Odd that Pitt never got around to putting a press release out on the hiring of Bernard Clark as LB coach. I know it isn’t hiring a new coordinator, but it seems standard to put something out even when a position coach is hired. Guess too distracted by signing day, hall of fame and the new schedule — non-con and Big East.
Well his hometown paper in Tampa puts out a story on Clark’s hiring by Pitt. He seems, er, energetic.
“Every now and then, I’ll put on the helmet and the shoulder pads, not to show my players that I’m better than them, but to show how I want things done,” said Clark, the well-traveled coaching veteran, one of the all-time greats at Leto High and the University of Miami. “You can’t ever say I lacked for enthusiasm.”
Now Clark is taking his passion to the University of Pittsburgh, who hired him this week as linebackers coach. Clark will work for Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt, who was his defensive coordinator at Miami in the late 1980s.
“I can’t wait to get started,” said Clark, replacing Joe Tumpkin, who became defensive coordinator at Central Michigan University. “I’ve been to a lot of places the last few years, all over the place, really. I’m excited that it has led to this.
“You won’t find many places with the rich tradition of a place like Pittsburgh. We’ve really got something special to sell. They won 10 games last season and we’re very close to winning the Big East championship (losing in the final seconds against Cincinnati). I’m glad to be part of it.”
Clark was a big part of the famed Miami Hurricane teams of the late 80s, and was apparently featured in the recent ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, “The U.” Now required viewing for the Pitt linebackers to get a sense of their new coach. I have heard excellent things about the documentary. It is on my DVR, but I haven’t had time to sit down and watch.
Clark — obviously — expects to be recruiting in Florida.
A coupleeftovers from last week (and I still have a few more after this). Go figure, trust is a big deal in recruiting (please stifle your snickers). Pitt commit T.J. Clemmings is quoted talking about how the first impression mattered most to him — good thing Pitt was one of his first visits.
Pitt secondary coach and NJ recruiter Jeff Hafley gets nice love in the piece as it is noted that he has brought 8 players from NJ to Pitt between this year and last.
In the four seasons before that, Pittsburgh had just three commits from New Jersey.
The 30-year-old Hafley started from humble coaching beginnings at the college level, first at Albany before accepting a job as the graduate assistant on Dave Wannestedt’s staff in 2006. He slept on an inflatable mattress for two years in the coaches’ office on campus, dedicating himself to earning his spot.
His ability to connect with recruits almost immediately — especially those from North Jersey — has served Pittsburgh tremendously well.
“From the first time I met Jeff, I just knew he was a genuine guy, and that’s what I was hoping for,” Clemmings said. “What Coach Hafley didn’t do was bash other schools.
“He talked about Pittsburgh and nobody else, and that meant something to me. He really sold me on the reality.”
He was a grad assistant. He was sleeping on an air mattress in the office because he was homeless.
Hafley got a bit more attention again in a generic piece on finding overlooked diamonds-in-the-rough at Pitt, WVU and PSU.
