masthead.jpg

switchconcepts.com, U3dpdGNo-a25, DIRECT rubiconproject.com, 14766, RESELLER pubmatic.com, 30666, RESELLER, 5d62403b186f2ace appnexus.com, 1117, RESELLER thetradedesk.com, switchconcepts, RESELLER taboola.com, switchconceptopenrtb, RESELLER bidswitch.com, switchconcepts, RESELLER contextweb.com, 560031, RESELLER amazon-adsystem.com, 3160, RESELLER crimtan.com, switch, RESELLER quantcast.com, switchconcepts , RESELLER rhythmone.com, 1934627955, RESELLER ssphwy.com, switchconcepts, RESELLER emxdgt.com, 59, RESELLER appnexus.com, 1356, RESELLER sovrn.com, 96786, RESELLER, fafdf38b16bf6b2b indexexchange.com, 180008, RESELLER nativeads.com, 52853, RESELLER theagency.com, 1058, RESELLER google.com, pub-3515913239267445, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0
January 21, 2015

No Shortage On Experience

Filed under: Assistants,Coaches,Football — Chas @ 8:28 am

It is easy, oh so easy to pile on every negative from a former coaching staff. It’s a natural tendency. Still our team. Our school. The change brings a renewed sense of optimism. That these guys get it. That the previous group were bozos who were holding everything back.

It’s not necessarily fair or even correct, but it sure is the feelings. Especially in the change from Paul Chryst’s first few weeks on the job to Pat Narduzzi. There’s an energy.  An engagement that is happening, not seen in some time. From the hires made for the staff. To the engagement on twitter coupled with the goofy, yet confident photoshops about Pitt and where the coaches are recruiting. There is an enthusiasm for the program that is coming from the top down.

Yet, to me the biggest change right away is Narduzzi’s hiring practices. It isn’t simply the bigger budget that he obviously has to utilize in the hiring of assistants. It’s the way he’s put it to use.

With Paul Chryst, when he put his staff together, it wasn’t simply who he knew. It was the difference in experience on each side of the ball. Chryst was an offensive coordinator, and you could see the focus of his staff was there.

Chryst is an offense guy. He coached QBs. He was an offensive coordinator. There is no question that he was helping a lot more on the offensive side with first year OC Joe Rudolph last year. He also added experienced guys on offense in Desmond Robinson and Jim Hueber. Solid balance with first time position coaches in Bobby Engram and Brooks Bollinger.

Now look at the defense. Last year, the only experienced guy on the defensive side was the DC, Dave Huxtable. Everyone else on the defensive coaching staff had less than 4 years coaching experience at the college level.

That’s not horrible when the experienced guy is the DC. A guy who worked positions. Has been around and is experienced with teaching both players and young position coaches while planning a defense. With Huxtable’s departure to NC State, rather than make sure there was an experienced hand to guide the defense and the coaching staff, Chryst opted to promote a young position coach to the DC position. His solution for the experience issue was to  bring in Palermo.

[Emphasis added.]

Narduzzi came from the defensive side of the ball. Take a look at the offensive coaches

Jim Chaney, OC: Over 10 years experience just as an OC.

Andre Powell, RB and Special Teams Coordinator: 27+ years experience in college.

Tim Salem, TE: More than 20 years experience.

John Peterson, OL: Almost 20 years of experience.

Kevin Sherman, WR: Over 15 years experience at D-1 level as a WR Coach.

That isn’t simply hiring a veteran OC to run the offense. That is hiring a veteran coaching staff for the offensive side of the ball. People who know what they are doing and won’t need extra help in running practices, preparing the players.

Now in contrast, on the defensive side of the ball, where Narduzzi does know a few things, it is much more a mix of experience and young, up-and-coming coaches.

Josh Conklin, DC: 2014 Broyles Award nominee; 3 years experience at 1-A; 9 years experience at 1-AA.

Tom Sims, DL: 12 years experience at 1-A level.

Rob Harley, LB: 1 year experience.

Renaldo Hill, CB: 1 year experience.

While Narduzzi has stated that he is more of a CEO type head coach who will let his coordinators run things. It is also readily apparent that he will be offering more assistance on the defensive side of the ball. Which is his very obvious strength.





Teen sex slaves/pedophilia is a practice of the elite and their pols. Always has been

Paterno was an elitist who went to an Ivy League school (Brown). He was a sports elitist.

And he certainly was the King or Emperor of Creepy Valley for half a century.

Comment by Emel 01.21.15 @ 2:29 pm

Emel, You know I noticed the Zoo nerdiness too and even the Dukies looked kind of cross eyed the other night. I think you are right these kids need to get out and play a little wiffle ball.

Comment by spiritofsection22 01.21.15 @ 2:30 pm

SOS, I’m old too, in the mid 60’s, an older brother of a friend came back from his freshman year at South Carolina. He bragged about some heinous acts perpetrated against blacks for fun and amusement. As a young teenager, I was repulsed, but said nothing. We have come a long way, but there is a long way to go.

Comment by gc 01.21.15 @ 2:32 pm

Yea lack of sunlite and physical exertion with all those hormones raging…..equals……..NERDS !

Comment by Emel 01.21.15 @ 2:34 pm

Yea we’ve come along way…..now the blacks beat up whites for entertainment….ala…..

…The Knockout Game.

The Looking Glass

Comment by Emel 01.21.15 @ 2:36 pm

You are painting with a pretty broad brush Emel. I agree that sexual perversion has always existed. I don’t think it is peculiar to any class of people.

Comment by gc 01.21.15 @ 2:37 pm

PITT is a BB school.

Comment by Reed 01.21.15 @ 2:38 pm

The price of a teen sex slave is not cheap.

Only people with high high incomes can afford them.
Plus the hush money involved.

Epstein for example was a multi-billionaire.

Comment by Emel 01.21.15 @ 2:39 pm

link to telegraph.co.uk

this creep even has a slight resemblance to Sandusky.

Comment by Emel 01.21.15 @ 2:42 pm

My girlfriend came back from Vegas and her first remark was that all she saw was old rich guys with young hot women or young boys. Like I say maybe Jopa was way ahead of his time and we are the dopes.

Comment by spiritofsection22 01.21.15 @ 2:47 pm

Did you all see the news that Wisconsin just sent out some recruiting materials that say Chryst coached at “Penn State.” I guess that i shard to keep track of these minor details.
H2P

Comment by pmdH2P 01.21.15 @ 11:42 am

That’s hysterical. lmao

Maybe he was on the Pedo payroll and explained why were running in place for 3 years.

Time enough for Pedo U to get their sh*t together.

After all Wisconsin is a member of the Big Joke Fraternity. And this is after all…..all business.

Comment by Emel 01.21.15 @ 2:50 pm

Larry King certainly believes in that philosophy sos22. But at least it’s with women.

Comment by Emel 01.21.15 @ 2:52 pm

@Reed – and you thought me mentioning an OCS was creepy. We are in need of a #PatSignal or something to right the direction of the USS Blather!

Comment by Complit 01.21.15 @ 2:53 pm

Emel, how about the sicko that kept the girls locked up in the basement in Cleveland, there was also one in McKeesport. There are poor sick bastards as well as rich ones.

I understand there is a whole industry for this in Thailand. Apparently there is the same thing going on in this country to a lesser scale.

Comment by gc 01.21.15 @ 2:55 pm

Food for thought.

Chyrst could not convince Godfather Barry that Matt House was good enough to be on the Wisky coaching staff. Or perhaps didn’t even try.

Yet he was allowed to be Pitt’s DC, to basically nil out a very good offense.

Plus I could never understand how a coach of almost 20 years and a supposed offensive genius, never could figure out how to protect Tom Savage, game after game after game after game.

Seems like we were almost sabotaged from within.

Comment by Emel 01.21.15 @ 2:57 pm

under the radar addition – Illinois associate strength and conditioning coach Frederick Walker has joined the Pitt staff as an assistant strength coach. Walker was previously a graduate assistant strength coach at Michigan State.

Comment by markp 01.21.15 @ 2:59 pm

I guess I was talking about the ‘choice’ teen sex slaves which are part of the sex slave industry gc. Those from Eastern Europe and Russia/Ukraine.

Those ones you mentioned were neighborhood girls those low-lifes captured and held.

Comment by Emel 01.21.15 @ 3:02 pm

As an ex corporate recruiter universities are not uniform.Penn State has a top School of Mines and Minerals, Pitt top Med,Law ,Business both have good engineering schools.Alfred of SUNY has a top Ceramics Engineering program.Stevens Institute in NJ top EE program. Penn State wasn’t a true University till they bought a law school and moved it to the valley and was endowed with a medical school which they had to leave in Hershey for it to work and we know doctors are smart,right.

Comment by Pitt 60 01.21.15 @ 3:03 pm

Thailand is a destination point for pervert vacations.

The industry is not run from there however.

Comment by Emel 01.21.15 @ 3:04 pm

Emel:

Is Matt House unemployed?

Comment by :Tony77019 01.21.15 @ 3:08 pm

Actually of lot of these missing kids in America are traffic’d into sex slavery. One of our better kept secrets.

link to abcnews.go.com

Comment by Emel 01.21.15 @ 3:08 pm

Looks like it Tony7

Nothing came up on a google search.

Comment by Emel 01.21.15 @ 3:10 pm

Now what,the latest on Pitt football? Good to hear we got another good coach. Just don’t loose any recruits to pedo.

Comment by Pitt 60 01.21.15 @ 3:10 pm

Can we move on from the Pedo U conversation? Anyone have details on the recent offers from the past two days? I heard we are pushing harder for a WR that is 5’10 from Florida.

Comment by tedsptman 01.21.15 @ 3:13 pm

This is getting too strange for me so I’m going to try to stick to sports for awhile. I watch too much news and politics and it carries over into the fun stuff like Pitt sports. I bet Nardo wins us nine games next year and has a top 25 recruiting class next year too.

Comment by spiritofsection22 01.21.15 @ 3:15 pm

Section 22,
Your PSU son’s employment experience was a result of the massive PSU network among corporate managers. PSU management will hire one of theirs over the most qualified. I watched as PSUers made their way into and up the management chain repeatedly selecting other PSU graduates for hiring and promotion over better more qualified non-PSU candidates. It got so bad within the corporation where I work that the plant GM fired a failing department head (PSUuer)citing that his recruiting budget during the last 5 years was spent only in State College. That the dept lacked diversity of other schools of thought. In other words one PSU scratches the back of another overlooking quality of other candidates. It is called in-breeding, a PSU specialty.

Comment by Spindler's Spirit 01.21.15 @ 3:17 pm

Good article Chas. I get the feeling that the PC approach and the PN approach are quite different because they had different goals. Also, administration support could have played a factor. The differing goals seem to be that PC was trying to be known as a great offensive coach for the next hire; which isn’t a bad idea (PN only defensive coach hired as HC in 2015). That view is based on the supposition that PC saw himself leaving and Pitt as a career step. Now PN seems to be hiring and recruiting with an eye to enhancing his rep as a winner and not just a defensive coach. Now he hasn’t promised to stay and avoided the “destination” job label but winning can many times breed it’s own loyalty. We’ll see, but I am very excited for the start of the 2015 season. H2P!

Comment by 2001apittodyssey 01.21.15 @ 3:24 pm

Explains the Cult like behavior and mind control going on up there Spindler.

Join us and we’ll take care of you….forever.

haha

Comment by Emel 01.21.15 @ 3:27 pm

It’s even worse at places like Harvard & Yale.

Comment by Emel 01.21.15 @ 3:29 pm

Spindler, The job offers were from Boeing, Johnson and Johnson , and Price Waterhouse. He got several grand bonus to sign and starter money is more than I ever made in a year, with a possibility of additional bonus. Penn State sucks but in my opinion it provides exceptional opportunity to those that graduate well there. He likes girls and hasn’t been corrupted other than his football perversion which sickens me. In breeding is WVU which is another subject though equally perverted.

Comment by spiritofsection22 01.21.15 @ 3:29 pm

Espn list of the twenty highest paid mens head basketball coaches has Jamie in at 15th for 2.44 mil.

Comment by alcofan 01.21.15 @ 3:31 pm

Do they have a dental school at WVU. If not do they have a dentist.

Comment by spiritofsection22 01.21.15 @ 3:32 pm

some of you may disagree, but I always thought students who camp overnight to attend basketball or football games are not cool.

However, I did stand in line 4 hours for tickets to Imaculate Reception game — (2nd year of college, 1st Monday of winter break)

Comment by wbb 01.21.15 @ 3:33 pm

2001space – There is another big difference between the mandate given to Paul Chryst when he got here and what I think Narduzzi’s working under. I know that the Administration didn’t want any more scandals/arrests as had gone on previously at PITT so PC had a smaller window to choose from – PITT wanted high character kids who were good students and that is who PC recruited specifically.

Personally, I would like to think that same policy is in place now but it just may not be with the change of the Chancellor and AD. Not that I think the new Admin wants to be thug U. or anything but they may not put the velvet recruiting handcuffs on Narduzzi as they did Chryst.

Comment by Reed 01.21.15 @ 3:39 pm

22,
PSU In breeding is academic and professional . Please I would hope that PSU is above blood in-breeding – lol.

Comment by Spindler's Spirit 01.21.15 @ 3:39 pm

JD is worth that money and tenure has an impact on coaching salaries. If he gets this group to the dance he deserves a bonus. My guess is JD could coach at Pitt until he retires if it is his desire. I know many here expect top 20 every year and that seems unlikely off recent seasons but, he is a damn good coach , a decent and respectable man, and he graduates his kids and most go on to be productive people. They sell all the tickets , are on big time TV, and the program seldom creates any ag. That’s about fair for 2.44. I think he should maybe forego the next raise however and ask for some money for an assistant and recruiting budget.

Comment by spiritofsection22 01.21.15 @ 3:42 pm

$ 2.44 mil…..BIG number

Need some BIG time recruits !

Comment by Emel 01.21.15 @ 3:43 pm

Who know’s whats really going on up in Creepy Valley behind the picturesque scenery.

Nobody thought what happened for at least a decade could have happened.

I mean with all the thousands of students, and thousand of PSU employees, etc, etc.

Comment by Emel 01.21.15 @ 3:46 pm

wbb, I was at the Immaculate Reception Game. I was home on leave from the Army and my Dad took me to the game. The game was blacked out because it didn’t sell out soon enough to make the cut. Things have sure changed.

Comment by spiritofsection22 01.21.15 @ 3:48 pm

Spindler, Penn State inbreeding might be more professional than WVU but for amateurs the hoopies sure hold there own.

Comment by spiritofsection22 01.21.15 @ 3:50 pm

About Chancellor Gallager.

It was reported last night that Coach Duzz was with a top recruit. DE Shareef Miller. (big PSU expected Recruit).

During this full court press by the Nard Dog…. he was able to get Chancellor Gallager on the phone with this kid…

… at 11pm at night!

Now people are wondering if he is now leaning away from PSU…

The Chancellor, helping Nard Dog… recruit football players!!

He can help Dixon too! 🙂

Comment by Pittscript 01.21.15 @ 3:52 pm

@chas nice article. Not only was it something to watch as he put the staff together…. it is something to behold now that it is done.

few to none of these people were the early names mentioned who were all close to MSU either.

Certainly impressive work assembling his team…

Comment by Pittscript 01.21.15 @ 3:58 pm

Wbb pointed out a mistake I made in a comment in the last thread regarding PC’s recruiting after his hire at PITT and before LOI Day. I was a year too early. Here is who PC got to commit after he was hired on Dec 22, 2011 prior to the 2012 season:

LB Rippy – 4*
LB Bradley – 3*
DL Terrell Jackson – 3*
OL Gabe Roberts – 2*
TE JP Holtz – 3*
S Ryan Lewis – 3*
LB Mike Caprara – 2*

So – pretty good gets at the time. There might be five starters out of that group next season. Some have transferred but I recall everyone being pretty happy with the kids he brought onboard once hired.

Comment by Reed 01.21.15 @ 3:58 pm

College kids looking bookish and geeky… Imagine that. Sheesh.

Comment by tacocat 01.21.15 @ 4:01 pm

Pittscript, That is some great stuff. Sure seems to bode well for recruiting and can’t help but increase hope concerning our future AD.

Comment by spiritofsection22 01.21.15 @ 4:02 pm

sos22, Yea, my dad and I went up to my uncle’s in New Castle to watch the Steelers-Dolphins game the following week — also blacked out. He was able to get the game on a Cleveland channel.

I believe it was the IR game that made the NFL change the rule the folowing year to that if games were a sellout, it would be televised locally. I remember how unfair it was that everyone but Pgh saw one of the greatest games in Steeler and NFL history.

Comment by wbb 01.21.15 @ 4:05 pm

Here is your trivia – what was half-time entertainment at Immaculate Reception game? (I was there too, a mere Pitt freshman).

Comment by Complit 01.21.15 @ 4:07 pm

North Allegheny Marching Band.

They did quite a few Steeler games it seemed.

Just a guess.

Comment by Emel 01.21.15 @ 4:14 pm

Rippy & Jackson transferred, they were more highly touted ones.

Bradley & Holtz could start, well at least Holtz.

The others, don’t think so.

Comment by Emel 01.21.15 @ 4:16 pm

NFL declared the cheat’in Patriots were at it again.

The hell with penalizing them with one draft pick.

Just declare the Colts as the AFC representative in the game.

Comment by Emel 01.21.15 @ 4:21 pm

wrong Emel. The Pitt band played at the IR game

Comment by wbb 01.21.15 @ 4:22 pm

Spirit: Back then all games were blacked-out, even if sold out. As that was a play-off game it was sold out. The blackout policy worked for the Steelers as it led to sell-outs and the waiting list. Might help Pitt if the same policy was used for college ball. Almost all games are on TV now. (I was at the game as well)

Comment by Letterman 01.21.15 @ 4:22 pm

On the Wisconsin recruit letter.

I see it mentioned above but no link… here it is.

I thought it was an Internet prank… take a look. actually boggles the mind if true.

Oh, and Whisky recruits are still saying little contact from new coaches….??

link to twitter.com

Comment by Pittscript 01.21.15 @ 4:24 pm

sorry, actually this one better to see full letter.

link to buckys5thquarter.com

oh, btw… I guess Whisky recruits get flyers… Pitt recruits get the Nard Dawg Pack in their livingrooms…

Ps. still a chryst fan for what he did for us… sorry, this is just to irresistable..

Comment by Pittscript 01.21.15 @ 4:27 pm

@ wbb

Like I said, it was just a guess.

Wow, Pitt Band. Who would have thunk that since the Stiller never draft any Pitt players. At least not since 2000.

Comment by Emel 01.21.15 @ 4:29 pm

Reed: True but as DC with MSU PN has only had a few players in any kind of trouble in the past 3 years: Police Blotter

3/11/2011 – MSU LB Max Bullough (Alcohol Possesion/Eluding Police)

4/28/2011 – MSU DE Cory Freeman (Driving w/susp license and failure to disclose concealed weapon) *Suspended for Spring Game*

I only included the Defensive side of the ball but even with the offense included there were only 2 other players with minor incidents were arrested in the last 3 years. D’Antonio & Narduzzi ran a tight ship.

Comment by 2001apittodyssey 01.21.15 @ 4:32 pm

What an amazing mistake on that brochure. Thought their AD was at least competent. Maybe he thought he was getting the Penn State Coach. LOL

Comment by gc 01.21.15 @ 4:33 pm

Heard a radio announcer confuse Pitt with Ped State as well one time when discussing the Sandusky affair.

I had to call in to correct him.

This is why I don’t really want Pitt’s good name associated with their despicable name. Or playing them.

Comment by Emel 01.21.15 @ 4:33 pm

Just read Dokish’ update on recruits. Amazing how many of these kids are waiting till the last minute. I guess they have been told a position will be held open for you. I guess it is good for us since we need some quality defensive guys, but it kind of makes you wonder what they are waiting for?

Comment by gc 01.21.15 @ 4:51 pm

Don’t equate crazy PSU fanatics and arrogant alumni with the town of State College or the people who actually work for PSU – they are not the same people. The vast majority of PSU crazies and JoePa worshippers live in Philly, NJ, NY and elsewhere. If they have any connection at all to State College, it is just the 4 years they spent here getting drunk as students, or the 7 weekends a year when they show up for games, much to the dismay of those of us who actually live here full time.

The majority of us are just normal sane educated people who live here because this is where we got a job, including a lot of Pitt alumni like myself. Most of the people I know thought Spanier and Curley were crooked d-bags long before this scandal. There are too many people on here who think they know the area because they’ve hung out in downtown bars full of idiot students or deal with loudmouthed fans who don’t live here. They do not represent the town or the university itself. The bastards responsible for the Sandusky thing are gone or dead – so just f*cking drop it.

Comment by Steve 01.21.15 @ 5:01 pm

Steve, I think you need to take everything with a grain of salt. I think most of the comments have been directed towards those in power. Whether that be administration, government, or large donors who have consistently been launching a public campaign against the sanctions that were imposed. We all no doubt have great friends and honorable family members who share the same views as you that graduated from Penn State.

Comment by tedsptman 01.21.15 @ 5:15 pm

Just read a snipit that TJ Clemmings is struggling at the Sr. Bowl with getting his hands on pass rushers.

I saw early this week that he was projected as early as 10th by Rangle but mid to late by others including Kiper and McShay. Here’s hopin he makes a good comeback as the week progresses. Would be awesome to get a two year streak of #1’s. Do we have a number 1 for next year ready to step up?

Comment by dhuffdaddy 01.21.15 @ 5:22 pm

“Sandusky thing”… It was the rape of children, not a “thing”. Otherwise, you make some great points, Steve.

Comment by tacocat 01.21.15 @ 5:51 pm

PAT signal just went up.

Comment by tedsptman 01.21.15 @ 6:14 pm

Jay Stocker commits to Pitt!!!

Comment by tedsptman 01.21.15 @ 6:24 pm

Pat-signal!!!!

Comment by John 01.21.15 @ 6:40 pm

Steve it would easier to “Just drop” if the JOE PA nut jobs were not putting up billboards like this..

link to pennlive.com

Comment by Tony in Harrisburg 01.21.15 @ 7:03 pm

Both Pitt and Penn State are excellent public universities. However, if your kid is smart, GA Tech is the best investment for your $$ and the kid’s resume. Compared to MIT and Cal Tech, GA Tech is a bargain. In some departments, GA Tech is tops in the country. And, in-state tuition is less than both Pitt and Penn State. Tech also has a decent football program for its nerdy student body. Sweet Caroline is replaced by singing the Budweiser song… When you say Budweiser… These Techoids have their priorities…

Comment by MariettaMike 01.22.15 @ 8:49 am

Powered by WordPress © PittBlather.com

Site Meter