I have a confession to make, with a question to go with it.
Was anyone else laughing when the buzzer went off at the end of the bowl game? Honest to God, I was and my wife couldn’t understand it (and I wasn’t even drinking or taking any Windowpane acid either). When we went up 31-6 she turned to me and said “I guess you didn’t expect this to happen, did you?” My reply was that there was no way the game was going to end nicely. Not that I thought we’d lose, I didn’t, but I was sure there would be drama at the end.
When the Houston QB hit those two long completions in a row, 43 yards and 32 yards down to our 7 yard line at the 4:00 mark I was resigned to it. Then, when Nick Grigsby grabbed his own balls instead of the football on that second on-side kick I knew we were sunk. Silly women, she couldn’t believe what happened but we PITT fans weren’t that surprised were we? Reading the 600+ comments in the game thread I can see that that is true. There was much anger and some disgust but really, no one was saying ‘I can’t believe this happened‘ because deep in our hearts we knew it could.
That’s why I’m not even parsing the game that was played. It doesn’t matter who did or didn’t do whatever whenever. IT JUST WAS. As PITT fans we ‘get’ that.
And perhaps that was Fate’s way of saying “Boys, it is time for a completely clean slate for 2015“. The Chancellorship changed, the old AD was shown the door, the head coaching job turned over and I believe all the staff coaches will be gone this week. Perhaps in the long run, and especially given our recent four year history, this kick in the nuts loss is the perfect way to make us sit back and clear our own minds as far as being a PITT football fan goes.
I’ve decided not to have any expectations whatsoever with Narduzzi and the new people he’ll bring in. I firmly believe we have a 50/50 chance of being ‘Same Old PITT” as we do with winning lots of football games. I’ll take things day to day and will walk the “Show me!” line as the off season goes by and the games begin. I look at PITT football with tabula rasa; a blank slate to imprint with facts and opinions as things unfold and not before.
Anyway, I had a great time writing and conversing with everyone on here during the ramp up to and then the playing of 2014’s games. We’ll have just as much fun, hopefully more, starting today for the new 2015 season.
Chin up boys and HTP!
In 2014 class we had only two kids from south of the Mason-Dixon line and the other recruits who weren’t in our own area we recruits Chryst had contact with before in the IL-MI area. In Chryst’s first real class we had one kid from Hawai’i and a couple from the NE but again, not one from any southern states.
I know PITT fans don’t like to do this but compare that to what PSU brought in over their last two classes; recruits from: AL (3), CA (2), FL (3), GA (2), NC and Mississippi. They can do that because they allocate the big $$$ to get their staff coaches out to where the real talent is.
PITT hasn’t been able to do that and thus most of our recruits have been local… and you see what we have on roster. What was Chryst’s stance on recruiting a couple of years ago? “We are going to get the best players with a days drive of Pittsburgh” or something like that – and that was because we couldn’t afford to fly around to woo top shelf recruits.
If we are going to truly get serious about developing a winning program this the 1st priority has to be for the Staff to have ample recruiting money.
I know that this is a stupid question. But, what requires big money for recruiting? To have more people doing it (e.g., a national recruiting coordinator and a staff, in addition to coaches)? Or, a bigger travel budget to get the coaches out and around more quickly (e.g., private jets)?
I assume that there are limits on what you can spend to “entertain” a recruit and his family. Dinners in fancy restaurants, movies, etc.
H2P
@Comment by pmdH2P 01.06.15 @ 3:04 pm
That’s certainly part of it… PSU sends Franklin back and forth on recruiting trips and speaking engagements on a private jet…
I can assure you Inoke ain’t flying around on a private jet.
I woud also assume that he took a few trips to the eastern part of PA also
pmdHTP – that is a good question. Prior to 2101 there was a limit of how many program staff members were allowed to recruit. I believe that has been lifted in the last two years. I don’t believe there is any limit as to what you can do for the recruit on a recruiting visit, legally that is.
I’ll look into the details but I do know that a donor can give money or assets directly to a school for recruiting purposes – such as leasing out a private jet to a school to use during the recruiting periods. That is as long as none of it touches the recruit himself, i.e. the prospective recruit can’t get free transportation on the private jet.
Some of it comes back to budget, but really it’s more about WHO is actually doing the recruiting.
Truth is… there are enough premium players in PA, OH, NJ, MD, and northern VA to build a football program if you want to do the whole ‘gas tank recruiting strategy’… You just have to go up against OSU, PSU, Michigan, UVA, VPI, UNC, and to a lesser extent WVU, UL, and Kentuky to get them.
OR
You can pay to fly your staff down to GA, AL, FL, and TX to recruit.. And there’s plenty of talent down there after the SEC and Big 12 fills out their rosters… But you still have to recruiters there that can actually convince a kid to go to school 1,200 miles away from his family and friends, and that it’s a good idea, he’s gonna have fun, get to play early, shot at the NFL, and all that crap… and if you’re not getting the premium talent, you better have a staff full of guys that can develop the raw materials you can get.
IMO it doesn’t matter if you’re going after premium local talent, or southern scraps… You’d better spending on your staff… coaches that can develop talent AND recruit command premium salaries.
IMO Staff Budget more important than Recruiting Budget.
H2P
..wonder if they will position for big statements and interviews and announce staff together?? Seems they have been pretty good positioning the press releases and public marketing.
Exciting thing will be if Pitt leadership follows through with big $ increase… to hear about top assistant staff, facility improvements, and recruiting $ is perhaps one of the most exciting things of all…
… particularly if it gets boosters and donors to open up wallets as well!
… but it seems over the top in a lot of ways too… particularly if he literally flys in an people see this…. don’t know… just seems “its all about me” with Franklinstein…
OC/QB Tim Beck
WR Don Treadwell
RB Dan Roushar
OL/TE Mark Staten
DC Chuck Bullough
DL Tim Daust
DE Nick Siatras
LB Rob Harley
DB Paris Johnson
I feel ya..
And it just highlights the fact that nothing has changed up there in terms of crazed, lunatic, fanatic, culture.
They can go on and on about oversight committees, and rule changes, and infraction and rule committees…
Nothing has changed
… In fact, all that bullshit was put in place to make sure that nothing changed.
DC Tim Daust
DL Nick Siatras
LB Rob Harley
DB Paris Johnson
which would allow them to use the extra coach on the offensive side the ball, which is probably a better use of coaching spots. You get spots 10 including the head coach.
Clemmings to play in Senior Bowl, and is No. 1 OT n Dane Bowler’s board (I never heard of him either)
… any reason some of these guys stick out for you?
Hope Clemmings is a #1, it would get his picture on the wall.
OC/QB Tim Beck – From Youngstown, graduated the same year, but from a different school as Narduzzi, now-unemployed former OC at Nebraska, when MSU played Nebraska Narduzzi said his offense was the hardest to prepare for. Downside: was paid $700k per year.
WR Don Treadwell – former OC under Dantonio at Cincy and MSU, turned disastrously failed MAC head coach, turned position coach at Kent St this year.
RB Dan Roushar – Former MSU OC turned NFL Rb coach
OL/TE Mark Staten – Current OL coach at MSU, rumors still sound like he might be interested in coming aboard.
DC Chuck Bullough current DC at Syracse, actually pretty good at his job, MSU alum from a family with dozens of MSU LBs including his nephew now, mutual admiration between he and Narduzzi
DL Tim Daust cureent AHC and DL coach at Syracuse – good recruiter, young and hungry, has started following Narduzzi and several Pitt bloggers like Chris Dokish on twitter.
DE Nick Siatras recruiting coordinator and DL coach at Ball State, tOSU alum, grad assistant at Cincy and MSU under Narduzzi, reportedly a good recruiter
LB Rob Harley – former D2 DC and MSU grad assistant at MSU for LBs, current LB assistant coach at FIU,
DB Paris Johnson former Miami OH DB, NFL draft pick, brief NFL career, 8 years as cop, current Grad Assistant under for DBs at MSU. This is purely a guess. MSU’s current DB coach Harlon Barnett is awesome and was just promoted to CO-DC with LB coach Tressell, I just picked him because the DB play is one of the key’s to Narduzzi’s system so he’ll probably want someone familiar with his DB style of play, but Barnett has been DB coach for 8 years so there aren’t really any assistant DB coaches to pick from.
I’m sure I got all of this wrong but it’s fun to speculate.
Also, here is a breaking link on the Whisky side on Rudolph and Bostad. link to badgerofhonor.com
definitely fun to speculate at this point given the CIA type security on the current activity…! lol.
Beck is intriguing and when you read his biography it is really impressive.
The Syracuse coaches and Siatras got good press and pretty well connected into the MSU tradition on defense.
Bullough got a lot of press on the MSU side as a top outside candidate to replace Narduzzi.
would be something if 2 left ACC Syracuse for Pitt!
not familiar with others…
perhaps for DB they keep the current coach who at least in interviews is impressive.
“Once again, I must let you know that building the on campus stadium is much more affordable with the right people involved “opening the holes” so that Chancellor Gallagher can “run for a touchdown”. The financial backing and collateral for a BILLION dollar stadium is available to those with REAL $ in the Chancellor’s Circle. The new stadium will not cost that much. As I said, acquisition costs and construction costs are negotiable and no business man wants to waste his money ~ neither do the power players at Pitt. I am talking about alums with ridiculous money in the bank and on paper. And it is the on paper money that will float the mortgages that will make this stadium happen. Not just 10 or 20 million dollar net worth alums here. And you wouldn’t believe who these folks are. Just know THEY LOVE PITT FOOTBALL, HATED SP and DID NOT LIKE NORDY.”
Ain’t gonna happen folks…
