I have to be honest. I haven’t thought or worried too much about the vacant defensive coordinator position. It isn’t that I don’t want to get it resolved. And obviously I want Coach Chryst to hire someone who is very good at his job (not to mention above average as a recruiter).
It is just that I really didn’t expect a new DC to be hired until after signing day. Most rumors and reports suggested/hinted/implied that Coach Chryst was going to be waiting until after this week to really move on the hire. So it seemed silly to wonder, angst and provide calorie-free updates when there really was no information or expectations.
Well, now we are reaching the point where a hire is going to be made and must be made. Coach Chryst has acknowledged as much during his signing day presser.
Then FootballScoop tweeted out that Coach Chryst was planning on going in-house with co-defensive coordinators. Using Matt House and Chris Haering. With House being in charge of calling the defensive plays. That tweet was quickly refuted by PantherLair. And indeed, FootballScoop quickly walked the co-DC thing back.
At Pitt, local reports say Chryst still looking to bring in a DC (rather than use co-DCs from staff). Our sources says this remains option 1
— FootballScoop Staff (@footballscoop) February 8, 2013
Apologies if prior Pitt tweet was incorrect.
— FootballScoop Staff (@footballscoop) February 8, 2013
Sources say Chryst was not able to get primary target & the co-DC route is a fallback if a better opportunity doesn’t come to fruition soon
— FootballScoop Staff (@footballscoop) February 8, 2013
The last tweet is probably a bit of ass-covering by FootballScoop and/or his source for the info over the goof. At least that is what I’m hoping.
Assuming this is mostly accurate, the issue is that the guy they thought they were going to get or that they targeted did not work out as expected. If so, then Coach Chryst did put himself in a bit of a corner by waiting this long.
They have to hire someone very, very soon with spring practices barely a month away.
He still hasn’t gotten anyone that knows and can really recruit in the mid-Atlantic states. Not to mention Florida and anywhere within the ACC footprint. You would hope that any DC he hires would at least have some ties in that area to help for the future.
This hire is now at a point where it takes on greater importance because it will reveal a lot about Chryst as the head football coach. I’ve found it disturbing how unwilling he has been on most of his hires to venture beyond a certain circle that tied the assistant and position coaches to direct relationships with him. The one exception has been Bobby Engram (who worked with Chryst’s brother) — and by coincidence Engram has been the brightest spot among the coaches with regards to recruiting.
He doesn’t have anyone from his immediate circle of connections that is qualified for the job. If somehow he chose to promote from within, that would be a huge mistake and speak a lot about Chryst. That he doesn’t trust to hire anyone he hasn’t worked with before. That he finds personal connections more important than the coach’s actual ability.
Chryst has said he has conducted interviews. Presumably he has evaluated the candidates. Now he has to make a decision.
So in the vernacular ……..
He has all the bases covered.
(oh I forgot he doesn’t know Chryst or anyone related to Chryst and isn’t from Wisconsin, lol)
And I heard Shannon is looking for a DC position.
Let’s get it done Paul !!!
When Graham was coach, PITT came up with the money to hire some well known assistant coaches.
If they could spend the money then, they can spend it now. Look at it this way Stevie, you didn’t have to pay those asst. coaches in 2012 since Graham left. So you saved some money.
Use that savings and give it to PC to hire a Randy Shannon or a Todd Orlando. Sheesh if FIU can afford to pay Orlando surely we can.
You want to play on Labor Day night against Florida State. Pay the piper so we don’t get embarrassed.
This is ridiculous !!!
Mario went to the Browns I think. His hot wife will love cold Cleveland. She’ll have to learn to like the snow, Lake Erie beaches, that annoying nasal accent, and kielbasa. Another city that is God’s armpit.
Pitt’s athletic department has a decision to make..keep or terminate Agnes Berenato ??
What does this have to do with hiring a DC, well, if dear Agnes still has a few years left on her contract it could cost Smiling Stevie at least 250,000+ dollars to pay her out..you got it, money that Stevie might not want to use toward hiring a top notch DC.
Pitt’s women’s basketball is an absolute disgrace and lo and behold the ACC has quite a few above average women’s teams. Keep Agnes,have money for a DC…fire Agnes and screw Pitt Football??
I said my idea was wacky.
But seriously, there has to be an up an comer out there. Ask the Steelers for help, they came up with Cowher and Tomlin two unknowns they got on the cheap. Turned out ok.
Seems like the HC there is quickly going to become someone everyone enjoys disliking…
archer for one todd orlando for two and larry
coyer.
if he picks house or harring that is bull shit
and pitt or chryst is not thinking of wining
football games.
eather pitt wont pay to get a good DC or chryst
is got a hang up with cronyism or he has got some outher hang up that is fucking his mind up
i dont even know how to put it in words.
but house and haering are unqualified to be DC
and the AD should tell chryst that.
they need to stop with the low budget hire bull shit.
why go to the ACC with out a real DC CHRYST
need to go out of his confert zone and hire the best man for the job even if he has never worked with him.
if it is mat house i am done with pitt football
and if it is house chryst loses all creditabilty with me as does pitt i will know it is all a joke
and wining does not madder to him or them.
The same thing, and for almost the same reason, happened at Ped State and they ran their coach out of State College. For once, Pitt did the right thing and just kept quiet.
I disagree with Stevie P vehemently on almost everything but I know Agnes is the right person for the job. She has a very good class coming in next year and her team is simply very young and outclassed physically by the other BE teams right now.
I urge all of you to lay off her for one more year. And no, we are not related but I have helped her with recruiting in the past.
Randy Shannon is not an option. Too much unresolved NCAA investigation stuff going on at the U to take a chance with him. Pitt will not touch that mess
Dream would be Teryl Austin (recent superbowl winning secondary coach for Baltimore) but he probably will not go for that pump fake again.
When all fails go to the MAC. Everyone else does.
Either way it is time to close this search out and announce a DC. Go with the best available candidate.
if we go to the ACC with house as a DC pitt and chryst are a joke what bull shit hire todd orlando or mike archer hire some one from the MAC.
BUT DONT FEED ME BULL SHIT WITH HOUSE AND TELL ME IT IS OK.
I know I know, damaged goods, blah blah. But it’s time for us to turn the page — and we’re not even nitters (i.e., he didn’t do anything to us…). In fact, unless I missed a news item, TB isn’t the one in prison with a life sentence for doing unspeakable things to minors….
His recruiting ability in the region is without peer.
And he’s a loyal guy, witness by how long he stayed at Ped State. After he was unceremoniously bounced by the Nits after DECADES of service, bet his loyalty goes up.
Makes so much sense, which means it will never happen.
chryst come on show me you want to win get rid of your hang ups
I mean acting like it’s the end of the world is ridiculous.
i dont think you have posted on here before .
nothing i have said is ridiculous not if you care abought pitt football.
and we dont attack one and another on here
so act like a grown up or get off .
And with good reason.
No way can you hire Bradley and besides the enormous baggage, he’s not known by PC.
If you’re gonna go with someone outside of PC’s circle of friends/etc., you’d go with Orlando.
They better hire someone that knows what the f*ck they’re doing. We can change our image of the last 30 years, with our entry into the ACC.
The people down here don’t realize how mediocre PITT has been. They still confuse us with our glory years and maybe Ped State. lol
Let’s do it right, sheesh. This isn’t brain surgery.
Sure I wanted PC to stay since we couldn’t afford …YET ANOTHER…coaching change in 3 straight years.
But he didn’t do anything spectacular to warrant my wanting him to stay besides that.
We had one of the easiest schedules in the last 60 years at PITT and we went .500. And lost to our first EVER D-2 opponent.
So he better hire a good DC !!!
We all know Frankcan….we don’t know YOU !
So until we do….STFU !
and the thought is that were a big time program
and it is time to act like it.
EMel that fits right in with what you just said.
and it is the point i have been trying to make
how big time are you if you cant hire a real DC.
Money is and will always be an issue, but if we have a pissing contest going on at this point in time, Stevie needs to go. But what else is new.
This is a crucial hire, get it done right, NO MORE DRAMA
We do need to act like a bigtime program, because….hey we ARE one !!
PITT football and basketball games garner very good rating on whatever Network televises them.
We have a brand people want to watch. Besides PITT alumni.
Much I as usually enjoy your comments, get serious about Tom Bradley.
The trial of the top 3 Ped State administrators has yet to EVEN begin. PITT can ill afford to hire someone who was part of the Ped State football program, as who knows what revelations might come OUT OF that TRIAL.
It is CERTAINLY NOT, “time to turn the page” on the nitters. Not even close to that time imo.
i just want us to hire a real DC like outher schools do no mat house who has been a db coach for what one year.
if we are a big time school act like one hire a real DC IS THAT TO MUTCH TO ASK.
I am not calling Chryst a wizard by any means, yet he’s seemingly pulled many a rabbit from his hat; left & right.
Berenato… what happened to her program? Agree with all the positives people said but wow this program has totally blown up… and if half the team walked out on you what does that mean? honest question BTW…
would be great if it was other factors and she turned it around next year. Have seen her in action in our community. Good person, good family.
…Someone had blundered:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
….Rode the six hundred.
Alfred Tennyson
Ha ha, thank you Justinian!!!
Ok, better talk some football.
I have to admit, I got nothing on the DC. I really don’t know who is out there, so just from reading some stuff around the internet and on here, some observations:
1. Don’t tell me we’re hiring from within. Hopefully that just was the rumor people said it was. That would be a sign we held out, didn’t get who we wanted, now have to scramble.
2. Hopefully if PC didn’t get who he wanted, he had a list, with more than just one person. Hopefully he had in his mind, a #2, #3 and #4.
3. Not panic time. If he was waiting for someone after the Super Bowl, and it didn’t pan out, he gets a week or two, to reorganize, interview and get someone.
I’m not saying we should be paying assistants Alabama or USC money. Are we rolling in money, no, but we have gotten a significant increase.
We should no longer be nickle and diming assistant coaching positions.
You moved to the ACC. I’m assuming we didn’t move to the ACC to be Wake Forest. If that was the case, we could have just stayed in the Big East if there was not going to be an emphasis on winning.
On a positive note. Regarding my reference to Wake Forest, and the move to the ACC.
I’d rather play Wake Forest than any team in the Big East. Can’t wait for the road trip to check out their campus!!!
Can we get away game basketball tickets?? Is there such a thing?? I know you can get them for football.
How about hoops?? Say for Duke or UNC, does the visiting team get 500 hundred or even a couple hundred tickets to sell???
Never looked into it before. Just wondering.
Dan, You can get away basketball tickets by calling the ticket office. I got tickets to Georgetown this year. The location of the seats varies from place to place. I’d imagine it is going to be really tough to get Duke tickets cause the place is so small.
i have not yet begun to fight dont give up the ship
jpj
never has so much been owed to so few
winston churchill
I too agree that Berenato is the right coach, but Pederson will not support her or the team. He makes Pitt not a coaching destination. Coaches need to be able to coach, and recruit, and recruit the best coaches that will make the team a success. Anything less in support equates to mediocrity. Mediocrity or less is where we have been in Steve Pederson’s reign over the department.
Case in point, look at the college challenge cup.Where does Pitt place? Are they even in the top 50 as an entire program? He is a joke in the industry. You never hear him mentioned for any other job. Why? He is Pitt’s major problem. At some point the Board will wake up and understand the importance of the “Brand” and how sports adds to the academic excellence of an institution in the form of higher visibility, higher applications, etc. I would task the blatherites to go to major universities board of trustee meetings when athletics is presenting and sit in on the meetings. The highest ranked athletic programs, also prioritize the brand and reputation of the athletic squads as they promote athletics.
@FRANKCAN, good stuff!! Hope you are well!
know he would have tons of choices.
than that is what he should do they are out there
Pitt is in the ACC now and it is time to act like
it .
house is unqualifed.
mike archer or todd orlando are good choices.
Jim Harbaugh is a punk.
I’m still reeling from the 2009 football loss.
Billy Joel said it well, You may be wrong for all I know, but you may be right.
But here’s what I know: the best recruiter on Pitt’s staff was “Part of the Ped State program”, his name is Bobby Engram.
Always cheer for Duquesne and Robert Morris when they aren’t playing Pitt.
Bobby Mo always good, Duquesne…a cryin’ shame on that athletic dept..
#23 PITT @ #17 UC Bearcats (18-5, 6-4)
UC is coming off a road loss to Providence 50-54
Pitt is coming of a sluggish win over Seton Hall 56-46.
We can definitely knock the Bearcats out of the rankings with a win. As they can do likewise to us.
Battle to stay in the Top 25
Miami is undefeated in the ACC, who would have thunk it. Bodes well for PITT, Syracuse & Louisville in their entries into the ACC.
The difference between Engram and Bradley is this:
Engram never coached at Ped State, he ONLY played their and he played offense as well. So he never was around Sandusky, as the pedo was a Defensive coach.
Whereas Bradley did coach at Ped State and he worked quite closely with Sandusky as they were both defensive coaches. In fact Bradley’s boss was Sandusky as DC for 20 years, worked under him and took over for him as DC after Sandusky was outed. In 20 years under Sandusky, there remains lots of questions as to what Bradley knew or didn’t know. Unless he was absolutely clueless, he had to have known something.
That is the difference between Engram & Bradley.
We’re going to have to deal with the new basketball power in the ACC then alcofan.
Miami leads UNC at halftime 44-27.
Though Miami’s arena only sits 7,000 and the announcers noted it wasn’t totally sold out.
That’s amazing.
I’ll predict 30% of them will lose.
First one already has as #3 Michigan loses in OT to Wisconsin.
@ Coach Ditka, agree wholeheartedly. Tired of hearing about them. ^^
Definitely seems to be the dude who put the stick in the spokes of PC’s search… bet these guys thought it was a done deal after the superbowl.
Then the prick factor kicked in and screwed the deal…
yeah with PC’s brother there everyone just has to grin and bear it…
Rookie move not having a backup ready but that is ok… let’s see how PC responds.
Pathetic, really.
It’s up on Gretawire, she’s obviously demented, delusional…whatever. What’s she gonna come out and say,
“yes we are all evil pedophiles up here in Creepy Valley and Joe was the head ringmaster.”
You can tell this was written for her.
Here it is:
P.S. In actuality this is mis-titled as many news stories are, this is no opening up on Sandusky at all. This is just a letter defending the Pope of Creepy Valley’s reputation.
I can not remember a season that one team (in this case Miami) absolutely destroyed both Duke & North Carolina on their home court. Previously Miami tore up Duke 90-63 in Coral Gables.
Today’s final:
Miami 87 North Carolina Tarheels 61
UNC was never in the game, falling behind 9-0 from the onset, NEVER had the lead and were behind by 17 at the half. This after Roy Boy Huckleberry Hound said on his radio show Thursday nite, that UNC had turned the corner.
With today’s beatdown and PITT and Syracuse and then Louisville entering the ACC, the balance of power in the ACC, might finally be shifting from Tobacco Road. Hard to believe !!
Interesting nobody authored (or at least took credit) the ESPN story you linked.
What is ESPN trying to do, exonerate Paterno, which would then lead to exonerating Ped State, with this supposed “exclusive panel” of authors of the new report. Of course this “new report”
was funded by the Paternos. lol
I can imagine what it’s conclusions will already be.
Do they actually think people are that stupid.
Trying to pass the blame onto Pennsylvania Child Services when in fact all of them were contributing money to the Pedo’s 2nd Mile front, is the ultimate in hypocrisy. Which is typical of people in higher learning today.
These people (or more correctly creatures) are vile and quite disgusting. If you can’t see right thru these creatures, you aren’t looking very closely.
I wish PITT would just back out of our planned 4 football games with this disgusting university.
end of line 3
“and subsequent investigation is an indictment of ALL of them.
@Emel – the picture you painted of bradley working”under” the ped master, was not pretty. I almost puked! Thanks for that visual…not!
“Pitt may be in for a transition period upon joining the ACC and you shouldn’t get your hopes up. The ACC is a whole different world and fan obsession is unlike anything you’ve seen before.”
Too funny…I think it’s the Research Triangle that’s in for a bit of transition.
Will some fantastically wealthy Pitt booster please donate seven figures to the athletic department in order to make this happen.
Dammit Steve get with the program.
https://twitter.com/PittScriptLogo/status/299175579465416704/photo/1
