I guess new Chancellor Gallegher is looking to make a huge mark early in his Pitt tenure. The “mutual” decision for Steve Pederson to resign wasn’t enough, the coaching search is going to take on mythic proportions.
Multiple industry sources told FootballScoop today that Pitt’s chancellor plans to “go big” with this hire.
We were told that Pitt plans to invest heavily in the program both in terms of dedication to staffing and to facilities and operations. Two sources said “significant new commitment to the program” will be announced in connection with the upcoming announcement once a new head coach comes on board.
Sources tell us not to expect Pitt to hire a coordinator. “Their initial list is all current and former head coaches.”
The name that came up — in no small part thanks to Fox Sports college football writer Bruce Feldman — is Dan Mullen. The current Mississippi State head coach. That would constitute a “go big” hire.
It’s also hard to believe. Yes Mullen is from a Philly suburb, while his wife is from the Pittsbugh area. He also makes $3 million per year. He’s on the Michigan coaching search radar as well. I’m not seeing how Pitt ponies up $4 million annually.
Don’t get me wrong. That would be a tremendous hire. The kind that would make me pop the seal on the bottle of Johnny Walker Blue that I have resisted touching for over a year.
It just seems like such a longshot that it only serves to make whatever really happen seem like a disappointment. But by all means fire up FlightAware and start obsessing.
Moving on from the Mullen fantasy for the time being.
I assume “go big” does not refer to girth, or that would probably mean the recently svelte Mark Mangino.
It does appear that P.J. Fleck (Western Michigan) and Justin Fuente (Memphis) are not in the cards. Both signed extensions in the last couple of days. And while the contracts appear to have reasonable money and buyouts that Pitt could beat, it takes a special coach willing to bolt right after signing an extension. (Oh, hi Mr. Graham. Didn’t see you over there.)
Reports are that while Pitt wants a coach with head coaching experience, they will interview two assistants. The obvious is Joe Rudolph. Pitt’s present interim HC and offensive coordinator. Justin covered the best reason possible for that interview to happen. I can’t see him as HC, and I don’t see him staying as the OC. But it would be nice. Rudolph isn’t just a good coach on the rise. He is also the best recruiter on Pitt’s past/present staff. He was a complete grinder on the recruiting trail.
Quick side story. After home games, the media treks down to the press conference at the ground level. By necessity the press conference rooms are located near the lockers. There is a nice sized lounge area in between the elevators and the hall leading to the press conference rooms. That’s where friends and family of the coaches tended to congregate after games to meet them.
Almost without fail after every home game you would see the Rudolph family waiting for him with an overnight bag (kind of a giveaway who they were waiting for since his boys would wear Pitt jerseys with the name “Rudolph” on the back). Rudolph would pretty much leave shortly after the games and head right out for a quick recruiting trip. He does get a lot of what goes into being a successful coach.
The other is Pat Narduzzi. Michigan State’s Defensive Coordinator. A thought that does have the folks in East Lansing a tiny bit worried. Have to talk to him.
Right now it is reports and rumors. That Greg Schiano and Tom Bradley are not going to be interviewed are reports that make me happy. You want to make the case for Bradley coming to Pitt as a DC? Great. I can get behind that. But not as a HC.
Doc Holliday, the Marshall head coach, is still being reported as a interviewee. No, he isn’t a “go big” — man, that term is going to get run into the ground before Sunday — but that would be a hire that fits and could really work. Hell, Holliday as HC and Bradley for DC would be a pair of awesome troll hires. Yes, I know, needs to be more than making hires to aggravate the other fanbases in the region. Still, tell me it doesn’t bring a small smile to your face at the thought of Hoopies and Nitters reactions.
Otherwise, I think we are going to have to wait and see who else is getting contacted.
which was giving away games…..oy vey
Before they resorted to cronyism. (not that I’m not glad they did, just sayin)
from the article above on Nardozzi describing the Pitt opportunity…
///
Pitt would also be about opportunity — a Midwest gig in Narduzzi’s wheelhouse, in a conference with a direct path to college football’s playoff and biggest bowls.
Chryst should have gone strong after Orlando instead of House. Local guy, better recruiter, much more experience.
Comment by gc 12.19.14 @ 6:28 pm
That’s a good package deal too ! lol
What ever happened to Dawn (the 2 of them) ?
The GF is getting restless and is bored with coach searches.
Have a great evening !!! 🙂
I know other people are saying it’s a rumor but he’s better than anyone we have mentioned so far.
It should be Mark May . He researches all the top college programs weekly for his TV broadcasts . He has met and made solid contacts with most of the big time programs. I wonder who MM thinks the right guy is for Pitt, who has impressed him while doing his job. Finally Gallagher could use his experience consulting with MM as an audition for the AD job, possibly killing 2 birds with one stone.
like narduzzi. could live w/ rudolph. really wanted herman but since he’s not available my 1st choice is harsin at boise st. young, clean cut family guy. great offensive mind; think he’d do wonders with conner, boyd and voytik. might take some serious $$ to get him to come east but worth the effort IMO.
Maybe Chryst was worried about a competent replacement being in line for the job.
NEEDED TO EDIT
Does anyone know just what this Cochran guys story is???
Is this not the master behind the SP puppet show?? Links I put above had him “retiring” end of year…
Nobody talks about this guy yet he has been the powerbroker… supposedly within Pitt sports admin during this entire sh$tty period of Pitt sports?
anybody with scoop or insight to clarify?
Article linked above has Nardozzi potentially bringing part of his D staff as well….
Pitt should only be seriously considering candidates that have proven head coaching experience. It’s a whole different show running an entire program than just being a position coach or even a coordinator. If the guy hired has no experience being a HC, by default that guy HAS TO be considered learning on the job! That is a risk, and sometimes good coaches, OCs DCs whatever, strike out when they aspire to the much more demanding job of a HC.
For that reason alone, I’m all for what I heard expressed previously, that Pitt’s search would include only experienced head coaches. That makes perfect sense if you want to get the hire right, you want the guy with a solid resume that demonstrates success at the SAME job that you want him to perform here at Pitt. That’s why I’m lukewarm about Narduzzi.
So here I am throwing Willie Fritz out there as a guy that when I review his body of work as a 20+ years as a HC, I come away saying Holy Shit this guy knows how to win football games. How does a 146-65 career win-loss record strike you? This record produced by turning around three historically losing programs into winners.
Fritz is getting $450,000 at Ga Southern, finishing his 1st season with them winning again at 9-3 regular season. Two of those three losses we’re close ones against power 5 teams GT and North Carolina State.
Pitt could offer triple Fritz’s paycheck and still have the checkbook wide open to spend what’s necessary to get really quality people to complete his staff. That’s where I see Tom Bradley, working for Willie as his new coordinator.
This Fritz guy is a proven winner, interview him.
Just off the phone with a #Pitt contact and can report that Pittsburgh’s #1 target for Head Coaching position is #MSU DC Pat Narduzzi.
No, they didn’t. That was from some
“excellent source”.
You know what most “excellent sources” are worth??
Yes, that’s right!
Just off the phone with a #Pitt contact and can report that Pittsburgh’s #1 target for Head Coaching position is #MSU DC Pat Narduzzi.
By the way, don’t recall Gallagher ever saying he was going big.
That was another “excellent source”.
And I would imagine going big isn’t just the coach, it’s putting money and support into the football program.
If that does happen, that we’re finally paying someone, they are less likely to leave.
If they do, the Pitt coaching job is a lot more attractive and much easier to find a good coach.
Believe me, if true, Narduzzi ain’t comin’ here for scraps.
Mich St is not his alma mater, nor did he grow up in Lansing or Michigan for that matter.
So, he is not the coach in waiting for when Dantonio retires someday.
Hell, who even knows about this source??
I have no dog in the fight, i’m gonna back with excitement whoever Gallagher hires!!
They shut down who they were supposed to shut down.
This guy is a really good defensive coach, you can throw out 50ppg against ranked teams or big teams or whatever all you want. Teams with badly coached defenses don’t end up in the top 10/top 15 every year. Teams with bad DCs don’t win 10-11 games consistently. If Pitt had a DC who wasn’t bad, it would have won 8-10 games this year. According to everyone not a crotchety Pitt fan, Narduzzi isn’t just not bad, he’s excellent at defense. You don’t get national assistant coach/coordinator of the year awards for nothing, there are plenty of really good defensive minds in college football. Lots of good candidates. But Narduzzi is the one that won it.
Narduzzi, a Youngstown, Ohio, native, also has been mentioned as a possible future replacement for Dantonio, 58, the Free Press has reported.
“My hope is that he’ll be here for a long time,” Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis said of Dantonio, according to the Free Press. “But there’s no question, I wouldn’t hesitate to have Pat in that mix.”
Comment by pd 12.19.14 @ 11:00 pm
LOL….it must be the same drunk who called in last night and called Gene Collier Martha Washington.
Narduzzi, a Youngstown, Ohio, native, also has been mentioned as a possible future replacement for Dantonio, 58, the Free Press has reported.
“My hope is that he’ll be here for a long time,” Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis said of Dantonio, according to the Free Press. “But there’s no question, I wouldn’t hesitate to have Pat in that mix.”
Comment by Tony in Harrisburg 12.19.14 @ 11:28 pm”
Well of course the AD would view him a strong candidate, he’s been there and been quite successful there. I don’t know how close Narduzzi really is to Michigan State, if he came to Pitt and did well I think he would stay if Michigan State was looking for a coach and we at least matched their offer. Especially if he builds a relationship with the University which Gallagher seems to understand is necessary.
SP had no real relationship – no positive one anyway – with Wanny, or Graham, or, it seems, Chryst. Haywood probably doesn’t like him too much either.
The next AD will presumably not be a jackass and will strive to build a good relationship between the next coach and the administration. So if there is interest in him for a spot somewhere else, even at a big-time school (hopefully by then Pitt would also be at or near “big-time”), there would be a good chance of keeping him.
We’ve been in a situation, twice now, where the university really had no strong arguments at its disposal to keep the head coach from going somewhere else. SP and his chompers are directly responsible for this. Now there is a chance to put an AD in there who will MAKE a coach WANT to stay at Pitt.
I’m concerned Narduzzi ends up like Muschamp. Or even Chryst.
Top notch coordinators… Duds as head coaches
Gimme 1. Fritz 2. Hudspeth, 3. Holiday
Imagine a big game against UCLA, Texas, Florida, or Stanford along with regularly scheduled games against WVU, Penn State, and Notre Dame. Thrown in FSU and Clemson once every 10 years and you have people talking about how big Pitt’s balls are…
That’s exciting to me.
True competitors want to challenge themselves.
It’s boring! Especially when your playing in a pro football town where there is bigger game the day after.
I believe a Pitt/Bama match up would create just as much buzz as a Steelers/Ravens match up on the same weekend.
It’s worth a shot
This makes more sense
*It’s boring, especially when *you’re* playing in a pro football town where there is “a* bigger game the day after.
Hail to proofreading!
I don’t give a shit who they play… I’m in.
But we need more casual fans to jump on board and fill the seats!
Big time games against big time programs will do it!
Jeez Louise, I need to hit the hay
Hire an experienced HC. If Mississippi can pay 3 mil why can’t
Pitt pay more? Mississippi is one of the poorest states in the Union. PC has done us a huge favor. Seize the opportunity
and awaken the sleeping Giant of Pitt FB!!!!!!!!!!!
so right. that is thinking so small.