Last week, Bruce Feldman at ESPN.com took note of Coach Wannstedt and Pitt’s early recruiting success. Later, Ivan Maisel in an ESPN.com chat said he thought part of the reason Pitt’s recruiting success being ignored was that the Big East has been written off by the national media.
Late yesterday, and now today, a story about Wannstedt and Pitt’s recruiting success, written by the AP Sportswriter in Pittsburgh, Alan Robinson, got picked up by plenty of papers.
Now, slightly more than six months since former Pitt coach Walt Harris was pushed out the door despite five consecutive bowl game appearances, Wannstedt is keeping his promise to reinstate Pitt’s one-time recruiting dominance in its backyard.
With the national letter of intent signing day still seven months away, the Panthers already have 12 verbal commitments from high school players — including 10 of Pennsylvania’s top 46 players, according to Rivals.com, which tracks football recruiting nationwide.
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“Dave’s taken a page out of (Southern Cal coach) Pete Carroll’s book as a former pro coach going back to college — he’s gone out and met the high school coaches 1-on-1,” Burton said. “He brings a familiarity that’s tailor-made for what he’s trying to do.”
Excitement. Solid recruiting. National publicity.
And then out of nowhere, a voice of caution.
Now I’m not saying Panthers fans shouldn’t be optimistic about the future of the program, but let Wannstedt and his staff coach and win a game first.
All this persuasion hype reminds me of two seasons ago when the Panthers opened the season ranked No. 15.
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What I’m saying is all of this publicity could come back to haunt a young team trying to build a championship-caliber program just as it did in 2003.The Panthers weren’t able to handle the spotlight two years ago and it could be tough this season. One loss to a team they’re supposed to beat – such as that humiliating setback at Toledo in 2003 – could cost them not only this year, but for years to come.
Wannstedt has come home with hopes of building a national championship team. He should be careful what he wishes for.
Oh, sure. Throw some cold water in our faces.
