Defensive back Montae Nicholson. A 4-star stud that Pitt really needed for the secondary opted for Michigan State today. If it wasn’t for the loss of Dravon Henry, I probably wouldn’t be too upset. Losing two potential big-time players from your own backyard. At a position you know will need help very soon. That isn’t good.
In Nicholson’s case, there was the extra knife twisting that he mentioned that his final two were Michigan State and Florida State.
I can’t fault a defensive player for choosing Michigan State. They play a hellacious defense and it is a huge emphasis. But it is impossible not to be disappointed.
And along with that disappointment, the urge to cast blame.
It is impossible not to look towards Matt House. The young defensive coordinator who did not exactly impress in his first year. His change of the type of coverage in the secondary, resulted in the corners struggling mightily all season. And seemed to go away from those players’ strength struggled mightily.
This is probably not the right time for me to get into Matt House. So I’m going to keep it simple.
I really, really want to be fair to House. It’s not his fault he was promoted to the spot. That’s on Head Coach Paul Chryst.
With that said, you take a position like that, you take the heat that comes with it. So far I have seen little on the field to suggest he should be a defensive coordinator. And his work in recruiting has been similarly lackluster.
Pitt is landing some really good recruits on the offensive side of the ball. To the point where Shai McKenzie would be nice, but not a big loss. But the defense needs some studs. Some players might develop or surprise, but it feels like it is heading for a rough go. He’s only got one game left with Aaron Donald to anchor that defense.
dont think there are any good ones they have a shot at and am sure there are no great ones that are left on there list like the prospects they lost.
At least in my opinion, we won’t be any better until we have better players. While nothing is 100%, Dravon and Montae have the skills to be impact players. They have the size, speed, athleticism, and instincts to make what Tomlin calls splash plays.
If you want to tackle the 4.3 punt returner you need guys that can shed tackles, have enough speed to get there and agility to make the play. These two, are the kind of guys that can get it done.
If you want to compete with FSU, Miami, Clemson, Va Tech, Boston College and North Carolina we need more impact players.
We are losing four this year, two on either side of the ball, if anyone on this site does not know who they are, I would be surprised.
If we want to get better we need eight of them next year. We need to fill the pipeline every year.
These two players could have made a difference on special teams next year. Grimm and Bookser will not. We need four star players on the defensive side of the ball.
Wanny did not miss on too many of these type of guys. There will always be some that want to leave town, you can’t win them all, but we need to win more.
Like was said before, we had the best player in the country this year. More kids should want to follow in his footsteps, to be the next AD.
Where are they?
To get higher rated recruits and turn around a program like Pitt, you need to sell it HARD. If not the HC, then somebody on the staff needs to be able to close a sale.
My expectation is that Pitt does everything within the rules possible to get their top targeted recruits. This supposed approach they are taking: “this is what we are, and by gosh we sure hope you like us enough to come play for us”…well I can’t think of anywhere that would work. Even Alabama has to compete for recruits.
In this day and age, in big time college athletics, slow and steady is not going to win the race. And 2 impact players in every recruiting class results in 6-6 And Pizza Bowls from now ever after.
we really do need a top notch recruiter we need a real good sales men .
i dont think the forest gump approach will get us over the top.
as bugs bunny used to say thats all foks
i mean it we can not get any more great players this year just 2 and 3 stars left so 22 might be all we take this year unless he brings more of what we have all ready have just to get to 25.
I wish I could be more patient, but I see other schools with new coaches having success and I want some of that. You know I hope I’m wrong and all these 3-star guys become the next AD, but that’s like hitting the lottery, not good odds.
We need to reload on defense and need more quality players. I don’t see the pass rush getting better next year, or enough impact players.
Thomas will make a lot of tackles if he does not leave and Gonzalez got better. Vinopal plays hard but is too small and slow to cover many in the ACC. Williams is gone leaving Pitts who did not have a good year.
Our defensive ends just are not good enough to get it done.
We need at least two 4 star guys a year on both sides of the ball, we are getting them on the O, but not the D.
The choice surprised his parents. Crawford used to work at Pitt, and his father — also named Montae — is a Pitt alum. ”
Read more: link to triblive.com
So let me get this straight….his mother worked at PITT and his father is a PITT alum.
And House is a Michigan State grad.
Something in this equation doesn’t meet the smell test.
We lost the Apke kid from Mt. Lebo and his dad was Steve Apke who played LB for PITT. And his coach was none other than PITT LB coach Chris Haering.
These guys can’t only not coach, they’re incredible bumblers when it comes to recruiting.
Just incredulous !
Minus Palermo, who does have almost 30 years experience. Although amazingly at schools such as Austin Peay, Memphis State, Tennessee Tech, Middle Tennessee, and Appalachian St, none of them are as a coordinator, this staff is in over their heads.
Inoke Brecterfield, who may be their best defensive coach, 3 years, 3 schools, all D line.
Chris Haering a high school coach his whole career.
And the leader of this group, Matt House, has a few stops at Buffalo, Gardner Webb, and North Carolina as a position coach totaling 4 yrs. Plus a couple years in the NFL as a quality control assistant.
This inexperience, plus a lack of talent on D is a recipe for total disaster…
I thought we’d be 4-8 so 6-6 is an improvement. However, expectations and judgments are made each time the team plays. There’s a chance we’re going to lose to BG in a big way with our offense stifled. A loss in Detroit will not help the program.
So when Pitt contacts us with their numerous fund-raising requests, consider just how little impact fans have on the direction of the football program.
You forgot to add: Nordenberg’s obsessions include aggressive expanding of UPMC throughout the region. He cares a whole lot about that. Surely the trustees are going to pick a Nordy clone to replace him. Heinz and Peterson provide TV venues for free UPMC advertising.
Next year is a big year. Still like the class, as its building depth, but it would have looked a lot better with Henry and or Nicholson.
Keep the faith.
H2P!
How many other recruits and their families are being TURNED OFF by HOUSE but who will forever remain nameless?
All signs pointing to VaTech.
“But Spirit, we both know that sports and not academics stirs the passion in people and creates traditions that differentiate schools. It is a shame that Pitt’s leaders don’t fully understand it. It is also a shame you were drafted by the Athletics. The Rangers could have used you I’m sure.”
There is a school located just a few blocks from the Pitt campus that you may want to think about. No renowned athletic programs, but quite a tradition. It’s called Carnegie Mellon University.
Good article on PPG PITT Redshirt Diaries about Nicholson. Puts a good perspective on HCPC and local elite recruits:
Once Nordy retires I am sure he will be sitting on the UPMC board and doing paid consulting work. Pitt TV games are a great way to advertise the Frankenstein he helped create.
It is not that big of a deal.
Chryst deserves about four recruiting classes to turn things around. Yes, the local recruiting needs to improve. Yes, we all hate smiling Steve.
Yes, House did a poor job as DC. Two of those things can be easily fixed. We’re stuck with smiling Steve until a new Chancellor is selected who puts his own people in place.
Great to hear Pinkston is back.
The sad thing reading the red shirt diaries is how few 4 star players there are in the region. That’s why it hurts to lose the only two in two years.
Since it is even harder to win the ones from out of town, good to have a coach who is supposed to win with three stars.
Not getting either of them hurts, they could have been contributors right away on special teams IMO. However it is not a sign that Pitt’s recruiting efforts are abysmal, but lets not kid ourselves, we sure could have used both of these guys, dearly.
Now concerning McKenzie, IMO, he is not an essential get for this team considering that we have three RB’s committed already in this class, and two of them are higher level recruits who could make an immediate impact if they live up to their potential. The real important ones left out there now are both Jennings and Kamara. Even though we have some upcoming talent waiting in the wings to replace Street next season, like Zach Challingsworth, we NEED fresh troops in the pipeline at the WR position. These guys are them. If we miss on both of them then I would call the late recruiting push for Chryst and Co. a failure. If we get one of them, then we are OK. If somehow we snag both of these guys, then that would be great for the program going forward and it should sure help to quiet down the current whining that dominates this blog as of today.
We’ll know soon enough about Shai but if he goes elsewhere, that in fact will be “nobig deal” but please give us at least one wide receiver to compliment Boyd, that is essential!
Given the choices between programs in their current states it is easy to understand Nicholson’s decision.
Programs in Pitt’s position have one priority//////Sell the vision of a promising future////ummmm let me think Narduzzi or House///// say goodbye to Mr. Nicholson.
Leads to wonder though, WHY??
Tons of other universities embrace academics and athletics. Studies have found (google them), top athletics help bring in more money for the university as a whole. Applications go up. Prestige for the university goes up.
I hate cliches’, but it’s a win win for everyone to have excellent academics and athletics.
Who are these people at Pitt??
Are they trying to be Princeton or Yale??
Do they think they are better than most academically???
There are about 125 Div 1 football schools. We can make fun of some of them, but when you get serious and have an adult conversation, guess what……..
Every one of those schools, has students and alumni that think their school is a top academic institution. No reason they shouldn’t either. Most of them are.
Make fun of Alabama?? Tell that to the Alabama engineer alum who’s making 6 figures. Bet he thinks Alabama is a pretty good school.
The girl at Miss. St, who just got her teaching degree and already has a job. Bet she thinks Miss.St can’t be beat.
My point being. Why sacrifice athletics or look down on it, at the price of what???
We’re a great academic institution, world renowned, and I’m prouder than a peacock to be an alum.
Guess what though, there are hundreds and hundreds of great colleges and universities across this country.
Look at the football top 40. Great athletics and academics certainly can co-exist, not only that, they can prosper and flourish.
DISAPPOINTING & DISCOURAGING
I’m more inclined to think that “new money” business types are the influencial movers and shakers in the University policy and politics these days, although that is just speculation on my part. Hence my fashion statement reference.
And I concur with The Truth, he speaks, the truth.
However, we caught lightning in a bottle.
Think of this for a moment.
Just suppose, SUPPOSE, no rumors here, just a thought, that if Coach Dixon did take a job somewhere else. West Coast, whatever.
Picture the coaching search in your mind.
Sean Miller?? Ha Ha, he commands the big bucks now.
Some other big name out there. That’s a laugh.
The search committee would take a couple weeks, rumors would fly, wild speculation would occur, names tossed around left and right.
Then Smug Smilin’ Steve would hold a news conference, to introduce the new coach.
An assistant from St. Louis Univ., the head coach from Montana St. or the head recruiter from Maryland-Eastern Shore.
That’s it folks, that’s what we’re dealing with.
Guys, if that would happen, we ain’t gettin’ John Wooden or Adolph Rupp!!
Would I like some Final Fours, sure, who wouldn’t, but you have to look at the whole picture. You can dream, but it ain’t happening from these people.
So, no matter what happens in hoops, we should be really thankful that we have Dixon.
I put much of this on our Athletic Director and marketing department and here is why. Pitt is bashed bi-weekly in the media with no retort. Smizik, Collier, go down the list. In Columbus, OSU owns the media. In State Pennery, they do too. Try getting any negativity in Alabama or West Virgina, or Clemson, or Tallahassee. We know what they do for police investigations. The point is that the universities have outreach programs and communications and government programs that get to the decision-makers in the media and make deals. Pitt doesn’t and the AD is viewed as incompetent at best.
Who would have let the women’s bball team go winless in the big east? Our guy did after many terrible seasons. Who was in charge when heroin was being used by our athletes? Steve P. Who was allowed to schedule the weakest baseball schedule in the nation, just to get a high winning percentage? Steve P. Trustees don’t look at SOS. They actually thought Pitt was great. Go to swimming, go to track, go to soccer, go to softball, go to lacrosse(?), go to hockey. Let’s face it, Pitt is the victim of accepted mediocrity.
This next part pains me to say. Who thinks that academically we are superior? Pitt is not. Let’s admit that. We are above average, but the rankings are manipulated. My word folks. The universities hire people that study rankings and how to manipulate them. It is business.
How many of the top programs in Division 1 share a stadium with a pro team? That should answer your question. The AD convinced the chancellor to go cheap. To get back on point, the recruiting is fine gentlemen. We can’t complain about the oline recruiting or running backs or quarterbacks or tight ends. We need a quality WR. We have a real nice kicker. We need some defensive help. I would stay after Henry but I like our DL recruits. Need a back 7.
i think that is what makes us so mad they could have a gold mine if they spent the money the old saying is you have to spend money to make money.
ND knows this
i know thoes in power dont want to see this but it is true there is big bucks in football for the school if they werent snobs they would know this
they do know this but the powers that be want to be above it lets hope the new man when he comes on board thinks more of money and less of being a snob