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May 11, 2011

Coach Puffery Round-up

Filed under: Coaches,Dixon,Graham,Puff Pieces — Chas @ 2:45 pm

Yesterday, SI.com had a big feature on Todd Graham taking over at Pitt (hat tip to the many, many who e-mailed and linked it in the comments).

“We’ve gotta take the good and make them great, and the great and make them outstanding,” Graham said. “We’re striving for perfection. We’ll tolerate excellence.”

After a year flush with misfortune, a spring full of such unbridled optimism may be just what the Panthers need. In 2011, it might also serve as a harbinger of things to come.

The Big East appears weak and wide open once again, with South Florida juggling quarterbacks B.J. Daniels and Bobby Eveld, West Virginia testing a partnership between incumbent coach Bill Stewart and coach-in-waiting Dana Holgorsen and TCU still a year removed from its conference debut. While early nonconference tests at Iowa and against Notre Dame will be challenging, Graham’s rebuilt, under-the-radar squad could make a run at the Big East’s guaranteed BCS bid.

We’ll see. But it is nice to be optimistic.

Jamie Dixon also lands a bit of puffery today.

Gary Parrish writes a great article on why Coach Dixon’s name keeps coming up for every job opening, but that it is time to give up on that dream by other schools, fans and ADs.

And yet the pursuit never stops.

It seems no athletic director at a high-major institution embarking on a coaching search can move forward without first gauging the interest of Dixon. On one hand, I get it, because the guy is terrific at his job, better than I am at my job and almost certainly better than you are at yours. He has averaged 27 wins per season in eight years at Pittsburgh and made the NCAA tournament every March.

Nobody whispers about his character or recruiting practices. He has been great with NBA prospects and great without them. The worst thing anybody can say about Dixon is that he has never made the Final Four. But that criticism is a classic example of not being able to see the forest for the trees, and it’s one that’ll be taken off the table at some point, anyway.

So, again, I get why a school would want to hire Dixon.

You can call and he will talk to you and be respectful because he’s a nice guy and all that. But he’s not coming to your school. So it would be wise to scratch his name off your list and start elsewhere, which is to say, a little lower.

Then there was this bit from Andy Katz. Ostensibly it is about the challenge awaiting Pat Skerry at Towson, but it spends a large portion talking about Coach Dixon’ assistants getting jobs.

“Why wouldn’t an administration want a coach who works for him?” Skerry said of Dixon. “He’s incredibly focused. He’s incredibly consistent. The way [his teams] play, he gives a team a chance to win every night. The focus is on defense, rebounding.”

Herrion was on Dixon’s bench when the Panthers lost to Villanova on a last-second basket in the 2009 Elite Eight. He coached Marshall to a 22-12 record in his first season with the Thundering Herd.

“I believe that people across the country truly appreciate and respect the level of success that Jamie and the Pitt program have established and, more importantly, the integrity with which Jamie lives and coaches,” Herrion said.

Rice, who is recruiting well at Rutgers and just secured transfer Wally Judge from Kansas State, said “everyone wants to copy the success Pitt has had.”

“Jamie does it right on and off the floor, and everyone wants to emulate what he has created,” Rice said. “The quickest way to do that is by hiring his assistants. I never thought I’d be there one year. But I jumped at the chance to go to Robert Morris in my hometown. He’s consistent with who he’s hired. He has an eye for talent.”





Man, I even feel better about our beloved coaches after reading these ‘puff’ pieces especially Coach Dixon. Can’t wait until next March…..er….did I just say that.

Comment by melvinbennett 05.12.11 @ 2:32 am

Again no mention of Mark Myers in the SI articles.
But they do mention, Anthony Gonzolez as the backup QB. So I take it the Tribune had it right in their article post-Blue/Gold game.

Comment by melvinbennett 05.12.11 @ 2:40 am

My guess is that any school in the country would want to hire Dixon. Am I wrong?

Comment by Paintballing Surrey 05.12.11 @ 6:24 am

maybe not Duke, NC, UConn, Louisville, Mich St, Ohio St and Butler .. and a couple more .. but otherwise, you aren’t wrong

Comment by wbb 05.12.11 @ 7:32 am

Melvin – your comment hits on an interesting point. Apparently Myers was tweeting last week that he was on his way back to PITT and looking forward to the offseason practices and summer camps.

I wasn’t sure that was going to happen and I would have bet, based on some conversations, that had Graham strongly signaled that AG was in the #2 spot Myers would have chosen a different path. Now, any HC would be pretty stupid to do that with only Spring camp under his belt, but it seems to me that Graham has at least told Myers that he has a good shot at #2 going into the season.

I still think the we’ll see the QBs listed as Sunseri, Gonzalez and Myers going into September but it is good news that Myers wants to remain on the squad.

In regards to transfers – there was some strong talk and strong indications that PITT would have some transfers out this year. Some sources said around four… one source said as many as eight. The fact that spring ball has finished almost a full month ago and PITT’s semester ended without any at all leads me to think the Graham has gotten these kids on board in a big way.

Add to that the fact that PITT is getting pretty high quality transfers in from other schools and it leads one to believe that the football program at PITT is being discussed in pretty positive terms at this point by people in the business.

Now, let us win some of the tougher games this season and things should really take off.

I’m very anxious for August to get here…

Comment by Reed 05.12.11 @ 8:57 am

Todd Graham appears to be “professional”. He is saying all of the right things and doing all of the right things. He is making a concerted effort to get the alumni on board with his program, especially former players. If he produces winning teams, Pitt made a great selection.

BTW, I was pleased that Paul Zeise considers Walt Harris to be a class act. Harris has never (at least openly) done anything to make me think otherwise.

link to blogs.sites.post-gazette.com

Comment by BigGuy 05.12.11 @ 9:24 am

Has anyone heard whether Birch, Johnson and Johnson are coming to Pittsburgh this summer and playing in Green Tree?

Comment by boubacar aw 05.12.11 @ 9:39 am

Harris got me interested in Pitt football again and restored my pride. He may not get the respect he deserves today, but history will treat him well. I can’t say the same for Wanny.

Comment by TX Panther 05.12.11 @ 9:41 am

The Harris years were a lot of fun, but it got ugly at the end and he was rightfully pushed aside.

I’m excited for this season, but just like last year, the schedule we have is brutal. We’ll know a lot about this team by the end of September.

Anybody else out there planning on going to the Iowa game? I figure we probably won’t get the opportunity again for awhile so might as well go and check out the atmosphere.

Comment by BnG 05.12.11 @ 10:05 am

Just my take but Walt is a much better college coach and has more class than Wanny ever will!

Comment by WLAT and the Big Beat! 05.12.11 @ 10:39 am

Luke Winn early college hoop rankings:

link to sportsillustrated.cnn.com

I guess it’s bad to have an experienced team, but Pitt is still ranked high.

Comment by Pittastic 05.12.11 @ 10:42 am

Walt had off-the-field issue and in his final year — an agent who didn’t exactly represent his client well.

Also note that Harris was a Pederson hire but not a Pederson fire .. which is probably a big reason why he is welcome back at the practice facility.

The only big issue I had with Walt was the lack of quality linemen (both OL and DL) that were recruited in the last few years of his realm here.

Comment by wbb 05.12.11 @ 10:45 am

“Just my take but Walt is a much better college coach and has more class than Wanny ever will!”

WLAT, we can have interesting discussions on coaching abilities, but please explain (cite examples substantiating) your position on a lack of class by DW. DW’s reputation should not be impugned without “back-up”.

Comment by BigGuy 05.12.11 @ 11:10 am

BigGuy, you have to understand that since Wanny was unable to get to the BCS bowls the last 2 years and was let go, he is now the chief whipping boy and stands for all things evil. In fact, now that bin Laden is gone, he goes to the top of the list for many on this site.

Comment by wbb 05.12.11 @ 11:28 am

Both are classy guys. One was the better college coach. The other the better recruiter. Both shared a Big East title. But, Walt left Wanny with a stable program unlike what Walt got from Majors, AND Wanny promptly killed the momentum. Yes, it was Walt’s time to go, but the mistake was hiring Wanny in the first place.

Comment by TX Panther 05.12.11 @ 11:42 am

TX Panther, Wanny had to start 3 natural freshmen in his first game as coach vs ND back in 05 … I doubt that Graham will have this issue .. maybe because of the new style of offense, he will use a new WR but the cupboard isn’t bare by any means at this position either

Comment by wbb 05.12.11 @ 11:52 am

Part II — a 42 and 31 record isn’t exactly a recor of a failure

Comment by wbb 05.12.11 @ 11:55 am

Not winning an outright Big East championship in the weakest BCS conference is however. You apologists bring a smile to my day.

Comment by TX Panther 05.12.11 @ 11:59 am

In Wanny’s first 4 years, he ran into a situation when WVU had its greatest era EVER, Rutgers had its greatest two years EVER, Louisville under Petrino has its best 3 years EVER and the past 4 years at Cincy was their greatest teams EVER.

Yes, Pitt should have won a BCS or two the past 2 yearsa but BY NO MEANS was the BE the easiest BCS oonference from 05 thru 08. (In fact, in 06, the BE had 3 teams that finished in the Top 12 in the BCS rankings .. more than any other conference.)

Comment by wbb 05.12.11 @ 12:14 pm

I’ll give you that ONE year.

Comment by TX Panther 05.12.11 @ 12:57 pm

Looks like the we’re still fighting the Wanny Wars…lets give peace a chance!

Comment by Leaseman 05.12.11 @ 1:02 pm

It has left a deep wound that won’t heal. My apologies. The history has been written and I’m closing the book. Onward to new chapters with Coach Graham, my fellow Texan.

Comment by TX Panther 05.12.11 @ 1:20 pm

I’ve been saying we need to move on since Decemebr but still I continue to read that he is an ‘abject failure’ or ‘worst coach ever’ and now he has ‘no class’ …. and all of that is total crap.

I actually am looking forward to see what a ‘college’ coach can do, but you are the guys that continue to take the cheap shots

Comment by wbb 05.12.11 @ 1:26 pm

I don’t take cheap shots, but not outright winning the Big East and going to a BCS bowl is a failure in my book. The truth is that Wanny wasn’t getting it done…on and off the field. If he was, he’d still be coaching. What I don’t like is revisionist history. The facts speak for themselves. The goal as Wanny stated when he first took the reigns was to win a national championship. Pitt never got close or in the discussion. Believe me, Graham’s honeymoon won’t nearly be as long if he isn’t getting it done…talk is cheap. But, yes, Wanny has class, passion for his alma mater and did a decent job recruiting and earnestly tried to win (or some may say not to lose). I will give him those things and would love to have a beer with him one day.

Comment by TX Panther 05.12.11 @ 1:47 pm

I totally agree except for the fact that the revisionist history is not from the Wanny apologists but from the ones who now claim that he was never a good coach or has no class, etc. Yes, he didn’t meet expectations but a 42 -31 record doesn’t signify a failure.

Comment by wbb 05.12.11 @ 3:42 pm

Well, my euphoria lasted ONE day. The nostalgia generated as the Panthers celebrated their African-American athletes and the positive spins from enthusiastic new grid coaches has been spoiled by the negativism of some Bloggers and :sports journalists”. Taking shots at Coach Wannstedt won’t accomplish anything. Would that more Pitt followers demonstrated the loyalty and yes, “CLASS” of David Wannstedt. Wish him well with Buffalo and move on with”Graham’s Gazelles”. Celebrate the past and anticipate the future!!. Rev. George from Columbus

Comment by Rev. George Mehaffey 05.12.11 @ 3:44 pm

Maybe TX Panther has a point there. Does anyone know if DW instructed Ray Graham not to fumble in the UConn game last season? Does anyone know if DW instructed the place kick holder not to flub the snap in the Cinci game two seasons ago? If DW would have conveyed those instructions and if the players would have followed his instructions, Pitt would have played in a BCS game each of the last two seasons, and he would still be the HC. No wonder we got posters who are ticked at DW. How are the players to know that they are not to do such things unless DW tells them?

Comment by BigGuy 05.12.11 @ 3:47 pm

Yes we didn’t go to a BCS Bowl game during Wanny’s tenure, but we did have the best 3 year run at Pitt(9-4,10-3,8-5) since the Marino era. That’s 30 years folks. Let’s give the guy a little credit here and let’s not let hate distort facts.

Comment by melvinbennett 05.12.11 @ 4:06 pm

Rev. George, I always (OK, usually) find your comments to be astute and refreshing. I always find it difficult, however, to not look in the rear view mirror of life. I usually learn something from history, or at least my perspective is altered.

Comment by BigGuy 05.12.11 @ 4:55 pm

Wbb – Dave Wannstedt was a different HC, and his approach to the football program was different, over the last two years than it was in his first four. A real element of panic set in after the Sun Bowl game and, if you were watching for it, it was pretty evident. I know you are loathe to believe it but as a HC he had lost almost all effective control over his players – and it showed, both on and off the field of play.

I don’t think DW was a bad man or even that bad of a football coach – but when you have a guy being paid around a million dollars a year to shoulder the responsibility and leadership of the football program and of those in it – you don’t want to continually hear him point fingers of blame at his players. the first time we hear DW say “I didn’t get the kids ready to play this game” will be the first. Instead all we heard about was how ‘great the practices were’ – right after the opposing coach had made a fool out of Wannstedt on the field.

We can point to one fumble or one missed hold as a reason for failure – but it was DW’s unbending insistence that “his way” of coaching was the best – and really we should never have been put in a position where one singular play won or lost a BCS berth. Hell – we blew a 21 point lead in that Cincy game and still fans point to Janocko as the culprit… when DW’s players were nervous as hell out there.

All you have to do is remember DW’s sideline outbursts in the last two years – they were dramatic and way over the top according to the situation at hand. Panic.

That three year run was nice for PITT… it was also a hell of a lot of other programs do on a regular basis. And then they win conference titles every once in a while also.

Dave Wannstedt was an average head coach at best. He was a decent person who, IMO, was in over his head as a HC, especially at his Alma Mater where he had so many competing influences.

Comment by Reed 05.12.11 @ 7:00 pm

The element of panic in the Sun Bowl was having 3 starting offensive linemen whose replacements got their butts kicked plus a weak armed QB playing in the strong wind … as evidenced by only 3 pts being scored the entire game.

If he was an average coach at best, then except for Majors I and Sherill, Pitt has had nothing but average coaches at best since the 1940s … as a poster above aptly stated, he had the best 3 year run since the early 80s … and he had a Western PA recruiting base that was SUBSTANTIALLY weaker than any of his predecessors (compared to other areas of the US) When I grew up in the 60s and 70s, Western PA was known as the best area for FB rectuiting but not any more … not even close.

Comment by wbb 05.12.11 @ 7:15 pm

clarification .. Pitt had 3 starting ‘injured’ linemen in the Sun Bowl

Comment by wbb 05.12.11 @ 7:37 pm

I saw many an unbelievable game day coaching performances from both. Kicking on third downs, taking time outs 2 minutes into the games, quarterbacks looking to sidelines befuddled as the play clock hits 7 seconds. Oh, I can’t remember them all now.

One common item I found from both of them. The teams always had a sense of “the fog” around them!!! Just as a fan, don’t have to be technical, or who did this, or who did that, you don’t have to pick this play or that play.

Just going to watch them, under both, I never said so many times, “what the eff are they doing?” and “can you believe this?”

I’m not even talking about wins and losses, I can’t explain it, I’ve had a bad sense of “the fog” for years sitting down there.

Am I just one of those guys?? Nope, not at all, never say it with Pitt hoops, Steelers, Pens, or a lot of college football I watch.

Hopefully it will be lifted this year, and believe it or not, won’t take years, you’ll be able to tell, wins or losses, by the middle of the season, is there somebody in charge????

I’m hoping, and, I excitedly think we do. Time will tell.

Comment by Dan 05.12.11 @ 10:32 pm

Good example, for a comparison. I, like many, have not jumped on the Pirate bandwagon yet. A lot have. I don’t think either group is right or wrong.

Personally for me, All-Star break, August, maybe if they’re respectable.

But, apparently, the other night, the center fielder, our best player didn’t run out a bunt. I know his name, not being a jerk, just can’t think of it now, but, apparently, Clint Hurdle sat his butt down.

Small, minor, insignificant I know, but, to me, that is the first time I took notice of a Pirate story in quite awhile.

Win or lose, that guy is in charge, and from what avid baseball co workers and friends say, the guy makes the “right” baseball decisions, and they say they aren’t saying a whole lotta of “wtf??”

They’ll have to sell me some more, but, that is what I mean about being in “the fog”, apparently Hurdle is not.

Comment by Dan 05.12.11 @ 10:38 pm

Thank you,Big Guy. And to think I was a history major at Pitt. Agree that we should look at the rear view mirror, on occasion. We musy learn from the past, but our main focus should be on the road ahead. That’s certainly not profound, but relevant. I add this thought: never kick a guy when he’s down. That’s neither profound nor original either, but Dw would be welcome at my table anytime. Thanks coach and best wishes, Rev. George

Comment by Rev. George Mehaffey 05.13.11 @ 7:57 am

Dan – years ago, in Walt Harris’ first season, I came back from overseas and my brother invited me to go to a PITT game with him. It was the first one I had attended since my joining the Service in 1978. It may have been the first one I had even seen at all including TV since then.

Just before halftime Walt Harris called for a ‘quick kick’ by the QB on a third and six play from about mid-field. I turned to my brother and said “Who even knows that play exists anymore?” It was the most chickensh*t decision I’d ever seen…

But that has been PITT football over the last 12 years. Wannstedt did similar things too often to count also. It’s like both coaches had this real fear of success.

Now that I’ve settled in MD and had season tickets for years I realize just how poor of a gameday coach Wannstedt really was. He truly believed that any lead – no matter how small – could be held just by defense alone. It was like a little kid keeping his fingers crossed behind his back and murmuring “please, please, please” while the head coach on the other sideline was scheming at 100 mph to win the game.

There was a reason PITT fans are always surprised when we beat any type of a quality opponent… we know in our guts that it had to be aberrational.

Comment by Reed 05.13.11 @ 9:17 am

Hey Reed, great reporting by the way over the past month. Ha ha ha ha, he did it twice, I remember my Dad turning to me and saying, “did we just do that quick kick on 3rd down again?”

Hey, not bashing either as a human, I’ll buy either a beer.

A lot of coaches, any sports, will always say, the buck stops here with me.

Even saying that, you can just kinda tell, they have that deer in the headlights look when decisions need to be made. Looking around, like for help, “I’m not sure what do, times running down, ok, what do I do, I gotta decide, ok,…do this!”

Both good men I’m sure, but, I got that feeling from them.

Really looking forward to the season, and, with Chas’ blessing, I’ve done this twice before, I’m gonna copy a link for you, and anyone else that is a College Football Gearhead. No fees, just fun college football stuff, especially, I love checking out the section called “the helmet project”. Guy has beautiful graphics of just about every team imaginable, college and pro, and a little history of each.

Pre season rankings mean nothing, but, just for kicks, Pitt’s ranked 34th. Hey, for the program about to fall apart 5-6 months ago, at least at shows we haven’t fallen off of the face of the earth!

Oh, also has future schedules. And no, nothing in for me, nor do I know anyone there, just a college football junkie, thought some people on here might like it. Have a good weekend Reed!

link to nationalchamps.net

Comment by Dan 05.13.11 @ 1:37 pm

link to nationalchamps.net Sorry about the bad link, try this one.

Comment by Dan 05.13.11 @ 2:27 pm

Hey Reed, you’re slipping! You forgot to mention that Wanny should have been criminallly charged for playing Romeus against Utah against (NO DOUBT) the wishes of both the medical staff and Romeus who was (NO DOUBT) complaining of pain prior to the game.

Comment by wbb 05.13.11 @ 3:14 pm

Wbb – do you think that was a good decision?

Comment by Reed 05.14.11 @ 7:20 am

Obviously not … but if Romeus had medical clearamce and proclaimed himself ready to play, why wouldn’t he play? And there was never any evidence to the contrary.

I suggest that if their is a fault here, it may have been the player himself for possibly holding out on pain or stiffness he was experiencing. There was no evidence here but the very positive comments that Romeus had about Wanny certainly shows that heabsolves his coach of any blame.

But the evidence here does show a particular bias you have since you believe that Wanny should be criminally charged.

For the umpteenth time, I have never said here that Wanny being fired wasn’t necessarily the wrong move. All I’m saying is that he is not the pathetic coach he has been made out to be. The fact that his final three year record of 27 and 12 and the fact he left the program in better shape with much more talent and depth than what he acquired suggests otherwise.

Comment by wbb 05.14.11 @ 8:12 am

Hey, posting this on a few of Chas’ blogs, so the word gets around.

As we all know, one of the biggest things the Big Ten big wigs, schools, and fans beat their chest about, is, that all schools are AAU members, and will only admit AAU schools.

This really doesn’t involve Pitt, as, we are, an AAU school!

And yes, we all know it’s about football and the money.

But, three days ago, Nebraska got their AAU membership revoked!!! ha ha Yes, they lost their membership in the 63 prestegious university club!!!!

Any of your stuffy PSU friends might like to be reminded of this, and let know about if they don’t allready!!!

Love it!!!

Comment by Dan 05.14.11 @ 3:12 pm

A futher note about Nebraska’s ouster from the A.A.U. — Nebraska has been aware for about a decade now that it wasn’t meeting the organization’s criteria as were all A.A.U. members which include all other B10 members. Thus, although the B10 claimed that academics would be one of the main factors, if not not the primary factor for the selection of its 12h member, apparently it wasn’t.

On a side note .. Syracuse was notifed that it wasn’t meeting A.A.U. criteria and, unlike Nebraska, made the decision to voluntary pull out of the organization.

Comment by wbb 05.14.11 @ 5:32 pm

Wbb – you are pretty literal minded… I used the word “criminal” to describe DW’s decision making in the informal sense, i.e.:

3. Informal; senseless or deplorable; ‘a criminal waste of money’

Comment by Reed 05.15.11 @ 8:35 am

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