired is sick. The guy doesn’t have to be here but he is trying to lead the program somewhere positive. Get on board and stop being unabashed haters!!!!

Please, fellow Pitt fans, don’t bring up Mike Leach anymore. The dude is a scumbag. Pitt would not and should not hire him. How many championships has he won anyway. Show some intellegence please. A guy gets fired for locking a kid w/ a concussion in the equipment room, and you want to hire him as the coach and fire a pitt guy with a good reputation. Classy…

Tony, Pitt like the rest of the BE lacks money. Thats why coaches use the BE as a stepping stone to better gigs. Pitt will never get a top of the line coach at 1.5 mil. What you get is Walt and Wanny types.

Money lets you hire better coaches and recruit Flordia more than in recent times. Several years ago when Pitt played Buffalo they had nine players from Texas. Maybe Pitt wouldn’t recruit thoes players but they found the money to farm Texas for nine players.

how will 49ers match up without gore running.