Let’s start this off by first suggesting you go over to Cardiac Hill and read Anson’s observation on Pederson having to go to the assistant coaches and apologize for essentially ignoring and blowing them off for nearly a month. I read the same piece and it just never clicked to me that Pederson was that stupid.

Right now, the fans are crying for Pederson’s head as well over this debacle. Predictably, you have media people defending him. It is a bit of bull since the defense consists  primarily based on the work he did the first time as AD at Pitt. That’s nice, but that is like defending Johnny Majors in the 90s for the work he did at Pitt in the 70s.

When Nebraska fired Pederson, the rumors immediately started that Pitt — which was in need of a new AD — would take him back.  I was not in favor of it. There were the typical arguments in favor of it, but the real reason appeared to be that Chancellor Nordenberg was comfortable with Pederson.

Pederson is not a subtle AD. He works in broad big project situations. When he came to Pitt in the 90s he was needed. The athletic department was a mess. There was no direction. If you want to analogize it to a home renovation, the only thing that was still solid was the foundation. The whole house, though, was a wreck. The plumbing, the electric, roof, walls. However you feel about the man, he did a lot of hard work to get Pitt athletics away from the absolute suckitude of the 90s. Doing that required a lot of drive and aggressiveness to keep pushing to change — and yes a certain arrogance.

Then Nebraska, his alma mater, came calling. They came because they did know they needed change. Osbourne was retiring. It was no longer enough to be merely a football school. Especially with Texas and Oklahoma resurgent. Pederson was brought in to make changes.

The difference is, the Nebraska house was in need of an update. Not rebuilding. It wasn’t in need of anything radical. Some new furniture.  Update the cabinetry and swap out that black formica counter top for granite in the kitchen. Redo the bathrooms. Pull up the carpet and go with hardwood in the house. Maybe fix the landscaping and redo the driveway. Most of these things require working with the homeowner. Staying in their comfort zone and listening while trying to affect the changes needed.

Pederson didn’t do that. He charged aggressively and arrogantly at Nebraska. The firing of Solich — like the firing of Wannstedt — was seen by most of the fanbase as a needed and necessary thing. Even if it was uncomfortable because of the loyalties and ties; and debatable when viewed only on the basis of the previous season or two.

The hiring process was a debacle. The arrogance in dealing with people, alumni and boosters. Plus making abrupt changes to the Nebraska athletic department made enemies. It meant that he had no base of support, other than the results, i.e., winning. If they did that, then the moves were necessary to bring a stodgy outdated athletic department into the modern times.

That didn’t happen. Not just in football, but basketball. The questions became sharper in asking what the point of such radical changes to the culture of Nebraska athletics if teams didn’t improve. And in fact got worse.

His return to Pitt had been mostly low-key. He almost seemed to have learned something. That Pitt no longer needed to be overhauled. That he had to take a step back and not push for change so hard. He was working on the olympic sports. Essentially continuing the work Jeff Long had been doing. No need to mess with basketball (men or women) and football seemed stable. The only time he was in media was for extensions for the coaches or helping to promote the 2010 football season.

And 2010 Pitt football went to hell.

He had to act. There is only a small minority that disagrees there.

It’s just that in the big moment, he fell back to old patterns and habits. He was the search committee. He avoided people. he helped shut down information. He (according to plenty of rumors) ignored red flags and/or was not as diligent in his background checks. In short he went back to his arrogant ways of ignoring all information offered and any advice. It was all Pederson.

For whatever reason, he basically avoided the entire football staff the minute Wannstedt was fired. He avoided the players. He avoided the coaches. He closed himself off to them. I don’t know why. Guilt? Arrogance. General dickishness? I can’t say.

He did, however, burn and ignite bridges. He put himself out there alone. Maybe assuming he would get all the credit for making the hard choices. Now, he is alone out there to take all the blame. Either way. He’s earned it, and will pay the price.