Who cares Steve will screw us again no matter what any of you want…I’m expecting Pitt to hire someone out of left field, a no name, boring, sure to fail miserably in the ACC coach.

actually Chas, I also forgot that he interviewed last year .. although I don’t know if it was here (pgh)or there

Chas,

I believe WBB was talking about Mario seeing all Pitt facilities. Pittsburgh has changed a lot since 2003.

I would rather have Doc Holiday. He completely outcoached the great cristobal last night!

“BUT I GOT cristobal!,” Smiley said
An’ held it to the light
So I snatched it
All away from him
An’ I showed him how to do it right!!

Hire Fickell or Chryst! Don’t you jive us smiling stevie!!

Reed, you may very well be right about the quality of the candidates being reported. I will defer to you as your football acumen far surpasses mine. I base my opinions on other things I observe. I didn’t like TG based on flaws I saw in his outward character. I got the bejesus beat out of me on this board for some of my observations such as when the three assistants left I felt that was more than just an everyday departure scenario and that there was more going on than met the eye. I called TG a blustering snake oil salesman months ago but everybody wanted to “give him the same time DW had” to prove himself. We all know how that worked out.
So, to the coaching search. I have no confidence in any of the candidates. Not because of anything I observe or read about them individually, but because of the fact the there is no indication Pitt has changed the way they approach the process, including continuing having SP involved. To me, this guy has clearly beyond a reasonable doubt demonstrated he simply has no skill set to hire football coaches, period. He needs to be on the sideline. People bash the Rooney’s and say Pitt owes them nothing and should ignore them. I don’t see it that way. Dan Rooney is the first person I would call for advice when it comes to hiring football coaches. Anyway, we will no doubt have a presser soon introducing yet another unknown up and comer and will be introduced by SP. The name won’t matter. Whoever it is will be met with muted enthusiasm by the Pitt faithful who have been jilted ont time too many. I will keep my tickets and be there at Heinz next season not because of any optimism, but because I know if you give a monkey a typewriter sooner or later he will spell a word. Maybe SP will be so lucky. Unless they hire a Ron Zook type however. Then count me out.

Chryst may not be as flashy, but he’s been good over a long period of time at a big time program. I think we need, a good coach who will run a good program. After the circus that occured last year and with Graham bolting this year, we need to slow down, even if it takes a little longer and hire the right guy.

The Mystery Man came over
An’ he said: “I’m outa-site!”
He said, for an outrageous service charge,
He could reach Pittsburgh t’nite
If I was ready, willing ‘n able
To pay him his 2 million dollar fee
He would drop all the rest of his pressing affairs
And devote His Attention to Pitt
But I said . . .
Look here Smiley,
Who you jivin’ with that Cosmik Bullshit?
(Now who you jivin’ with that Cosmik Bullshit?)
Look here Smiley,
Don’t you waste your time on MC!!

@ECH, agree with most of your comments.

However, Pittsburgh and W.Pa. being “provincial”, is one of the top reasons Pittsburgh is always rated as one of America’s best cities.

Great place to live and raise a family, because of this.

If I need a little international or cosmopolitan flavor, we run up to NYC 2 or 3 times a year for long weekends.

Yes, Pittsburgh is probably not worried about what’s happening in Paris or London today, that’s ok.

OH, head coach-wise, don’t you all worry,

SMUG SMILE STEVE is on the job!!!!!!!!!!

Everything being taken care of!!!!!!!!!!

Todd Graham and Khem Birch came here on the promise and turned out to be “Pitt Guys” Ray Graham was not from here, Ashton Gibbs was not from here and they are “Pitt Guys”. DeJuan Blair was from here and he was two and done. Is he a “Pitt Guy”?

I did not attend Pitt nor was I born in Pittsburgh nor did I think it was the ideal location for me to move for my job. After a year or so of being here, I started to enjoy myself and converted to a Steelers and Pens fan. I met my wife here and she is a ‘Pitt Gal” I root for Pitt BB, season ticket holder for Pitt FB, but if you asked me this in 1997 just before I moved here, I would have told you I would not be here long term.

Let MC and his wife talk about it. TG probably didn’t talk with PG too long before dragging her up here. After 3 months of TG bashing, she said if you get a different offer get us out of here.

Tomlin would be in the same boat if he was losing or the Steelers were not producing. Remember Tommy Maddux getting abused at his house. It happens. Give MC a break if he is talking this through with his wife.

Try to get a Yinzer woman to move to Florida away from her family. It will be a long long talk.

–Tom

Some of these comments amaze me. Every exciting young coach who is not from PA originally must be someone who will leave in a year. Screw those guys lets never hire them! Hire a big loser who will stick around. Might as well bring back Wannstedt.

Who here is saying it has to be a “Pitt guy”???? Just because a lot of us dont want Cristobal doesnt mean we have to have a Pitt guy. I think Chryst is our man, lets get him now and end this stupidity.

@ Dan Re: Pitssburgh’s mypoic attitudes…I always say that should Armageddon come, I want to be here in Pittsburgh, becuase it will happen here 10 years after it happens anywhere else. 😉

Tom Mc, It’s the person that matters, not where he’s from. Jackie Sherrill was married to a Pittsburgh girl and even that did not keep him here. Jamie Dixon is a California guy who embrased the city and made it his home. The search committee needs to sort through all the bullshit and make a decision on the abilities and character of the canidate. Hopefully they have more pertinate information at their dispoasl to make a good informed decision.

*Pittsburgh (sorry for the typo)

Out of one side of our mouths we say “We need someone who will stay for a while, maybe a Pitt guy improves this chance”, then from the other side we hear “MC not the guy because he is thinking about the ramifications of the move”. Perhaps what we are missing is the fact that maybe, just maybe, someone is considering the longer term effect of his decision, and would he be happy for 5 years in the ‘burgh’, if that was what was in the cards. Or would he be constantly having his “posse” putting out his name for the next big opportunity, 1, 2 or 3 years down the road. I, for one, not knowing anything much about MC, at least respect and understand the besides coaching football and $$, there may be other things that help make your life complete.

Excellent post Tom Mc!! Have a niece, actually allready had that discussion with her fiance’ on moving to the Carolinas.

She said, vacation, that’s what the Carolinas are for. He said, but we could live there year round!!

Guess who won??? Ya, she lives about 15 minutes from me in Bethel Park!!! LOL

There is one thought that just crossed my mind that may bother a potential Pitt head coach — it bothered Todd — playing second fiddle behind Tomlin. I guess this can be classified as an ego thing but I guess it has merit.

@ECH, you’re right!! ha ha I can remember going to visit or on the job, you really notice it with new fast food restaurants or chains.

I would see these new restaurants, Pittsburgh didn’t have, then about 5 years later!!! LOL

Mario Cristobal

Florida International University (Sun Belt Conference) (2007–present)

2007 FIU 1–11 1–6 7th
2008 FIU 5–7 3–4 T–5th
2009 FIU 3–9 3–5 6th
2010 FIU 7–6 6–2 T–1st W Little Caesars Pizza
2011 FIU 8–5 5–3 4th L Beef ‘O’ Brady’s
FIU: 24–38 18–20
Total: 24–38

How is this impressive and plaese don’t give me it’s FIU. All this guy did was take advantage of a recruiting void created by the other florida schools instability.

5 years on the job and the best he could do was 8-5, 5-3 in the sun belt conference!!??!!!

No Dan, it was not a good post!!

The scum sucker and the sissy/quitter are not Pitt guys and I know plenty of women (including my mother) who have moved to Florida. If you spent any time in the Bradenton\Sarasota area of Florida you would know this.

Steelfan I agree. Lots of man crushes on Mario from the posters here. I just dont see it. A solid coach but I don’t see why everyones salivating over this guy. I certainly wasn’t impressed last night.

@ Steelfan Well, he checks a lot more of the boxes than most of the available candidates. He has HC experience, has run a program for 5 years, has had to recruit against larger programs in his own back yard, has connections in Florida and along the East Coast, has broadened his professional experiences at multiple locations, has experienced success (though not meteoric), is young and comes relatively inexpensively.

Would I prefer Urban Meyer? Sure. But Meyer, Petersen, Bob Stoops, Les Miles…they aren’t coming. You have to look at things objectively. Cristobal has a more complete resume than Cryst, Austin and even Tom Bradley. His resume is a better predictor of potential success than the other leading candidates.

ECH, take away the inexpensive at the end and you have Todd Graham:

He has HC experience, has run a program for 5 years, has had to recruit against larger programs in his own back yard, has connections in TEXAS and along the GULF Coast, has broadened his professional experiences at multiple locations, has experienced success (though not meteoric), is young and comes relatively (scratch)inexpensively.

I’m not sure how much the “he wasn’t a head coach before” argument holds water. At some point a coordinator can become a successful head coach.

Hating on coordinators just reminds me of passing on Bo Pelini.

Check out how much of a crapshoot hiring a coach is. HC/DC/NFL experience/shoe size…lets all just assume Pitt is going to get it wrong, even if it’s who we want.

link to journalstar.com

Look what i said was it was like watching a TG coached game that the offensive looked bad and it did. Isaid i was not sold and i am not.
did we not just lose a coach and did he say it was becuse he and his wife did not like pittsburgh.
so if you have a new coach who says i want the job but i dont know if i want to live in pittsburgh. think abought that in lite of the last coach.

and pittsburgh was voted the most liveable city 8 of the last 10 years.

Not all schools are in mami it gets dam cold in iowa if the iowa job was open do you think a coach would say i want the job but i dont want to live in iowa if he did they would tell him to get lost,

i never said i want a pitt man but i do want a coach that will stay at least 4 years.
I love pittsburgh and if you put it dowm i dont like it and when i was 16 to say 25 if you said something bad abought it i would has tryed to kick your ass yes i was at one time a SOB TO OLD NOW.
AND IF YOUR TEAM LOOKS BAD ON THE FIELD AND YOU DONT WANT TO COME TO PITTSBURGH .
than like EMel said i pass.

There are a whole lot of other places in the USA that a HC could be worse off living in rather than Pittsburgh. BTW anybody ever spent any time in South FL in the dead of summer? If you’re more than a half a mile off either coast the heat and humidity will make you sweat bullets like you’re a 15 year old on his first date with the hottest cheerleader at school. Every place has it’s good and bad points.

The primary focus on who gets offered the HC job should be the guy’s SINCERE commitment to stabilize and foster this football program going forward into the ACC. Everything else is secondary. If we get a guy like that who goes all in while he’s the HC and truly has the University’s best interest at the heart of his actions all else will fall into place if he surrounds himself with a like minded staff.

Find that guy, no matter where he lives now or who his wife is or whether he has a charming personality or not. Just find the guy who is committed and a straight shooter and honestly wants the job at Pitt and let the process happen.

@ Coach Ditka I don’t disagree with your comparison. Though, I would say that Cristobal’s similarly patterned career and Graham’s personal douchebagism don’t have to go hand-in-hand. Nor, does Graham’s douchebagism preclude him from being a successful HC at ASU or wherever else the wind blows him.

None of us are able to look into the crystal ball and see what will happen 4 years down the road. Who knows if Cristobal will be happy in February in Pittsburgh let alone 10 years from now. There is also no guarantee that Teryl Austin wouldn’t up and leave after 1 season should a better opportunity be given to him. Until someone offers a better alternative, I think Cristobal is the best potential candidate.

@ECH can’t look into a CHRYSTal ball or Cristobal(l)?

I think you have uncovered Pederson’s hiring process.

@ Nabil, I appreciate your sense of humor.

@Steelfan. First of all, that’s your opinion, that his post wasn’t good.

Your opinion, and that’s all that means, your opinion.

Secondly, you seem to imply that Tom Mc or even I was giving Todd Graham pass, for some reason, which would be contrary to everyone of my posts since the A.H. bolted. And I saw nothing of Tom Mc giving him a pass either.

Thirdly, who doesn’t know a lot of people that have moved to Florida. What’s your point???

I also know a lot of people, who would have never moved if it hadn’t been for their job.

I know a lot of people, that have moved back into the area from the South, to get their children back into a better school system, and, frankly, a better way of life.

As above poster mentioned correctly, a lot of sports people that played in Pittsburgh, have ended up settling here.

I have two lots in Port Charlotte, I know exactly what it’s like down there.

Not doubting that many people would like to retire to warm weather when they get old, or even if they can afford or the job permits, move to a “playground” destination.

I also know, many people, who want to be around their Mother and Father as they get older, like to be around their siblings, and enjoy being around their nieces and nephews, and have no desire to go anywhere.

Also, remember, as nice as Florida can be, many people are of the opinion,

FLORIDA—“America’s Trailer Park”.

@Steelfan, please indulge me,

who would you like to be the next coach????

Jamie Dixon, he’ from California.

Would we consider him a “Pitt guy” now???

He grew up in California, Hollywood area I believe.

Seems to have stayed here for quite awhile now??

Dick Groat?? Pitt guy??? Pittsburgh guy, yes, but “Pitt” guy.

Didn’t go to Pitt, opted for Duke??????

I really don’t know anyone who bleeds blue and gold more than that man.

I’ve heard him practically, and maybe actually cry on the air at the end of many heart breaking losses.

Anyone more “Pitt” than him??? Didn’t go to school at Pitt though..