Let’s see, Coach Todd Graham has been doing the rubber-chicken circuit this spring. Going to alumni club events and selling the program.

“Coach Graham’s speech was one of the best talks I have heard from a Pitt coach in several years,” said Mon Valley Panthers Club President Dr. Randy Rodriguez. “It wasn’t a ‘rah-rah speech.’ It was from the heart. He was very sincere. He’s a great motivator.

“When he said he wants to graduate 100 percent of his players, that tells you something about the guy. He cares.”

I can’t honestly be certain if the coverage and some attention paid to these events in media is because of a new coach and little other news. Or if there is some energy not seen in a few years. I remember similar excitement during the first spring/summer of Dave Wannstedt hitting the rubber chicken circuit. Either way, positive attention is welcome.

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Finally. This has been a frustrating few days. Not able to post a damn thing. Just spinning wheels and looking at other options for a hosting company. The system started coming back on Saturday and is allegedly fully restored now.

As I’m sure most of you are aware, Kolby Gray and Dan Schneider are leaving the Pitt program. Dan Schneider sustained a shoulder injury that will not let him play football any longer. Kolby Gray is transferring to Baylor. Part of it is driven by being closer to home, pursuing a music career, and the fact that the DC at Baylor is his former DC here at Pitt: Phil Bennett.

Pitt has taken in one JUCO and three transfers this offseason. Transfer Brendon Felder is possible to get a hardship waiver to play this season, and JUCO Josh Brinson is obviously eligible. But the oddity is that Pitt has yet to actually have a verbal for the 2012 recruiting class as the end of May looms.

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Coach Todd Graham gets a front page piece from Rivals.com. He discusses the challenge of changing systems.

At Rice and Tulsa, he learned a few lessons, and with the Panthers, he still is in the process of changing old habits and putting his own stamp on the program.

“You ever watch ‘Men in Black,’ where they take that little wand and they kind of beep it and it makes them forget everything?” Graham says. “I wish we could do that a little bit.”

…

Graham wishes he could wipe the memories of the old offensive and defensive schemes from his players’ minds, and he probably wouldn’t mind erasing any memories of Pittsburgh’s tumultuous coaching search as well. In reality, the Panthers had two coaching searches, and Graham basically was Pittsburgh’s fourth coach between Dec. 7 and Jan. 10.

Safe to say it isn’t just the players who could use the memories of the last 10 months or so of Pitt football wiped.

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Yesterday, SI.com had a big feature on Todd Graham taking over at Pitt (hat tip to the many, many who e-mailed and linked it in the comments).

“We’ve gotta take the good and make them great, and the great and make them outstanding,” Graham said. “We’re striving for perfection. We’ll tolerate excellence.”

After a year flush with misfortune, a spring full of such unbridled optimism may be just what the Panthers need. In 2011, it might also serve as a harbinger of things to come.

The Big East appears weak and wide open once again, with South Florida juggling quarterbacks B.J. Daniels and Bobby Eveld, West Virginia testing a partnership between incumbent coach Bill Stewart and coach-in-waiting Dana Holgorsen and TCU still a year removed from its conference debut. While early nonconference tests at Iowa and against Notre Dame will be challenging, Graham’s rebuilt, under-the-radar squad could make a run at the Big East’s guaranteed BCS bid.

We’ll see. But it is nice to be optimistic.

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Hope everyone enjoyed the weekend and holiday. Tried to get started on the long, long list of outdoor projects around the house, but the rain has been so frequent that not much was really accomplished. Well, aside from a lot more crap in the garage that needs to get out of there. Not sure if there has been two consecutive dry days in the Cleveland area for the past few weeks — well without the temperature dipping below 40. The lack of a spring this year has been worse than normal. That or I’m just old and cranky, and less tolerant of the weather.

So, for nearly a month, the links have been accumulating related to football. I’ve been lazy. The writing of Reed has let me slack off on this stuff. Now it’s time to clear it out — even if it’s a little dated.

Starting with the newest news, though, another Michigan transfer (paywall). Cullen Christian asked for and received his release from Michigan last week. Since Christian went to Penn Hills and several of his coaches at Michigan are now at Pitt — well, the math seemed obvious. This is a really good get, though. Christian was one of the top recruits in Pennsylvania in 2010. One of the top CB recruits in the country. He was a 4-star recruit and an US Army All-American. Injuries and attrition at Michigan forced him to play a lot more than he should have — 10 games. Look forward to seeing him out there in 2012.

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Yes, because my focus is right there for this matter. Guess what is getting started today? Spring practices kick off. Pitt is even letting us watch the post-practice presser with Coach Graham at 5pm.

Here’s the official place for Pitt’s spring practice stuff.

Not sure how much of a practice it will actually be. Today is also Pitt’s pro-day.

Dom DeCicco is hoping to make an impression.

DeCicco was not invited to last month’s Combine in Indianapolis, so today will be the first time he will be able to show his measurables to NFL scouts.

“It is definitely important,” DeCicco said. “Just to show teams that I can run and that I have good footwork and be able to flip my hips and all the other stuff.”

Pervert.

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As a rule, I’m not a fan of “zero tolerance” policies. I don’t think its’ the ex-lawyer in me, I’ve never been a big supporter of them. Too many overreactions, and no shades of gray. Everyone wants the bright-line rule, but life isn’t that neat and tidy. And all too often they are reactionary not to actual problems but to the glaring spotlight of attention and scare reports.

/climbs down from soapbox

Pitt made no such announcement yesterday when Coach Todd Graham and AD Steve Pederson met with the media in light of the SI.com story that featured Pitt as the #1 team in terms of arrests in college football. The implications are there, but then they were already in place when Graham (and Haywood for that matter) was hired.

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I know, it’s March. Should be all about basketball. And for the most part it will be. Well, there will be spring practices starting in about 2 weeks. That will be a distraction.

Still, some links I’ve accumulated relating to football items, so I might as well clear the palate first.

Let’s start with the head man. Coach Todd Graham was back in Tulsa for a funeral and to take care of personal business as he makes the move to Pittsburgh (his wife Penni has been a Tweeting source of info). He spoke with a Tulsa World columnist to try and smooth over some hard feelings from his departure (and subsequently competing with Tulsa for some recruits).

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As we all know, the season ticket plans were announced last week. I felt compelled to mention it to my wife, who was less than thrilled to find out that I’d have 8 games to attend this year. You would think she would be happier to get rid of me more frequently. The price is really good for the package, and only someone determined to make excuses would complain about the overall home schedule that includes ND and Utah in the non-con.

Only thing missing from the plan? Well, aside from the actual schedule. Any explanation as to what the hell will be the system/policy/plan this year with parking. That’s still a mess that needs to be a lot clearer, simplified and understandable. I don’t know if the administration realizes quite how much that nasty surprise a few weeks before the start of the season cost them a lot of good will.

In a nod to the talent on Pitt’s team last year, six Pitt players have been invited to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine: Jason Pinkston, Jon Baldwin, Greg Romeus, Jabaal Sheard, Dion Lewis and Henry Hynoski.

Romeus was considered a late first- or early second-round pick before the season but is likely to be a middle-round pick at best.

Tailback Dion Lewis is projected as a third or fourth rounder but could improve that with a good 40-yard dash time.

Offensive tackle Jason Pinkston, like Baldwin, has a lot of natural ability scouts like, but some question his focus.

The one Panther whose stock has improved is defensive end Jabaal Sheard.

He has shown enough to convince scouts he could make the jump to the outside linebacker spot in a 3-4 defense — similar to the transition made by Steelers star LaMarr Woodley.

The other former Panther headed for Indianapolis is fullback Henry Hynoski, who is rated the top fullback in the draft by several scouting services. But his prospects depend on which teams, if any, want a traditional fullback.

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Apparently the media meeting had Coach Graham focusing on the expectations of the players off-the-field.

“I guarantee you guys that don’t meet the standard for the Pitt way, they will not cross that white line. I don’t care how good they are. I don’t care if it’s (starting running back) Ray Graham. I don’t care if it’s (starting quarterback) Tino Sunseri.”

Graham said “the Pitt way is not negotiable.”

“We want to win in the classroom. We want to win off the field. We want to win in the community. If any of those areas are sub-standard, I believe it affects your play on the field.”

Graham said winning the national championship is one of five goals he set for his players, but at the top of the list is to “develop championship fathers and husbands and citizens.”

Graham said he will expect players to look him in the eye during meetings, come prepared to take notes, sit without slouching, wear hats properly, tuck in their shirts and take off their earrings and bandanas inside the practice facility.

Graham said he wore an earring in college, but his ban represents “a physical symbol that this isn’t about you, it’s about team.”

The earrings and bandanas stuff has always struck me as a cosmetic (no pun intended) thing of little consequence, but at least the restriction only applies to going to the practice facility and stadium. I just don’t see much harm in those personal appearance options. So, I’m kind of meh on that.  (Yes, I wore an earring in college and up into my early 30s.) (more…)

It still holds up, for violent fun.

Spring football practice kicks off in about a month. Coach Todd Graham is starting the media rounds anew. As Mendy Nestor in the Pitt Athletic department was kind enough to let us know this morning.

Coach Graham is meeting with the media today. Every time I listen to him talk I get fired up.

She also attached a camera-phone shot of the meeting.

So, we know a rash of stories on Coach Graham and Pitt football will be in the pipeline.

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Also known as, “We don’t need no stinkin’ rankings.”

The snap judgments are out. Good news. Pitt wasn’t the worst recruiting class in the Big East.

Scout.com, put Pitt’s at 6th (55th nationally), ahead of USF and UConn. Rivals.com said 5th ahead of USF, UConn and Syracuse. UConn’s recruiting class was last in all rankings. This, despite losing only one good player (to Penn State) after Edsall departed. Given the position of UConn’s class, there might be a correlation to that.

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It’s a staple of the media with the coaching carousel. Once the ride stops, snap evaluations are offered for the hires. We all do it. Randy Edsall to Maryland — meh. Will Muschamp to Florida — boom.

I’m sure many remember plenty of raves about Dave Wannstedt when he was hired. How his positive, rah-rah attitude would be perfect in college. How much like Pete Carroll his approach would be (back when everyone was looking to failed NFL coaches to be the next Pete Carroll). How his quick scoring with recruits after being hired showed that he was going to have Pitt humming along. Anyways…

Well, if you think the way Wannstedt was let go, the botching of the first search and fire, and everything else has affected the way Pitt fans are watching the program and athletic department, then you should at least understand how it has colored the perception of hiring Graham.

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Well, now there is only one position coach spot left on Todd Graham’s new staff.

“I make it a priority to hire people who will make me a better coach,” Graham said. “I am extremely pleased with the staff we’ve hired thus far. Not only are they excellent football coaches, they are also tremendous men who are honored to be a part of the University of Pittsburgh.”

Graham still needs to hire one assistant coach and he said it will be a safeties coach.

Mildly surprising that Graham has split safeties from the cornerback. Most of the time you see a position coach listed as “secondary” covering both corners and safeties. Give what safeties have to do these days, though, it does have a logic to it.

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As is usual these days with a new coach, it isn’t enough for him to be good coach and recruiter. We have to like him. We have to know his story, the losses and what made him who he is.

Sorry if this sounds too cynical. It’s just that while this is the common thing, it still comes down to wins and losses. It won’t matter how sympathetic his story is, or carefully packaged information that might offer insights into what makes Todd Graham tick. It is simply about winning.

That’s not to say there weren’t interesting nuggets in the profile pieces today. The influence of a high school coach that helped change his life. The mother that worked multiple jobs and sacrificed for her kids.

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