This season’s shot, but hopefully they can get enough wins to at least get to the NIT. It doesn’t seem likely at this point, but you never know.

The senior leadership just isn’t there for this team right now. Which is probably why there so sloppy and undisciplined. In a system that requires dicipline to execute the lack of it is a recipe for disaster.

I think the future still looks good right now, but if they pull an 0-fer in the big east this year it may take a couple of years to build it back up.

Dixon isn’t going anywhere. He would have to lose bad for 3 to 4 season’s for that option to even be considered. He’ll learn from this adversity and be a better coach because of it (hopefully).

HTP

What’s being somewhat overlooked here is this: Dixon has ALWAYS coached like this. He’s just had better players in the past. Whether benefiting from Howland’s leave behinds or the recruiting prowess of Rohrssen, Antigua, etc.

What’s you’re seeing now is the purest essence of Dixon. Not being saved by a few NBA (ish) level players. Or sharp assistants. This is the shmoe who’s really in the driver’s seat now – and who everybody thought was bulletproof because of his gaudy win-loss record for the past 8 years. Here’s the truth, people: he’s a crap coach! He’s a consistently bad in-game coach, refusing to make rudimentary adjustments (like rarely going zone) and often bungles end of game situations horrifficly. His cupboard is currently bare. This team is losing, frankly, because it has no talent. And his most talented recruit in his entire tenure just bolted. Why? Because Dixon wanted to play him out of position at center! I don’t blame Birch! Look at what happened to Taylor, who’s really a natural 4 who came into Pitt with a much better face-up 10 ft. jumper than he did a back to the basket game. For a McDonald’s All-American recruit, it could be argued that Jamie Dixon ruined that kid’s LIFE by totally squandering his skills and trying to shoe-horn him into a position he shouldn’t be playing.

Point is…FIRE JAMIE DIXON. Maybe not this year, but please, please, please let’s all just consider it an option. Let’s all begin to realize that he’s just not that great of a coach. The window for Pitt to keep the ball rolling in terms of success is small. They can currently rope in a great young coach because of a.) their legacy of recent success; b.) their move to the ACC and c.) some of the juicy recruits coming in. Take advantage of this. Look ahead, not behind. Realize that Dixon has deficiencies that will NEVER be overcome, take advantage of your position, find a coach who can take you to the next level and MOVE ON. SOON.

Ya, Demetrius, lets go back to the 12-18, 15-15, and 14-16 years.

And, if you think Taylor could play the 4, offensively, and more to the point, defensively, you’ve shown all you don’t know about hoops.

Ya, 8 years of success, Dixons’ had nothing to do with it right???

LMAO!!!

So he doesn’t have the assistants and he doesn’t have the players and now he is being revealed as a phony? Seriously, think about what you are saying because it doesn’t make sense. EVERY coach is one or two good players away from the team being good and being bad… And neither Birch nor Taylor demonstrated the capability of playing 4 in the Big East. Also, clearly Birch is a headcase and wasn’t ready for prime time. Move on with your life because holding your breath for a coaching change will kill you.

If I’m not mistaken didn’t Jamie Dixon coach us to a Big East Regular Season Championship and a #1 seed in the Tournament last year??? He lost 3 starters from that team. Yeah, he’s a crap coach.

Pitt2Cali – Yeah and Jamie also lost in the second round. Praise him all you want he can’t do anything in the NCAA’s. I’d rather win when it counts and he proved he doesn’t do that…… look at his track record in NCAA’s.

Oh No a rebuilding year. As mainly a football fan you B-BALL fans have had it great for ten years!!

I’m still waiting for football to put two years in a row.
HTP.

Demetrius Gore,

Please enlighten us. Who is this great coach that you would bring in to replace Jamie Dixon?

Upittbaseball is like that caller to a sports talk show that makes me change the station every time. There’s a difference between expectations and entitlement. For Pitt basketball fans to feel entitled about anything at this point — considering how far the program has come during the past decade — is incredible.

EVERY coach is average without talent. Hell even North Carolina was terrible 2 years ago (and that was WITH several All-Americans). The truth is there is a very fine line, and for 10 years, Pitt has been well over that line. So now, we have one small sample of struggling, and half the fanbase is ready to jump from a bridge or fire jamie dixon. Im not into research because Im lazy, but I would like to see a stat about how long it took guys like Boeheim, Calhoun, and other elite coaches to make their first Final Four. Im guessing it would be an avg of at least 10 years. To think Dixon needs to be fired is just ridiculous. What a fickle group. Of course we should all be disappointed, but I am at a complete loss when trying to understand this backlash.

Upittbaseball… tell me how you feel about Joe Jordano? he’s been around since, what, 1997 or 1998? Had some solid years, and some not so good years. But I haven’t seen Pitt’s baseball team in any “Super Regional” or whatever the hell they call the NCAA tournament on ESPN. Does he need to be fired? Is he a terrible coach? Has he not brought stability and respect to Pitt Baseball? There is ALOT more to college coaching than making it to Final Fours and NCAA Championships. Frankly, even as these kids on the hoops squad struggle, Im still proud to root for them. They all seem to be respectable young men, who perform well academically and play hard on the court. This is not the case at every school, and the atmosphere Jamie has created should be applauded. Youo don’t see Nas sucker punching players from the opposing team when they are losing (ala Cincy) and other than Gil Brown, i dont remember 1 player who has missed time due to academic issues. I even read a story in the paper this fall that Dante Taylor, who, as sleep as he looks on the court, maintains a 3.3 GPA, or something close to that.

Just a suggestion Upittbaseball, based on your posts, I would suggest switching allegiance to Kentucky. They seem to have what you long for.

Getting to a Final Four will make me jolly since that’s the next level and that’s what elite coaches are supposed to do. Dokish has some good comments today. Much of what he says rings true to me at least.

Yes Big Bill it took those elite coaches on avg 11 years to get to their first Final Fours so Jamie has some more time. But those coaches also started their careers in a much different era. Today’s society is instant gratification and has little patience. My patience is running thin as well.

We all know Jamie is a good coach. To become an elite coach, he needs elite talent. Elite talent will take Pitt to that next level. Talent is coming next year and Jamie has gotten better athletes over his tenure.

But elite talent wants to play immediately and be the focal point of the offense and not be placed into a rigid system. I think (my opinion only) is that Jamie should adapt his ways and play his frosh and fine tune his system to take fuller advantage of the talent he has or will have in the future.

Tough, high B-ball IQ players who get coached up can only take Pitt so far. And this year’s team isn’t tough, doesn’t have much basketball smarts with such a poor assist to turnover ratio, and nor is it Jamie’s best coaching job.

A down year yes. But, I do believe Jamie does needs to tweak a few things about his coaching philosophy and make better attempts to recruit those players that elite programs get. If he does those little things, I believe Pitt can bounce back strong and go head to head with Duke and NC. Pitt is far closer to being elite in B-ball than it probably ever will be in football.

Demetrius, thats crazy talk and your point is patently illogical.

The only consistent through the past 8yrs of success has been Jamie Dixon.

He has flaws, and there were obvious coaching mistakes last night and setting up this season. This slump is certainly largely on his shoulders.

But he also got a sh*t-sandwich to start the year with Birch leaving and Woodall getting hurt.

Lots of comments that Dixon just doesn’t have goo players. I do not agree. There’s just been a perfect storm of problems:

– Gibbs is not focused, uninspired, playing out of position and does not have the guard support he’s had in the past.
– Woodall is a capable, if not very good, point guard and just as important, a team leader. He’s out.
— JJ. Moore is as skilled as Gil Brown was and also takes off the table the same things Gil did. But due to a mix of him not “getting” it until late and (in imho) poor player management by the coaching staff he isn’t producing like he certainly can. He’s been off the floor wayyy too much, lost confidence and gets yanked the second he makes a mistake. Not how you develop a guy like him
– Birch is gone.
– Taylor is out of position.
– Nas is a great role, but he has too many limitations. He operates great as a role player, but the team is not good enough yet for him to work within.

Anyway, down years happen. We needed almost everything to go right to have a good season this year, and pretty much nothing has.

Baseball made the “Super Regional” in ’95 under Jackson. He was fired a year later. As far as Dixon, I’m not saying fire him tomorrow, I’m saying that to think he is the only coach who could have turned around the program is crazy. The turnaround was great…. but you have to build and take it to the next level and win in the NCAA’s. That’s what is missing. Go deep in the tourney and I will be a believer.

It’s simple–

Fan Backlash ======>>Very, very spoiled fans who have had their expectations dashed.

That’s correct. They have been dashed every year!! It’s not being spoiled, it wanting the team to meet and exceed expectations, not underachieve, especially in the tournament.