It took longer than I expected, but sure enough there was the obligatory “bring back Pederson” column.
Pitt now needs Pederson more than ever.
That will be obvious today when the Panthers play host to Cincinnati. There probably will be a crowd of 30,000 or so — less than half the capacity at Heinz Field — to see a Pitt team that has lost four games in a row and is headed toward a third consecutive season without a bowl game. Pederson hardly would recognize the program.
It’s fair to think Pitt football wouldn’t have sunk back if Pederson had stayed. He left because Nebraska is home, he went to school at Nebraska and Nebraska was his dream job. That he wasn’t successful there — at least not fast enough to satisfy the tough Nebraska crowd — isn’t enough reason for Nordenberg not to bring him back.
It’s also “fair” to think that it would. Cook ignores the fact that Pederson tried to hire Wanny before getting to Callahan. Nothing an AD could do would change the situation of the football program if the team is lousy.
It’s a throwaway column based on events from 5 years prior. By all accounts, Pederson caused plenty of friction at Nebraska from the fans to the boosters to the morale of the department. Cook disputes it because others, while at Pitt, spoke well of him. I’m convinced.
