I’m only now home and with some time to sit down and post on what is old news: Pitt will have the same coach from the regular season coach the team in Birmingham. Something that is actually unique for the program.
The buzz last night and at the start of the morning was that it looked like Chryst wasn’t leaving Pitt. The message he and his assistants were getting out to the 2013 recruits was much more forceful than it would be if he was even torn on the idea. By comparison, Louisville Coach Charlie Strong told his players that he was deciding about what was best for his family before deciding to stay with the Cards.
Still, it was his alma mater. It was his home state. There are a lot of reasons he could change his mind. And, frankly, until there was something more tangible, the possibility he could decide to go back to Madison would be hanging over everything.
Enter Wisconsin AD and interim HC Barry Alvarez in a press conference today.
Question: Barry, you know how popular Paul Chryst is around here, and his name is going to be out there until proven otherwise. Is he a viable option to be the next head coach here?
Alvarez: I asked some very good friends of mine to help Paul get that job. I think Paul has already come out and said that he’s committed to Pitt. I think he should be committed to Pitt. I wouldn’t think it would be right for him to leave after one year. I wouldn’t feel right, and I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to hire him back after I asked someone to do me a favor and help him get that job.
So Paul’s going to stay at Pitt.
And there was much rejoicing.
The relief from Pitt fans was tangible. The praise for Barry Alvarez was sung.
The one thing that nags at me — just a little — is it really that simple?
Is it simply that Barry Alvarez didn’t want to try and persuade Chryst to go back on his word to Pitt and the incoming recruits? That he didn’t want to betray the trust of old (and rich) friends to whom he sang the praises of Chryst?
There’s a lot of reason to believe it. After all, Alvarez has a history of not only shooting straight, but not shutting up. So that he reveals more than others. Way back in 2010 when before Nebraska was brought into the Big 10, you had all the Big 10 honchos and the member schools power players denying any active searching for a 12th member and expanding the conference. But along comes Barry Alvarez to just share plenty. And when he said the Big 10 wasn’t doing any expansion in 2011, it was accurate.
In a business where everyone lies. Everyone spins. Alvarez seems the exception. Old school as a former coach that transitioned to the athletic director. Blunt and honest with people. Secure in his position and beloved by the fans and the school so he has no real reason to be afraid of the politics.
But…
Maybe Chryst simply turned him down, and Alvarez was the one spinning. Chryst doesn’t seem to care too much about a lot of the politics, but a large part of Alvarez’s job is dealing with the politics. Fans don’t take it well when a top choice says no to them. Hurts their psyche to think others don’t perceive their program’s job to be the jewel that it obviously is. Since Chryst does owe Alvarez a little, it wouldn’t be much skin off of Chryst’s back to let Alvarez put it out there that Wisconsin wasn’t going to pursue him.
If you read a lot more of the press conference you can pick up quite a bit of how self-aggrandizing, cocky and arrogant Alvarez can be. (Which might help to explain why he hand-picked Bielema to be his successor.) Heck, his statement on Chryst can easily be read as, “I could have brought Chryst here if I wanted, but I’m such a good and honorable guy — which you should all know — I deigned it just and wise to leave Chryst in Pittsburgh.”
Maybe it was a bit of ass-covering because Alvarez — in his position at Wisconsin — realized it just didn’t make financial sense to hire Chryst. Consider that the salary he would have to offer Chryst would be at around $2 million per year. Then there is the $6 million buyout. So just to keep the numbers simple (and not worry about present values versus future values of the money) pretend the contract would be for 6 years. That $2 million annual salary is actually a $3 million cost. Chryst has a lot of promise as a coach, but he is not worth $3 million per year.
Chryst’s popularity with the fans and even the players would make trying to put forth the fiscal prudent argument difficult. Especially in light of Bret Bielema taking shots at Wisconsin for not paying his assistants.
Ultimately, it really doesn’t matter. I’m still basking in the sense of relief. The joy of knowing I won’t have to get all worked up over another coaching search for this year. And more importantly, the smallest sense of stability starting to return to the football program. Actually seeing a signing day class with the same coach who initially recruited the kids.
In the words of the high school secretary in Ferris Bueller.
The world is so full of BS artists I want to believe there is maybe…..just maybe one other person like myself out there. lol
Thank you very much !
Oy Vey ! (still going strong)
P.S. and managed to squeeze in my annual doctor exam.
I see where we are having 5 visits this weekend by the following recruits:
Alex Officer – G
Justin Moody – DT
Jaleel Hytche – CB
Blake McClain – CB
Jaryd Jones Smith – OT
I am curious how many scholarships are available for this class. There are still other big names we need to hold some for such as
Robert Foster – WR
Tyler Boyd – WR
Terrish Webb – WR
Kenton Gibbs – DT
Do the recruits that are enrolling early count on last years class? We have 19 currently and I thought 25 was the maximum. I am excited to see how we finish up this years group.
I am persuaded by actions. In the end, they are all that matter.
HTP
All that matters is that Pitt has the same coach, and thus a modicum of stability.
Even if Chryst ultimately turns out to be a dud, it would have been disastrous for the program had he left.
On top of which the HC had some very questionable decision making this season.
I understand and appreciate the need for stability but only at PITT would this be earthshaking.
Again, very glad he’s staying but am somewhat amused by the whole incident.
Coach Chryst had an interesting baptism in his first year at being a head coach. Regardless of our won / loss record, we need stability in our football program foremost. Hopefully, Paul will be here for at least his first graduating class that he recruited. HTP!
I prefer to believe we have just witnessed the behavior of two guys with ethics, a rare commodity these days.
Am I the only guy in Panther Nation who is looking at this situation and shrugging my shoulders thinking who cares?
The way I think, there is no issue here. If Chryst is the person that I feel he is, he went into this hire realizing that one of the criteria for his employment was giving stability to the program, especially considering Pitt going to the ACC in 2013. He also strikes me as a guy who sincerely is interested in building something here at Pitt. Considering this is his first head coaching job, I see him cutting his teeth on this Pitt job, making his share of mistakes, learning as he goes along, improving his recruiting techniques etc., all of which improves his worth as a head coach into the future.
Chryst is only 47, he has another 20 years of coaching left in him if he desires it, and right now he doesn’t need to feel that the Wisconsin job is a once in a lifetime lost opportunity if he is offered it and he turns it down. Now that doesn’t mean that he can’t use this as an opportunity to improve his situation at Pitt, especially if he interviews for the Wisky HC job and is offered the position. If that transpires then it is Pederson’s ass that is in a sling, if he screws those negotiations up. Because then, Coach Chryst bargains for a little more money maybe and a little more power maybe and a little more of whatever he wants to put out there to sweeten the deal for him and the Pitt football program going forward. But that is why, IMO his statement was somewhat vague. LEVERAGE my friends, the guy isn’t stupid.
Coach Chryst is still earning the right to be called a head coach. The way I see it, he strikes me as a man who wants to prove that he can turn a major college football program around, earn a name for himself and take this responsibility to it’s full potential. I really feel that he’s here for like 5 years because that is how long it will take for him to figure out if his influence on the program is going to result in those goals coming to fruition. Believe it or not, there are still some people left in this world who think along those lines and care about how their decisions effect the larger picture around them.
I know there will be plenty of you out there that will read this and think that old Dr. Tom is a sap who doesn’t comprehend the current mindset of the modern male in this current society and that the $$$$$ and selfishness of looking out for #1 trumps everthing else nowdays. Sorry, I just don’t see Chryst playing this situation that way. Now Todd Graham,,,,,GONE IN A HEARTBEAT!!! Chryst, he is a different breed.
The Wisconsin job will open up again in the future and who knows five years from now after Coach Chryst has earned his medals at Pitt and has increased his exposure through coaching in the ACC for a few years, he goes off to Wisconsin after the next guy leaves at Wisky, but for now I feel Coach Chryst is solid, if not then FIRE PEDERSON before we hire our next football coach and start ALL over. We’ll see.
Well, we saw, and Paul Chryst has shown us that his commitment to Pitt is sincere. So where does that leave us a month before we take on Old Miss in a mean nothing bowl game?
It means that we have an individual at the wheel that wants to put his stamp on this program! Chryst has something to prove. Considering this is his first head coaching job, he has no resume to speak of when interviewing for such positions at other universities. That doesn’t mean that he was not on Wisconsin’s short list for the HC job, since at least there he was a known entity there, but really, what has he shown the coaching world that he has to offer as a HC up to this point?
There is the rub. This guy strikes me as an honest, blue collar, hard working, meat and potato, what you see is what you get kind of person. That is a good fit for Pitt football and their fan base.
IMO, Chryst wants to take this program from the ground up and assemble a team that has a roster full of players who want to play the game at 100%, want to win and are not resistant to doing what is necessary to have that winning philosophy transpire on the field of play.
With this lastest development, I see Pitt football at a turning point that I’ve not seen since Majors showed up the first time around. Us moving to the ACC, Tino finally graduating and now Chyrst demonstrating that he intends to be here for the long haul has the potential to propel this program into being really competitve again.
How this recruiting class pans out as well as how the QB competition transpires in Spring ball is going to be huge going forward. If we pick up either Boyd or Foster in this recruiting class and if the offensive line continues to improve next year with another season of Chryst coaching, most of the starters on the defense coming back and I think we got a real team on our hands.
With that the “wait until next year” mantra actually has some validity this time around, IMO. BUT, as always, we’ll see.
In the mean time however, glad that you’re still with us Coach, Go beat the snot out of Old Miss, and of course, Hail to Pitt!
But I’m a little rankled by this:
“So Paul’s going to stay at Pitt.”
Is Alvarez running Pitt’s athletic department? He talks about Pitt here like it’s Wisconsin’s AAA coaching organization. What a jag.
Alvarez says within five minutes of having Bielema tell him in person that he was leaving for Arkansas, he met with the agent for the current Head Coach who is at the top of his list of candidates.
At first glance, this flies in the face of the contention that Chryst was potentially the frontrunner for the job.
However, it could also be that Alvarez either had an inkling that Bielema was leaving or better yet specific knowledge that he was in negotiation with Arkansas.
I lean toward the latter. Alvarez is obviously an operator when it comes to maneuvering under the radar (i.e. the strings he pulled to help get Chryst the job at Pitt). His commments suggest he likely had been tipped off about Bielema and Arkansas giving him time to decice that he could not in good conscience go after Chryst.
As to the reasons Bielema left for Arkansas. Money is certainly one. However, Bielema apparently also told the team that a major reason he was leaving for Arkansas was that he wanted to win a “championship,” taken to mean “National Championship.”
When this came up at his news conference, Alvarez said Bielema had told him the same thing.
Pretty obvious that the “championship” explanation burned any legacy Bielema may have built in Madison with his three Rose Bowl teams.
What does continue to concern me is the relative fecklessness of Mr. Pederson. Isn’t it troubling that our AD was chopped off at the knees in his last coaching search by prominent boosters and his University’s flagship athletic program was granted stability by another University’s athletic chief.
What exactly are the Pitt trustees paying Steve Pederson hundreds of thousands of dollars for?
Pitt also crushed Virginia Tech and Rutgers and came within a field goal in OT of beating the No.1 team in the land on their home turf. Let’s not forget what he was able to do with Tino. I think most of the Pitt faithful is very excited about Pitt’s future with Chryst.
He is a very ethical guy….he loves coach Chryst….really…like a son and really does think he will be a top coach in football….as the AD of Wisconsin his boosters said he has the duty to do what is right by them….he said being ethical is doing right by them! I am quoting a booster from Wisconsin, they said the would raise the moneey for the buy out……Alvarez said… Paul needs to be at Pitt. I made a promise and went all out with Pitt to get him this chance. I cal it God, some call it Karma, but u can not put everything u got in a guy and tel a major University that u guarantee sucess then stab them in the heart. When I am retired doing those things are what haunt the soul!
Comment by ECH”
That sir, is the question. Our AD was powerless and the saddest part is, we were better off that way.
I am asking Santa Claus that Cyanide Steve not have a contract renewed and that we ask BA if he can find us an AD.
Once Chyrst gets more of his players in and establishes his system, hopefully the consistency becomes a part of that.
There was a reason Wisconsin fans, players, etc.. where clamoring for Chyrst. I’m sold on the fact he made Tino a “decent” QB.
As far as Im concerned they are a classy athletic department and they got one new fan in me. I wint be rooting for any other team more Wisconsin, except for my Alma Mater! Hail to Pitt!!!
“Pederson’d”, I like it.
REAL EFFIN’ SIMPLE.
Yes, update the material, the fit, the protection of the helmet, just like other teams with their traditional uniforms have done.
As for the colors, the script and the striping, just put it back the way it was.
It’s so simple. It’s a ball on a tee waiting for a homerun to be hit.
Make a lot of fans happy, plus the marketing would be out of this world.
If they ever would, I will say this now, with utmost confidence, somehow, Pederson will Pederson it up.
He will add a purple stripe, or make the helmet camoflauge, or leave Pitt script off the helmet and put it on the sleave instead.
Will take the stripes off the pants, will make it “his” version of what the Gold or Blue should be.
That’s why as a big proponet of bringing the Pitt script back, I know it will have some futuristic zombie look to it.
Or, we’ll have 12 different combinations or something that will have people saying,
“If they were gonna do this, why didn’t they just go back to the script and color scheme that most people wanted back”.
So, that is why I can’t get too excited.
1. Will they ever actually do it??
2. If they do, are they gonna eff it up or do it right????
He made tremendous progess with Tino.
The team progressed. Won their last two.
Ya, 6-6, some bumps in the road, but first year, and with the looming recruiting class, I’m pretty pumped up for Pitt football’s future.
Could dud out, sure, anyone can. Best I’ve felt about Panther football in quite awhile.
And, I’m really pumped for the game against SEC OLE MISS!!!
Birmingham?? 3 years in a row?? Ya, not much fun for the kids I guess. But, they’ll have big meals, and be taken to cool things for them to do.
Me personally, not able to go this year. Watching on tv, so it doesn’t really matter where the actuall football field is.
Pumped up, beat OLE MISS, Hail to Pitt!!!
http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120712aaa.html
Interesting.
My reactions: (a) It’s about damn time!!, (b) I hope they make it permanent.
I know WVU is your rival. Maybe we will play them again at some point.
But, I’ll tell you from experience.
Give Pitt-PSU a try. It will be in your office, in will be in your neighborhood, it will be in the bars you frequent, the stores you shop.
So many more PSU’ers around than WVU’s, much more fun and exciting. I mean thousands more, makes the rivalry that much more intense!!!!!
They start the “Shit on Pitt” stuff, I believe we have quite a bit of ammunition to lob back!!!!!!!
on another note. let’s look at louisville and their commitment to their athletics program. they are positioning themselves well for the continued realignments among the football powers. it’s time to insist that our administration make similar moves to demonstrate our commitment to ensure that we’re at the big boy table. it’s time for the “dear old uni” to open some purse strings. but it doesn’t stop there. time for us fans to do the same thing. (filling the yellow seats will help also.)
also glad about the psu extension. but i’m one of the old farts faulted by the younger generation.
keep calm
hail to pitt
On my last two trips to State College Pitt won.
Those were games to be remembered.
1) Interesting take by Reed. Perhaps it is true. Perhaps it isn’t. Either way we will not know why UW is without Chryst (Chryst, BA, or 6 Million?)
2) Let’s give credit where credit is due. Having a 6M buyout was a very good decision. Why? Not that it would prevent Chryst from leaving. It was a nice bump in the road that when all other things being even it may bring reservation. Big time programs will pay it (Alabama, OSU, USC, Tx etc). Second tier programs will think twice. Give Nordy and JC credit for this one. Folks, Nordy is the real deal and PITT is better for it.
3) Chryst seems honorable and my guess is that why he may have listened his character said NO. Just doesn’t strike me as the prostitute type we saw in Fraud Graham
4) Must be exciting for Chryst to put HIS stamp on HIS program and not live in the shadow of BA. So long as BA is alive UW will always be his program. At PITT Chryst can be the savior (Think Pop Warner, Jock Sutherland, Johhny, and Jackie). We are going on 31 years without a signature coach who can take ownership of this program. That must be appealing to Chryst. Build it yourself type guy. I am sold on the guy!
5) Jump to ACC must be a good feeling. Competing against Clemson, FSU, Miami, Gtech, Vtech, UNC must be exciting. Not sure if we hold him if we are competing against Rutgers, Temple, UConn, USF, and the next mid major. Must also be exciting to have access to the southern athlete. A different athlete indeed.
I am feeling GREAT about the future of PITT and Coach Chryst. In fact, about to purchase 6 tickets to the BBVA bowl (or whatever it is called)
Bring back the old PITT script for the ACC inaugural season and I will be completely fulfilled.
The top of the league is rock-solid strong, with six nationally relevant programs in Syracuse, Louisville, Cincinnati, Georgetown, Notre Dame and, yes, I’m buying — Pittsburgh
be OG Alex Officer.
and i think we get Foster on the 21st dont know abought boyd.
Thanks FRANKCAN.
I’m sure we are all happy with Pitt’s academic success over the years.
This is a sports blog.
As long as the university keeps telling the fans we’re in this for championships which they have with every new coach hire………..
then fans have every right to expect championships!!!
Love the academics, love the sports.
Both can co-exist, as quite a few universities show us every year in football and basketball.
You talk championships in sports, expect fans to want championships in sports.
Don’t be suprised or appalled when they do!
Here is something from the I know a person who knows a person who knows another person, that knows PSU’s present athletic director.
Says he has said many times, “the game should have never been discontinued”.
Sounds promising!!
HTP!
What I really find funny however is the consistantly obnoxious superior attitude that the nitters continue to possess, especially considering their Sandusky pedo sex scandle cover up that is still fresh in everyone’s mind. They just make it soooo easy to hate penn state.
Personally, I will once again enjoy dusting off my old “penn state SUCKS” chant for use in the next few years. What really excites me however, is that I feel that these programs are going in different directions right now, and by that I mean that Pitt is on the up swing. I think that the quality of penn state football is going to be subpar at best come 2016, the first year that the rivalry returns, after 4 seasons of the NCAA’s limited scholarships punishment.
I just hope that Joe Paterno doesn’t F this up, oh right, he’s dead. Hail to Pitt!
HTP!
That was taken away to be politically correct.
Who it harmed, I’ll never know.
Penn Staters I know, have always been disappointed it was taken away. They loved it, part of the rivalry.
it cant be a bad thing to say it.
so when you say penn state sucks penn state sucks
it is ok becuse penn state sucks.
hail to PITT.
I can see myself in the parking lot with a couple
Anchor Steams in me as some Penn St fans walk by…
“Penn State sucks, eh, if ya know what I mean, eh??? Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk”!!!!!!
unless the MSU AD was referring to PITT & Cuse, that is. lol
He said no but he could carve it on my chest and he started to come over the counter at me.
Fortunately my drunken buddies pulled me away and we all staggered back to my van.
The good old days.
Then hang a sign on it.
reading naturally,
Penn State sucks !
Abens Cajuste 6 foot 3 305 pounds
Good to see an additional 2 PITT/Pee Wee State games
It would be nice …eventually….to see the game moved to the last game of the season, like it always was.
So the taunting and hate of both fan bases can be built upon thru out the whole season. Leading up to the game, which was always played around
Thanksgiving Friday or Sat.
As all the big rival games are the last game of the season, OSU/Mich, UF/FSU, GT/UGA, Kansas/Wvcc
They are our ONLY rival as far as I have ever been concern. Attended my first game in 1962 and did not miss one until 1982.
but he has 2 vists besides pitt he is looking around but to ansewer you abought 12 schools
like AZ AZS Baylor to many to list
but we are his last vist i like that.
Maybe GT (second in fans to GA) but splitting NC and VA I doubt.
a RB who is a soft verbel to cinci.
he had offers from illinois tenn purdue wasnington
and there coach butch jones is gone.
he is from AKRON a 3 star.
and i think we could use a RB.
It would also put Buttgers on a cold isolated island that would be very hard to overcome.
I’ve heard some stuff emanating from Creepy Valley as well.
The money issue is moot, as if Ped State came into the ACC, along with ND, “All Broadwell” as we say now, would be about the same as the Little 11 after all the negotiations with our lord & master ESPN (ie. daddy sugar bucks).
And with ND, PITT, Ped State, BC, Cuse, Miami, GT and all the other somewhat smaller TV markets, a ACC network could be launched a lot easier now, than previously when it mostly smaller southern tv markets. And that increases the TV revenue even that much more.
Also I’m hearing PSU might want a clean do over or restart if you like in the ACC after they come off probation. And they’re not real happy how the Little 11 “piled on” after the NCAA penalties
Also they don’t really have a school that considers them “The Rival” (lol while now MD & RU will hope to become that “Rival”, but that’s gonna always be a one-sided thing as it won’t be felt on the PSU side) and they haven’t liked being treated as a step-child all these years. PLUS, lightweights MD AND Buttgers are being placed in their conf, which means those recruiting territories that were dominated by the Nitters all these years, being the only Big 10 team that recruited there, will now HAVE TO BE SHARED.
So as you can see, there was some sentiment out there in Creepy Valley, BEFORE the Little 11 penalties and BEFORE MD & RU into the L1G and BEFORE ND to the ACC, now that that has all happened, it just adds that much more fuel to the fire, so to speak.
So it’s back to normal now on the Blather, we can talk about Expansionapocolypse again.
Since your our recruiting guru, how many scholies do we have left to offer?
The RB from Akron sounds enticing, is he a bulldozer type like Shell or a gamebreaker/scatback like Ray Ray ?
We need the later type imo.
My guess is the Swoffard is wheeling and dealing on possible penn st defection. Dangling ACC network, natural rival (PITT) , less travel, and surer route to national championship. The only problem… That 24 M payout from BIG whatever. If big daddy (ESPN) and agree to renegotiate a deal for a 16 team ACC with Penn St then this will get interesting.
All of the Cards are in ESPN’s hands. Will get interesting in the next 2-3 years when those scholarship losses kick in and the Big whatever continues to treat penn st like red headed step child
No one is leaving the Big Ten. Too much money. Too much prestige.
And the ACC is a more prestigious conference Academic wise. So that issue is a moot point right now.
And sports wise, for ALL sports the ACC is better.
The only prestige PSU gets is that of a step-child and now worse.
Next time I see Swofford in Charlotte I’ll ask. lol
UCONN to the Bug ten makes more sense.
PSU will come if ND does and vice versa. If that happens first, no one in their right mind would leave the ACC.
PSU is never, repeat, NEVER going to take the Big Ten away from OSU and UofM. Never. For God’s sake, PSU has lost about 80% of their games against those two. In hoops, PSU has lost something like 15 straight to OSU! How pathetic is that?!
They will always be second rate occupants.
In the ACC however, they won’t have that problem.
Time will tell but I bring PSU and ND in with an offer no one can refuse!
Then Alverez gives this press conference to make it sound like it was his idea.
Alverez said they also turned away a school from the big 10 for acedemic reasons and expansion was to appease Penn St.
are going to go over the 25 limt i think we will take 30 commits and fit then in some how.
cinci took 28 last year.
and the RB is a fast one .
Dan was instrumental in screwing up Tech’s football season tickets seats requiring “donations” to reserve seats in Bobby Dodd stadium. Given that Tech has the same proble that Pitt has filling seats, the season ticketholders didn’t take kindly to their AD.
Tech is still looking for an Athletic Director to replace Dan, maybe Steve should apply. On second thought, I wouldn’t wish Steve on my second alma mater. But… HTP!
