Folks, I know that there are a lot of comments flying with the football stuff. Emotions are tending to rise and fall — mostly rising at this point. I also know there are a lot of new people trying to comment.
With that in mind…
1. Don’t be an ass. You are not speaking truth to power. You are not the only one who sees things clearly and the rest are idiots and blind sheep. I have to be honest. It’s been a long season, and I’ve tried to let things go, but several people are coming up to the line where I have had enough of it and will start banning people to bring things under control.
2. If you are new and you don’t see your comments showing up in discussion it is because I missed them or haven’t approved them. New comments are held for review to make sure that they aren’t spam, from previously banned commenters trying to slip in under a different email, and just for appropriate content. Drop me an e-mail if you are concerned: pitblather-at-gmail-dot-com
3. In that vein, insulting me or any of the other writers, slash complaining in the comments that you are being banned or censored won’t help you in getting the comments approved. I’m more than happy to let you believe you are a victim.
4. Sock-puppetry will almost certainly result in being called out and immediately banned.
Hopefully that will cover it.
Love the Quint reference. Robert Shaw was amazing playing the gruff fisherman.
“Here’s to swimmin with bowlegged women”…
We need more and better players as well as competent coaching. No matter how this goes down.
Maybe Chryst using Pitt to get the best deal possible from BA, negotiation 101. Maybe not a potato head.
Also hard to leave a job you have not finished, especially with Conner, Boyd, and the Big O–line.
I still think HCPC is gone come Wednesday.
I just hope that Steve is clearing out his office at the same time and that our new Chancellor is bringing a new and much needed way of thinking about the football team into the office.
Good points. I like Rudolph. He is a good recruiter and he is from here. I just want Pitt to make the right decision, not the safe one.
A good coach can save most of this class, win 6-8 next year with the talent on this team, all the while building his program.
My other concern with Rudolph is that Chryst needs a staff at Wisconsin too. So if Chryst takes Hueber, Settle, Douglas, Lewis and Palermo with him, Rudolph may be left with House and Haering. Ugghhh
Rudolph has 3 years experience as OC and wasn’t even CVhryst’s 1st choice as OC, Bob Bostad was. I also have to think Chryst has a role in offensive game planning and play calling.
Again what do I know? I try to take everyone from media to Pitt fans and blatherites opinions into consideration and then form my own.
If Rudolph is ready and Pitt does their due diligence, so be it…
Pitt has honestly been lucky to stay .500 through all this turnover. If Chryst is indeed leaving, and I believe he is, they BETTER get this right…
If one of the big boys wouldn’t consider a candidate than Pitt shouldn’t.
Why is it so easy for us to accept that Penn State has the 8th highest paid coach and we can’t break to the top 25?
We aren’t even close to that amount. Hell they should have fat stacks of cash saved from all the $$ they didn’t pay Wanny & Chryst.
look at this list
We pay SLIGHTLY ($4,000) more than Navy???? 59 other schools pay more for their head coach.
We go to the bargain bin again & again. I don’t think Wanny would have had the job if he didn’t take a pay cut for the good of the school.
Comment by gc 12.13.14 @ 11:28 pm”
Or he’s a nice guy and wants the next man at Pitt to come into a much better situation than he did. So he plays Gallagher for a few days and gets all this stuff out in the media. If Gallagher really wants to put more into the program, PC is helping prepare the ground for doing so whether he stays or not.
Seems Chryst might be very much UNDER-rated as a Recruiter.
According to Ohio Runningback Commit Darrin Hall, it was Chryst himself who made a difference.
********
Hall said Chryst was “great to my family” during the recruiting process. “He and my mom get along real well,” Hall said. “That was a big plus.”
– Trib Review
The evidence is there to suggest Settle has been an INCREDIBLE asset to the Program… both on the field (Conner et al) and now apparently off the field as well.
More wanted Wanny gone than wanted to keep him at the point he was hired…Pitt was one year removed from losing Big East championship to Cinn (a game many thought Wanny was the reason they lost..remember they were up 31-17 at halftime).
Everyone was expecting big things in 2010 and he lost 5 games including being embarrassed by WVU at home.
If you were in the minority and wanted to keep him then you were right that we should be happy where Wanny had the Pitt football program and he was our best shot to keep it there. And at the time I agreed..Stability is important and seemed he still had good recruits coming in,
However, in hindsight I think it was probably best that Pederson did get rid of Wanny when he did though…if he had another bad season in 2011 it would of gotten even uglier for Wanny’s head (of course who knew it could get even UGLIER with new coaching hires) and the discipline and trouble kids Wanny had recruited was troublesome as well.
Despite appearing to be a NO-NONSENSE Guy, Douglas seems to have had little impact in improving the play of the Secondary, especially Lafayette Pitts.
Absolutely true that this Team is a Year away from taking a MAJOR STEP Forward. With improved play by the Defense and at Quarterback, “Top 25” is more than just a possibility.
And the Year after that, in my opinion this Team very well could rise to the level of a TCU.
But for any of that to be possible it is going to require staying the course in terms of the type of Offense that this Team runs. Since Chryst took over, the emphasis has been on building the a Power Run/Pro Style Passing Offense… starting with all of the HUGE Lineman recruited to play Offensive Line.
That said, if Chryst leaves… you can bet it will be Rudolph.
People downgrade CONTINUITY. But for a Team so close to realizing success… it’s a Highly Valued Asset.
Bo knows!
I like Rudolph but they need to hire a proven head coach.
Pederson fired.
Chryst demanded future plans for facility upgrades including a new Pitt stadium as well as more money for assistance and recruiting.
Gallagher agrres to Chryst demands but the plan includes Bo Pelini as head coach and Rudolph as OC.
I can dream.
The best attendance has been 2003 followed by 2009, 2008, and 2010 – followed closely by 2013 (1st year in ACC with FSU and ND.) Attendance is back down this year, despite two really exciting players to watch.
I just think the entire Pitt nation (and locals) have been pretty well turned off by the continuous soap opera since 2010, and it may take a long while to repair. Losing another coach will probably not help
A) Chryst is staying and Pederson is canned and their will be a huge increase to football budget
B) Chryst is leaving and Pederson is staying and a cheap hire will be made and the team stays 6-6 for 4 more years
I hope it’s A
You can bet he’s “the Guy” if Chryst leaves.
In fact, BET THE “HOUSE!”
I really don’t know how Bo feels about our AD, but my guess is that it is not that affectionate.
Also, even though I actually like the idea of Rudolph, I would not want him (or Chryst) unless they plan on upgrading/replacing the DC position, and I wouldn’t give in on that.
True…they may not like each other. Plus, Pelini will have other schools going after him. Pitt would have to be super aggressive. Usually doesn’t happen.
Gallagher really needs to show us something here.
Now, I am 100% confused if Chryst is planning or staying, but what clout does he really have to make demands especially in regard to who his predecessor is. I like continuity, in many ways it can be good. We took a chance on Dixon and he turned out to be an excellent hire; so why not with Rudolph. Watching him on the sidelines, I like what i see as far as from a leadership perspective. Would welcome him with open arms if that is the direction that Pitt is headed. Everyone deserves a chance to show they can succeed so why not. His hire would have minimimal effect if any on the overall recruiting class and progression of the football program.
That makes a statement you are sticking with PC’s plan which should pay off next year with 8 or more.
If it fails, you can’t say Rudolph gets three years to put his stamp on the team. He is done. You have to fire him after one year and eat a new contract.
While this site was pretty squarely on the fraud bandwagon, that was not the case based on all of the comments I heard from fans on the Pittsburgh area stations and letters and posted comments I read in the two Pgh papers. Most, like me, were really skeptical by the fast-talking Texan.
As for wanting Rudolph to be the next coach, why wouldn’t any new coach utilize Pitt’s offensive weapons? Keeping Rudolph makes no sense. He was part of the 19-19 quagmire.
Get someone new, someone hungry.
Let Smiley even do the introduction. Then within a month announce that Smiley has left Pitt to pursue other interests.
The coach they hire isn’t going to sell tickets in his opening press conference…win games and attendance will go up…that is ALL that matters. PItt could have Charles Manson as coach and if he wins games attendance would go up. Attendance was best when Wanny was here because he’s had best records in recent years…not arguing that point. If DW stayed and he had same records as Graham and Cryst these past four years attendance would be the similar.
The truth is extra ticket money (when compared to TV money) doesn’t make a huge difference. It’s more perception problem. If college football really cared about people who actually go the games they wouldn’t wait till 11 days before the game before setting the game time…college football is a made for TV (ESPN) event and people in the stands are just the extras.
Worst case scenario, and since we are Pitt, probably the most probable; We set up a blue ribbon search committee, that diddles around long enough to lose most of the recruiting class and several freshmen that transfer.
We pick a shiny new coach that wants to run the spread, says he can’t do it with these big pro style linemen and have to wait four years till his players are recruited. Rinse and repeat.
Smiley says, I like where are sport teams are headed.
After inheriting a Team DEPLETED of Talent… should he take the job at Wisconsin… Chryst is leaving with the CUPBOARD FULL.
Funny… so many HATERS and Doubters have criticized Chryst for being such a BAD Recruiter.
Ironically, stocking the Team with Quality Players could end up being his Legacy at Pitt.
Certainly, hiring a local is not a necessity … it’s just a plus.
…and if anyone was left who could be a great coach from those late 70 or early 80 Pitt years they would have already done it somewhere.
Saving this class should be pretty much near the bottom of the list of reasons to hire a coach…as others have pointed out it’s barely in top 40 of classes…I would think any good new coach they bring in could do just as well…and maybe better.
Way OVER-rated… as many know.
One example… One of the Highest Rated Recruits Chryst has brought in is Dorian Johnson… a concensus FOUR or FIVE Star that both Penn State and Ohio State wanted.
Johnson was clearly not as talented as his “Stars” suggested… currently the WEAK LINK of the Pitt Starting Five.
Hiring a LOCAL guy is a Plus in one regard… if it helps keep him after he has some success and starts getting some interest from other Programs.
It’s part of a Value Equation.
It’s about keeping this Team on Course one Year away from achieving some SUCCESS… which it is.
You guys want it both ways, I get it everything stinks and you will be the first to criticize when things don’t go well with the new guy.
If the offense was responsible for losing 2 games (and I don’t necessarily agree) that isn’t bad out of 12.
There are more players than just Whitehead in this class. It is also a numbers thing. We lost a few because of a lack of depth. Although they did reasonably well Amara and Maddox would have benefited from redshirts. Losing a class hurts down the road. Other than Conner and Boyd, all of our best players, on both sides of the ball were seniors. Our best player last year was a senior. Age and experience matter. The best teams have plenty of fifth year seniors on their lines. That is why losing classes matters and the primary reason we were 6-6.
Say what you will about Chryst’s recruiting but he has only had two classes of his own, and with two non-existent ones before that.
It took Wanny four years to win and he only lost one class when he came in.
Rudolph in addition is a WPA guy.
My hopeful best solution is that PC is either negotiating a counter offer with Gallagher from Pitt, and/or he is working to place Rudolph here as HC to continue and be the stewart of what he started.
As per reports with changes at hand and at least the O staff in place we can all see where this goes the next 2 years.
The is the best outcome to have PD FIRED.
If the FB program is stable, the a new Chancellor can fire or deal with SP and take his time to get his long term Athletic Department team in place.
The new team monitors Rudolph for 2-3 years…
– if the guy is getting it done, great.
– if his not then they – the new AD team – makes the ‘big name’ change.
finally, if Chryst negotiates an extension and stays… the ‘changes’ he wants clearly point to SP moving on as well.
If
PC recruiting classes represent the youngest team in D-1 with some of its best offensive stars.
Incoming class has solid talent and its about the momentum and continuity with HS coaches and the overall energy of recruiting in the tristate area.
gc, your points are right on. If we have PSU and WVA pick apart this recruiting class it sets the stage for the next few years.
the DC from MSU, the OC from OSU…. arguably the 2 best options… they are not bringing any of their current recruits from OSU or MSU to Pitt…
Also, if he fires SP, and goes through process of hiring new AD… and that AD can hire coaching staff…
then that is a long, long process and there is no real recruiting class for this year…
I mentioned DW for the AD position – which I think is silly.
