Hmmm, not quite as an effective turn of phrase as the Bible’s “Jesus wept.” but it will do.
Paul Chryst held his first post-hire formal press conference yesterday with the local media types. It was pretty informative in some ways but, and I think we can expect this as long as Chryst is HC, there was nothing earth shattering divulged.
Some of his conversation was about issues that all PITT fans are interested in and some were insights into his personal approach into how he’ll conduct his business. Here are some of the key points he talked about.
In a refrain that we heard in his initial press conference he again attempted to quell the PITT fan’s post-Graham fears by reiterating that his approach to fielding his systems will be markedly different than his predecessor’s. The P-G reported him saying “You never want the system to be the thing that prevents you from playing well,” Chryst said in a meeting with the media on Tuesday. “If you want to learn it, you can learn it absolutely in a fairly short time. I believe that, and I do believe that we can teach it.” Meaning in essence that he’ll adapt to player’s strengths.
Chryst also said that many of the concepts he uses carry over between systems, but there will be new terminology for the players to master. “You are learning a new foreign language,” he said. “That’s our job, to teach it. It’s also our job to make sure we aren’t doing too much and that guys know what they’re doing.”
This last part we’ve heard before at this time last year and IMO was one of the reasons we faltered on offense as it was too much too soon for the players. Let’s hope that Chryst’s philosophy in this matter is realistic and more simplified than Graham’s was.
Tino Sunseri and the QB position. He looked puzzled when Sunseri’s name was brought up and asked “Who is this Tino kid everyone is always asking about?” which brought a standing ovation and sustained applause from those in attendance. I’m kidding obviously. He did say that there would be competition at all the positions going into spring practice but that “I watched enough of Tino to get a feel for him a little bit, but I didn’t want to spend too much time,” he said. “I don’t want to form too many opinions. That’s what we have spring ball for.
Zeise of the P-G reported that ‘Sunseri is the starter’ but no other news venue I read said the same thing…
Zeise wrote: “Chryst made it clear that, while he believes there is “always an open competition” for every job, Sunseri will enter spring practice as the starter, and the coaches will go from there.
The Trib-Review reported that the quarterback position will be crowded in the spring. Anthony Gonzalez and Montour graduate E.J. Banks will move from H-back and defensive back, respectively, to their high school positions, at least temporarily, and join Sunseri, Mark Myers and Trey Anderson. “It will be hard (to get everyone enough reps),” he said. “It’s going to have to sort itself out.” This is good news to me because it shows that he is already anticipating an open competition for this crucial position.
(Note: I highlighted E. J. Banks’ name here because this is something I heard as far back as mid-2011 and wrote about. Some people thought I was crazy for stating this.)
I wouldn’t read too much into this ‘starter’ thing even if he did say it because it is pretty obvious he’ll open things up there as evidenced by some early personnel moves. However, it would be sort of naive to think that Sunseri’s name isn’t at the top of the list going in due to two years of experience.
Regarding his approach to recruiting, which seems to be the burr in a lot of PITT fan’s pants about Chryst so far, he already said that he and his staff would be selective in their approach to recruiting and will have some ‘under the radar’ kids who they want but whose names may not be familiar to others. In essence he’s saying that regardless of which players the general public and the media think are indispensible to PITT’s success the staff will make their own decisions.
In addition, he and his staff won’t conduct a “Junior Day” where sometimes up to a hundred HS juniors are invited to tours the campus and facilities. His recruiting push will take a different form. He’s doing this by inviting players to get a feel for the program, university, spend quality time meeting their respective position coaches and reviewing film in small groups. I believe they will invite five to eight juniors at a time for a full day over the months ahead rather than one mass group hug done in a single Junior Day. Again, this approach blows the top of some fans heads off but to me it makes complete sense.
One thing we should understand is that by doing it this way Chryst is actually putting more time and effort in and actually working harder at recruiting kids than by just having one day where all the prospective recruits show up. Again, he is doing what he said he would in being selective in his approach and wanting the recruits to get the detailed attention and information they need to make PITT their choice.
I’m not sure anything he does in recruiting is going to calm some people’s fears but he certainly hasn’t been sitting on his ass as some fans have inferred. He’s offered three of PA’s best WRs so far in addition to other top shelf kids as Chris Dokish writes here. It is evident that they are doing what they feel is necessary at this point in time. I don’t worry about this issue much at all.
As to his relationships with players currently on the roster, he’s been meeting with them individually for 20 minutes to get to know each other in areas unrelated to football. The PITT News quotes him as saying “These last couple of weeks I’ve enjoyed a lot because you get to be with the players and you get to be around them,” he said. “This building isn’t a lot of fun without the players … Each of these players has their own story and you start to get to know them and see where they’re coming from and what makes them unique.”
He also discussed the two staff coaches who left, Faulkner and Bostad and reiterated what he said after Bostad announced in that he anticipated this may happen and had hired Rudolph and Huber specially as a contingency plan. He wasn’t real clear on the remaining two openings, QB and RB coach but the reports inferred that there should be some news on that front soon.
Brooks Bollinger who played at wisconsin and played 6 years in the pros he is now a high school
coach they are talking it is not a done deal.
Interesting news FRANKCAN. He is a young guy who may be the recruiting personality many have asked for.
After reading your piece, excellent. “why doesn’t he have 80 kids here??” Because, that’s not the way he’s doing it!!! Great answer, glad to hear it, sounds like a good way to do it. A few at a time, for a full day, I like it!!
Never liked him at UCONN, just seemed like a generic football coach. For some reason, I put Tom O’Brien (coach at NC St.) in the same category. Maybe it’s just their look, I don’t know.
They’ve had hell over him, hell over his coaching, his sitting players, dismissing players, how the season went, believe it or not, there is a contingent ticked about the uniforms embarrassing the university (I said that as soon as I saw them), and him being a prick about where the QB could go, probably generated more phone calls to the athletic offices.
Never liked him!!
Come to Pitt Danny..
Anyway, his defensive coordinator did not follow him to UM (don’t know if he was offered) but was hired By M Christobal at FIU. You may remember that Todd Orlando (pgh are native) was widley rumored to be Chryst’s DC here at Pitt … but Chryst instead hired Huxtable from Wisconsin.
Woo hoo, Temple, one of the home games. Can’t wait to see who the other sexy home game is!!!!!!
Can’t even blame Steve-o on this, situation that we’re in.. Better things on the horizon certainly.
Still, doesn’t make for a pretty marketing situation for the folks in Oakland!!!
@Dan Ha why do i get the feeling that if temple and boise join this year BE will reschedule so Pitt is at Boise.
link to brett-mcmurphy.blogs.cbssports.com
Timmeh!
Maybe the problem is not enough die hards???
Can’t keep asking the diehards to double, triple and quadruple their donations!!.
My issue, is, if we have a money problem in the athletic budget, let me know, so I don’t keep cheering for Pitt to be a top 20 program consistently, if we don’t have the means to do it.
I’d like someone to ask Steve P. directly, do we have an athletic budget to be a top 20 program.
Yes or no, no double-speak.
I don’t expect us to be on par with Ala. Tex, USC, Notre Dame, PSU.
I’d like to know, in general, if I threw a few names out there, are we on par with them…
Iowa, Missouri, Texas Tech, Purdue, Georgia, Clemson, South Carolina, UCLA,
Are we on par with these type of schools, or, are we even behind them????
I’m not questioning in a “mad questioning you Steve way”, I’m questioning, in more of a “wondering” way. Where are we financially???
UNDERSTOOD.
Unfortuneatly, TEMPLE is the sexy game we got.
The other game will most likely be a Div I-AA cucake that doesn’t require a return vist from us.
I know, Div I-AA isn’t correct, I don’t understand the new division lingo the past couple years, or more precisiely, I don’t want to learn it.
Div 1 Div 2 Div 3 NAIA always seemed to work pretty well to me. Sounds like a politically correct thing to me. Don’t want any Div III athletes to feel less than of an athlete!!! LOL!!!
– historical data where it showed that Pitt’s staff was the lowest paid in the BE prior to Graham’s arrival
– the fact that Steve P was immediately rejected by Graham and Sumlin (2 CUSA coaches) because his salary range was way too low (and far below what WVU will be paying Holgerson (if memory serves, Haywood was hired at approx $1.3m while Holgerson is due approx $2m)
– how long it is taking Pitt to hire assistants compared to the other schools … expecially when considering that Chryst has been in the coaching ranks for > 20 years and has many college and NFL contacts
Let’s recruit more die-hard fans. An increase from a lot of us us can make a difference. Much funding for the construction of the Cathedral of Learning was raised from the pennies donated by local children, i believe, not a few wealthy donors.
I can’t help but think this methodical approach is somewhat a result of trying to avoid that because of the wasted time and $$$ but also because this is exactly how Wisconsin recruited and look how well they have done on the field.
It’s rare that I say this, but it could be worse…we could be MD alums
I was just hoping they could work something out with FSU, TAM or Mizzou, the other schedules that were in a pickle. Or Boise if they came a year early.
No biggie, I’ll be interested to see how Coach Chryst does more than anything.
I’m glad for the ACC, especially as opposed to the Big 12. This is not a typical Pitt beatdown because it’s WVU. My rose colored glasses are off.
A. We may not like to admit it, but WVU does have an attractive fb schedule and conference.
1. However, as you say, the distance, closet rival 4 states away???
2. Oklahoma and Texas could fly the coop at any moment. Oh ya, it seems like it’s settled down now, for now that is, that’s a big “for now”. If they ever go to 16, OK, OK ST.,UT and TTech probably gone to Pac 16. Then where will they be?
3. Hoops, average, and to have away games in hoops at Waco, Lubbock etc. etc.
4. Biggest problem, I don’t think Holgerson will be there, possibly even after this year. Just a gut feeling, but I think he’s destined to be in the SEC or one of the Texas, Oklahoma schools in the Big 12.
To any WVU trolls, not beating you up just for the fun of it. You saved yourself, for now, and if we were in your position, you take it, cause that’s all you could do. Not a bad save.
I forsee problems for you in the near future, however, and Pitt going to a secure ACC was an excellent move, and has it hands down on the Big 12.
Frankly, if they went to 16 in the ACC, would have loved to have WVU and UCONN in there to round it out!!
@Dan72, ya, that’s the feeling I got from a nephew and some buddies. Does O’Brien have one or two years elig. left?? Just wondering.
I think a good thing to know, would be,
1.) obviously, do we not have a problem, do we have enough money for coaches and such, it’s just been a matter of hiring the right guy?? Which could also lead to a question of possible ineptness in the ath. dept??
2.) are we in the average ball park, and if we did have, say…..$500,000 more a year (you can put any number in there), would it make a big difference??? Would it propel us??? Would it be worth having some kind of “drive”???
I think a lot of people chip in what they can, but like me, instead of sending an extra $100.00, I feel it won’t make a big differnce in the big picture, so I don’t.
3.) or, are we mid-range or lower, and there is no way of ever coming even close to being a very liquid ath. dept., and we are what we are, and hope to strike lightning every once in awhile.
***like wbb said, a lot of this is from things that happened. Myself talking about this the past couple days, is just reading about the asst. coach situation. Maybe everything is fine (at least as normal as many others), and it is just a particular situation.
It would upset me though, if we go out and get a coach, but can’t give him enough of a budget to fill his staff in nicely. Doesn’t have to be superstar assistants, but, I wouldn’t want the coach to staying awake at night, nickel and diming everything, trying to make round pegs go into a square hole.
He should reasonably be able to fill his staff, without having to get a salary cap guru to figure it out.
Hey, I’m just b.s.’ing, hopefully the assistant situation works itself out, and he has who he wants and what he needs to get us back into the top 20.
Yes, I think we all admire Pitt for academics, and it is a university and want it to be a great university first and foremost.
I will say though, and not afraid to admit, with all the time, money, heart, and effort put in, I want an excellent football and basketball program and they are important to me and my family.
As I’m sure everyone on here does. I don’t think there is a problem with wanting and expecting your athletic programs to excel.
Good night all, going home, computer at home on the fritz. I’ve taken up enough space anyhow.
That is not good news, less reps for everyone means the chance that Sir Tino maintains his starter role is that much greater.
As we’ve been told for years now, by Sunseri chief apologist Zeiso, Sir Tino is very good in practice. At least that’s what we’ve been told.
And that was the main reason we are…Southbound.
enjoy !
link to youtube.com
Football has become a game day experience though. Love later starts for longer tailgating and it’s become my binge drinking season. And I drink the team koolade every year, too.
I wonder if our numbers are less than we think.
But if I’m comparing numbers, I’d like to see the budgets for our future conference members.
Brooks Bollinger has been offered the QB coach
job at PITT does not say if he said yes or no.
just that it was offered.
chryst is going to recruit i dont think it makes a difference if the coachs have any ties to this place or not .
brooks if he comes will be a real good QB coach
he will be able to show them how to play QB and that is what we need.
the things i and outhers thought you had to do to recruit he chryst does not belive in so let him do it his way now that i know he has a plan i say wait and see it might work lets give him time.
Those two coaches weren’t even holding a semblance of a competition for the starting job.
I also think that the mindset of moving others to QB may signal that in the HC’s mind the job is open this season. We’ll see in mid-April what the status is but I’m steeling myself that Sunseri may hold the job… unless Rudolph and Chryst value the deep pass –
Ohio State $110 million
Florida $107 million
Texas $105 million
Iowa $80 million
PSU $76 million
Georgia $75 million
UCLA $61 million
South Carolina $60 million
Purdue $56 million
Texas Tech $53 million
Arizona State $53 million
UCONN $52 million
WVU $46 million
Arizona $45 million
Northwestern $40 million
TCU $39 million
Pitt $37 million
Wake Forest $36 million
The answer to your question appears to be that we are WELL behind that second group of schools you mentioned. Two or three tiers below them. Crazy.
First off, I believe that the University will do whatever it takes to make sure the football program is above board and not an embarrassment to the university. I don’t mean embarrassment in a poor W/L record – I do think they want a winning program – but that the football program isn’t detrimental to the University’s reputation both locally and nationally.
There is a real reason that both Walt Harris and Dave Wannstedt were “let go” after having some good years and after successful football seasons where they both won shares of BE championships. If you believe that is was because the administration wanted to reach “The Next Level” then I’ve a bridge in PGH I’d like to sell you. They did it because some aspects of the HC and the program itself were not up to the standards the administration wanted them to be and it was affecting how people viewed the University.
Secondly, PITT just doesn’t have the monies for football as other schools do (as listed above) and it isn’t going to spend an inordinate amount to try to compete with the Top Ten schools on a continual basis. It just isn’t that important in the long run to do so.
Do we believe that PITT’s football facilities on the Southside would be as nice as they are if PITT didn’t have a deal with the Steelers to offset costs? Do we think there is a real reason that PITT has gone to renting out Heinz Field for the home games rather than even consider the idea of either an on-campus stadium or a separate stadium owned and operated by PITT itself?
Honestly, did anyone believe even for one minute that PITT would follow WVU’s example and pay the BE more than the agreed upon $5M exit fee just to leave prior to the 2012 season? Of course they weren’t, especially in this time of financial cutbacks from the State which is affecting the university as a whole. PITT doesn’t need football to bring the school into prominence like WVU and other schools do, as WVU has nothing else to hang their hat on really.
PITT concentrates on its core missions first and foremost. That being the education and enlightenment of its students and being a solid contributor to society by its research departments and other academic strengths.
With that lets also realize that PITT itself is a much different entity now than it was during the “Glory Years” between 1976-1983. Back then PITT wasn’t nearly as well know or as strong academically as it is now and, if truth be told, winning football games was probably the only reason most people in the US ever heard of PITT at all. Not so now as things have changed drastically on that front in the last 30 years. Now we are known for real success in just about everything but football and IMO there is no way the administration wants things to be different in that regard.
In other words PITT has placed the football program in its proper place for an institution that prides itself on its academics, local involvement and its national and international reputation. We may catch football lightning in a bottle and get a Top 15 finish here and there, maybe even make a run for the top spot in the future. But if we as a fan are thinking that PITT will ever sustain that type of success for a long and consistent length of time I think we’ll be disappointed.
1) when many of us grew up, Western PA / eastern OH was the primary FB recruiting area … now we don’t even rank in the Top 10, and Eastern PA and NJ has long surpassed us. (not to mention the Southeast, Southwest and Cal)
2) we live in an NFL city with a beloved franchise. The top FB programs over the past decade in eastern US are PSU, Va Tech, FSU and Florida .. followed by WVU, Clemson and So Carolina. The common element for all of the above is that they don’t share an NFL city … they arte the king of their domain.
You can talk till you are blue in the face but facts are facts. The stadium holds about 65,000 and of that amount the league and sponsers get around 5,000. Several K are held back for game day sales and some season tickets are held by tri-state families. Simple math tells me there are less than 15,000 families in the greater Piisburgh area [w/average 4 tickets] with season tickets.
The Pittsburgh area is still a football town and that includes Pitt. Pitt had good attendance when RR was throwing the ball to Larry Fitzgerald. Provide the fans with that and they will come. There is void in football that Pitt can fill as fans like to go to games and see good football and tailgate. There are still plenty of fans left over.
@Reed, even more sobering is your post.
Kind of makes you wonder what we’re all posting about in the first place.
Kind of kills the excitement for going to the ACC.
Ya, Reed, I guess I kinda believed we still wanted to be relevant in football. Silly me.
Cnorwood, wow, we’re not even in the game.
Again, good post Cnorwood. You hear things, we have this much, they have that much, but, at least I, never really bothered to take a good look at it, with all the schools side by side.
How can we compete?? Get lucky once in awhile I guess.
I believe that you are probably right about the thinking by the administration about the football program. In my view, their thinking is academic snobbery. It is also a case of being pennywise and pound-foolish.
I looked at the National College Rankings of US New and World Report which gives a pretty good measure of the academic standing of about 300 national universities. Pitt is ranked #58, so they are in the top 20%. Tied for number 1 are Harvard and Princeton. They don’t have very good football teams. Even in its reduced state Pitt could easily beat them.
But there are some very good football teams that have higher academic rankings than Pitt. Some of these include #5 Stanford, #19 Notre Dame, #23 USC, #28 Michigan, #38 University of Miami, #42 Wisconsin, tied for #45 Penn State and University of Texas, tied with Pitt at #58 are University of Florida and Texas A & M. I think that these schools recognize that there are many benefits to a university from having an excellent football program, not the least of which is that it increases the affinity that the alumni has for the university. A successful football program makes the university better known across the country which I believe is good for alumni and helps to attract students.
In terms of success, I believe that we are much more likely to be able to overtake Alabama on the football field if we have the will to do so. We will never, ever have the resources to overtake Harvard academically.
So, there you are, obviously, both can be done.
I’d settle for being Florida or Texas A&M like!!!
The only ones who don’t are USC, Miami and possibly Stanford. Otherwise the schools listed have the attention, and the donations, of any sports fan in that community. Each of those towns and schools have tons of fans who are rabid about the program and support it – but never went to school there.
That just doesn’t happen at PITT and it isn’t the administration’s fault.
A winning football program benefits a university and its alumni by increasing awareness and respect for the university. This leads to tangible benefits for the school and alumni.
We have the nicest hoops and football facilities BY FAR in the BigEast and just opened brand new baseball, softball and track and soccer complexes.
There are a lot of vocal haters of our AD and athletic department and some of it deserved. With the facilities we have and fact that we have any success at all is truly mindboggling when you look at revenues.
PITT still drew low crowds even when the Steelers sucked except back in the 1st edition of the “PITT Glory Days” back in the ’20 & ’30s.
Will there be any type of announcement regarding these visits? Will we know what players are visiting campus and when?