As the dust settles on one of the most eventful days Pitt Football has had in a long time, reflection feels unnecessary. The removal of Steve Pederson as Athletic Director was just as much about the future of Pitt as it was the past. While the questionable decisions of his tenure will never be fully vetted, the future suddenly looks a little brighter. Pitt Football looks ready to take a step up. The status quo was no longer acceptable to Chancellor Gallagher. The hope Dave Wannstedt brought when he promised a return to prominence doesn’t seem crazy anymore. While the who, how, when, and if are still up in the air, at least the questions feel like there could be an answer soon.
If rumors are pieced together, it’s safe to assume Gallagher was not happy with how Pederson was handling the search. Whether the candidates were undesirable or unwilling to entertain an offer due to Pederson’s presence, Pederson was clearly not a man who should be involved in the process. Everyone assumed Pederson would not handle this search alone and possibly not even lead it. When his involvement became a detriment, it was time to sever ties.
The immediate question is whether or not any of the rumored names are still or were ever even legitimate candidates. The most popular external names were Greg Schiano, Doc Holliday, and Tom Bradley. There was a lot of conflicting information on Schiano. Sources said Pitt was pursuing him yet his agent said there was nothing there. Whether it was just classic coaching search double-speak or a legitimate disinterest on Schiano’s end is unknown. It’s possible Schiano is the source of Pederson’s demise. Schiano and Dave Wannstedt are friends. Wannstedt has publicly, and rather embarrassingly, made his negative opinion of Pederson widely known. It could be argued the beginning of the end was when Wannstedt stated on Fox Sports that Pederson is what was holding Pitt Football back. It was ugly for Wannstedt. It was uglier for Pitt.
The one candidate who is likely to get an interview is interim head coach Joe Rudolph. The players (and some coaches) are actively lobbying for Rudolph. At the very least, he must be given an interview to keep the players happy. Rudolph may not be the right man for the job, but it’s good that they want him. The players want him because they’ve bought into him as a coach and respect him. It’s a good sign for the future of the program that the team feels this way. The public reaction of players has been very positive and is a far cry from Graham’s departure. There is still a team at Pitt, not a group of guys who played football together.
The downside to all of this is another deficient head coach will continue recent mediocrity. Pitt is in better shape now than when Paul Chryst arrived. The phrase “dumpster fire” was common to describe what Chryst had inherited. Now Pitt has star players on offense, good depth (especially on offense), and veterans who aren’t disenchanted and bitter. However, there’s one thing that is clear:
Pitt has a much better chance at finding the right coach without Pederson.
