In the euphoria over the season to this point, I’ve probably been as guilty as anyone in dismissing former head coach Paul Chryst as nothing more than a placeholder for Pitt. Maybe even holding Pitt back. It’s not really true. Especially when it comes to laying things out for recruiting.
The sins of Chryst are known and used frequently. I was never a big fan of the way he put together his staff — at least on the defensive side. He hardly distinguished himself, even by his 3d year, as a great tactician. His recruiting was passive. He was dry and boring as 3-day old toast with the media and public. There was little that seemed to inspire the players to play with belief in their ability to win in close games.
