I dunno. Maybe.
Pitt athletic director Jeff Long is one of three finalists for the same position at the University of Arkansas, according to sources.
An Arkansas television station has footage of Long and his wife Fanny, getting off of a private plane in Fayetteville, Ark., at about 11 a.m. today.
My first question was “who are the other two finalists?” I don’t know for sure. Since the local station wasn’t ID’d and none of the stations in Fayetteville have any footage on their site. Best I can find is mention of Tulane AD Rick Dickson being near the top. Terry Don Phillips, the Clemson AD, and former Assistant AD at Arkansas previously took his name out of the rumors. I’m stunned that Long would be up for the Arkansas job. That’s a really tough gig and a high profile/pressure job considering its nothing but Razorbacks in the state.
I was surprised to learn that Long and Pitt never signed/finished working out that extension from back in May. Seems to be a bit of a problem for Pitt and Chancellor Nordenberg with those things. Remember how long he let interim AD Marc Boehm twist in the wind? Finally Boehm didn’t want to wait any longer and rejoined Pedersen in Nebraska.
Any time I write about AD Jeff Long, it’s with a sense of “ehh.” He has done a lot of stuff in trying to bring the entire Athletic Department and its facilities up to spec. Still, he does enough other stuff that just plain misses.
I know it is reported/said that he is the reason Pitt hasn’t gone back to the script Pitt. As much as the older colors and the script matter, that wouldn’t be enough to can him and I’m not sure that it’s enough to want him gone.
From all observations, stories and rumors, Chancellor Nordenberg is very involved and cares greatly about Pitt Athletics. That is very good considering the years of neglect before him. The downside is a Chancellor being too involved and wanting to run things or (as the older fans may recall from the end of the Posvar years) putting a crony in charge of the Athletic Department. In both the basketball and football coach hirings in the last 5 years, Chancellor Nordenberg was very involved.
In basketball, with an interim/weak AD in charge, it was a poorly run search with only one actual candidate seemingly dictated by the Chancellor and a cheaper fallback. Things worked out for Pitt, but that seems more by luck. Football had Long running the search and process more and was able to look at a lot more candidates. While the jury may still be out on how that one goes, there was a better sense of order and that Long was in charge of it (even if Nordenberg also really wanted Wannstedt).
So, I’m a little concerned about losing AD Long, if for no other reason than the replacement. That’s two straight guys as AD (Boehm and Long) where the contract was never finished. Other candidates may view that warily and it might cost Pitt in trying to find a replacement.
UPDATE: Here’s the report from (apparently) the local TV Station.
Trib has a few more details from the tv vid.
KHBS-TV in Fort Smith, Ark., has video footage of Long and his wife, Fanny, arriving in a plane bearing a logo of the school’s Razorback mascot and N88UA on its tail.
Have to love obsessive details.
If you get the chance, just look at the block Pitt logo. Just look at it and answer one question. Don’t attach any extra parts to the question, don’t compare, just answer this simple question with an open mind and without any comparison.
Looking at the Pitt block logo as is, is the logo nice enough to stay around forever?
Other then hiring coaches, the AD position is mostly administrative,fundraising and gladhanding. i think Long was good at what he does, but there are many others out there who could do a similar good job. Long is replacable.
I think we need to hire a Pitt guy if Long leaves, someone who believes in the athletic programs and the University. In the long run, that is the best way to maintain continuity and quality in Pitt athletics. I am tired of Pitt being a stepping stone job for the likes of Ben Howland, Steve Pederson, Jeff Long et al.
I think we should go with the script and the new colors – Navy blue and Vegas gold.
Here’s what i mean (let the gif play): link to dodgeforum.com
I don’t have the attachment to the Pitt script that some have given that I never went to Pitt (W&J alum), although I have a lot of friends that did. I do like the new block “PITT” on the helmets and while I can do away with the new “angry pitbull/otter” logo, I think the jerseys look sharp and I don’t mind the color scheme. It’s an upgrade from what we had through most of the Harris era, which coincided with practically every school across the country “modernizing” their logos, jerseys and colors. Because so many schools did it all at once, it didn’t really set Pitt apart. Prior to ditching the logo on the helmet in favor of the block “PITT”, I thought we looked more like an Arena team or something. To me, the current look is a nice upgrade.
That said, I wouldn’t mind seeing a return to the old colors and the script. I think that’s the look that most fans still associate when they think “Pitt”.
I thought this was a nice compromise between all sides of this issue…
“Texas called me Monday. So did Georgia Tech and [Pitt] coach [Dave] Wannstedt called, too. I don’t have Pitt on my final list, but he said they’re still going to try and recruit me. I like Pitt’s coaching staff a lot, but I just don’t want to be that close to home. I just want to be farther away. But not too far, either.”
Also bring back the real colors! They were distinctive. You could tell instantly which team was Notre Dame and which was the Panthers. The Steve Pedersen generic colors have got to go. He is long gone and his colors should follow
