Pro Day for Pitt seniors. Plenty of snippets on Twitter regarding it.
One of the themes that constantly emerges from the recent spate of articles on Pitt and new football coach Pat Narduzzi is that Pitt is not in for a rebuild or a complete remaking of itself with a new head coach.
In the open workout that the media got to attend on Friday, Strength and Conditioning Coach Dave Andrews echoed that point.
Strength and conditioning coach Dave Andrews said the previous coaching staff put down a solid foundation.
“This is an add-on job for me,” said Andrews, who spent last season as Notre Dame’s assistant strength coach. “This is not a tear-down-and-rebuild. The gentlemen who came before us have done a great job preparing these kids.”
It’s a nice nod to the former coaches, but it is also what the players and fans should hear.
Before the start of last season, 2015 was looked at as the season where Pitt could really take a big step forward. 2014 was expected to be a bridge year — better than it turned out — but still a bridge year. For all the questions on defense, that still hasn’t changed.
4. What does Narduzzi bring to Pitt?
There is just one new head coach in the ACC this time around. And, once again, he resides in the Steel City. Pat Narduzzi is the fourth different head coach to open a spring in Pittsburgh since 2010, but he walks into a pretty good situation. The Panthers boast junior studs in James Conner and Tyler Boyd on offense, and Narduzzi’s defensive roots should prove valuable to a Panthers unit that struggled down the stretch last season.
Pitt has a solid offense in place.
And in a USA Today article, Narduzzi states that the state of the program was part of what made the Pitt job the one he wanted.
“There couldn’t have been a better fit,” Narduzzi said. “I knew it was the one. There wasn’t any doubt. It’s got everything.
“I think you’ve got the ability to do big things here. How long will it take? Who knows. There’s no guarantee on success. But I think we can build here. I think we’ve got the tools to get it done.”
Winning championships, Narduzzi’s long-term goal, will be a long-term process. Yet with a roster growing in experience at his disposal –Pittsburgh will return 15 starters in 2015, among the most in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and has stars in running back James Conner and wide receiver Tyler Boyd –there’s some reason to think the Panthers won’t hit a learning-curve wall in his debut season.
And then there’s the idea that toughness, so rooted in Pittsburgh’s DNA, will find quick studies among a roster, program and coaching staff only too happy to embrace the clichéd.
“That’s what we want to be,” Chaney said. “I don’t think you need to reinvent the wheel. The culture of Pittsburgh is what it is. The university fits in that culture. We do. We’ll be the different team. We’ll be the tough kids on the block.”
Well worth reading the whole article. From opening with all the Steel City cliches — with a bit of a wink and a nod — to this part.
Pittsburgh wasn’t the first program to identify Narduzzi for a potential job opening; Connecticut did the same, among others, drawn to both his defensive background and the front-row seat he held in Michigan State’s climb. When contacted by other schools, however, Narduzzi would first go to Dantonio, asking for his thoughts — but he didn’t with Pittsburgh, certain that he’d found the best fit.
Before he was hired, one of the criticisms that was made about Pat Narduzzi is that he still hadn’t been a head coach. Content to be a well-paid assistant rather than go out on his own. There’s a difference, though, in Narduzzi and and say VT DC Bud Foster.
Bud Foster up until a few years ago — when interest in him started to drop — never gave the vibe of a coach actually willing to leave the safety of VT. He would get asked about an open job, and give an answer to the effect of, “If they want to talk to me about it, I’ll be willing to listen.”
Now that could simply be public posturing to placate the fans of VT and the bosses there. Giving a little more than a simple “no comment,” yet not actually saying he would be seriously interested. Maybe behind the scenes his agent and him were begging for the chance. But he publicly put it out there, that if another school wanted him they would have to pursue him.
It may seem like a good negotiating strategy to put yourself in the position of strength, but when you are one of many candidates and lack the actual head coaching experience. You either better be damn sure they want you or really don’t want to leave.
Narduzzi made it known quickly that he wanted the job. There are always plenty of other things to discuss, negotiate and evaluate in these situations; but having it resolved whether the candidate really wants the job or not makes it more likely to take it beyond an interview.
Sorry for the digression.
The USA Today article also mentions Narduzzi bringing certain approaches and plans to Pitt from Michigan State. Something that was also echoed in recent local stories.
Pitt has been working out over the past few weeks, including twice a week at 5:30 a.m., to prepare for Narduzzi’s first spring practice, which starts March 15.
Narduzzi calls the early morning workouts his “fourth-quarter program,” designed to instill mental and physical toughness that will carry over onto the field this fall.
“We try to develop our guys to win in the fourth quarter,” Narduzzi said after the latest session Friday morning. “It’s a toughness thing, mentally and physically.”
It’s something Narduzzi said he has done in previous coaching stops as an assistant at Michigan State and Cincinnati.
Just as Chryst brought plenty of stuff (and coaches) from Wisconsin, Narduzzi is doing the same from his past experience.
The idea that Narduzzi is looking build on what is already in place, is highly appealing at this point. Not making drastic changes, just adjustments that play to the strengths of the players and what the coaches do.
Voytik also mentioned that he has started going through new offensive coordinator Jim Chaney’s offense in preparation for this spring. He said a lot of the route concepts were the same, but expects the pace to be a little bit faster with less huddling.
He added that it won’t quite be the now-infamous “high-octane” offense preached by Todd Graham in 2011 (a comment which drew a chuckle from center Artie Rowell, who was on that team) but that it should be a little bit quicker.
“It’s going to be more of a no-huddle paced,” Voytik said. “We’re going to get up to the line quick, let the defense get settled in, get a call, go from there. It’s not going to be like let’s get as many plays in as possible.”
In the run game, Rowell said a lot of the concepts and ideas are similar to what Pitt did last year. That means a lot of power and zone runs mixed with some off-tackle stuff. The bigger problem is just learning the new terminology.
Even the defense won’t be completely different. Just, better coached and prepared.
Having watched Michigan State’s bowl game the talent level difference between them and Pitt, especially on D, is abundantly clear.
Chris Dokish @ChrisDokish ·
Paul Chryst completes his staff 10 weeks after he’s hired. Sounds about right.
—————
(he just hired RB Coach Settle who was at Pitt last year)
I think the dates are the 17 or 18 for the spring game. I hope it is a Saturday. Friday would be idiotic.
Please no more high school stadiums. Hell, use the soccer stadium on the south side, the Peterson Sports Complex, CMU’s stadium….anything else!
“Even the defense won’t be completely different. Just, better coached and prepared.”
And I’ll add….maybe the offense too !! (all those procedure penalties late in the season, oy)
new Chancellor, and now it feels like the right leader for the job for a new era… of course time will tell.
Just and exciting time… for real… to see what happens here in next 2 years!
The Highmark Stadium would actually be perfect also. Good seating capacity. Someone else suggested that on here.
Reed
Pitt would have given up 60 or more to that offense. I think there is a huge difference. Then again, I hope your are right!
“Query Mark Myers and NFL combine”. He has been rated as high as # 9 QB in the draft. Also watch the video and the analysis as to why he could be drafted or at worst invited to several camps.
Not to be negative about Pitt QB’s situation but I would bet the southeastern states that Voylchik will not be invited to the combine or training camps.
Pitt again shots itself in the head out of coaches arrogance.
One scout rated him comparable to Flacco, probably because of Pitt’s inability to judge talent.
“We try to develop our guys to win in the fourth quarter,” Narduzzi said after the latest session Friday morning. “It’s a toughness thing, mentally and physically.”
LOVE IT.
The best ADDITION to the DEFENSE…..is the SUBTRACTION of Matt House.
Fresh start.
HAIL TO PITT !
Because of the ongoing fued between UPMC & the Blues (Highmark).
We all know…..Tiny gave us our….best opportunity to win. Or whatever BS stmt they were using.
HTP!!!
My opinion (non hater) is that this is a horrible matchup for Pitt and I see absolutely no way Pitt wins this game. JD has a history of losing on senior night. This should add to the grief.
Maybe we break the bad streaks and serve our seniors well with a win. I like Dr. No a lot – he should have played more at the beginning of the year and Luther could have red shirted.
Oh well – life goes on…
Such a finish is highly unlikely. Pitt has scored some impressive wins this season, but to expect it to run through the difficult ACC field — which will include teams currently ranked 2, 3, 12, 16 and 19 in the nation — is expecting too much.
The Panthers look headed for the NIT, a relatively meaningless postseason tournament. Whatever level of success they have there would hardly be reflective of what might happen next season. As for the chance to play extra games, that’s rubbish. Pitt already has played 30, plus two exhibition games, plus a string of exhibitions before that in the Bahamas.
This team doesn’t need more games. It needs better players.
I believe L-Ville was asked to act like that were interested in Tiny’s services. lol
And Coach, you’re no longer in the thuggish Big East. Athletes matter now. The style of play is different. For God’s sake man, recruit to shoot.
BTW … Adam Sheffer is reporting that Shady McCoy is being traded to the Bills
it was his decision to leave PITT after Graham came to town. His alone and he mentally checked out that whole 2011 year. He made it clear and it was no secret that he was seriously thinking about leaving and transferring after 2011.
But that aside – DW was never going to play a true FR QB in 2010 after what happened in 2007. In 2011 Graham wasn’t going to play Myers in his QB mobile offense and in 2012 Chryst would have given Myers a equal shot at the job, remember Chryst wasn’t beholden to Sunseri at all, but Myers decided to take off.
Myers really didn’t want to be at PITT and never really felt comfortable in a D1 program – and I got that straight from his Dad. The only reason Myers stayed at PITT through 2011 was because of the other QB injuries & suspensions had left PITT with no one behind Sunseri but Myers. But he and his dad knew he wasn’t going to play at all in 2011. Yes, that means that Myers didn’t really put the effort in to stick it out at PITT and content for the starting job after that in ’12 and ’13. Here is a view from Zeise about Myers back then:
“WolfManSmells: Voytik aside, do you think Mark Meyers can end up being a starter as some point (based on what you have seen of him)?
Paul Zeise: If Mark Myers ever decides he really, really wants to be a Division I starting quarterback, I believe he has the talent to do so. I have yet to see much evidence that he really wants it, though. It isn’t easy, it doesn’t come easy, you have to fight and work your tail off every single day and be a grinder and improve and you have to love it, you have to want to be in the film room and you also have to make sure you take care of business in the classroom and everywhere else. It isn’t always about talent – Tino Sunseri is a grinder, he wants it, he works for it, he goes after it, Pat Bostick did as well, Bill Stull did as well, Tyler Palko was the ultimate grinder. If you aren’t willing to work for it, if you don’t love it, your talent is only going to get you in the door but you will get eaten alive. Mark Myers has to decide how much he really wants it and then go get it. The ball is really in his court on this one.”
The bottom line is that there was no one year where a PITT HC sat down Myers to play someone ahead of him because Myers would never have played in Graham’s system and didn’t want to put the effort in to succeed at this level of play. John Carroll is a huge drop from D1 football.
Optimistic as usual about the FB team. Net team needs
players. Glad the old staff was hired away. New guys
exude enthusiasm and energy which is contagious
Proof is winning games as everyone knows
All went to the university,
Where they were put in boxes
And they came out all the same,
And there’s doctors and lawyers,
And business executives,
And they’re all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
And they all play on the golf course
And drink their martinis dry,
And they all have pretty children
And the children go to school,
And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university,
Where they are put in boxes
And they come out all the same
I’ve been blamed my whole life for thinking outside of the box. Finally, before I die I get blamed for being inside the box! Thank you! LOL
We need to get the ball rolling!
oh wait a minute…..nvm.
It’s time for that updated website you were talking about 2 years ago…
Reed,
You may be correct. Maybe there is some talent on Pitt’s D and Matt House was really that bad. If that is the case, and we will find out in the fall, Paul Chryst threw himself in shit by hiring House and came out smelling like roses getting the Wisconsin job. Another year of House would have doomed him.
We will have to see what House does at FIU also. He has a bad year at FIU he will be coaching DBs at a community college.
Now defensive minded HC Narduzzi needs athletic bodies to fill out his defensive schemes. Who could be moved from offense to form up a better defense? The front seven is especially in need of help. I’m thinking maybe Dintino and the guy keeping Ollison from getting playing time.
I’m not expecting miracles on defense this coming year, but I can’t help but think we will see a significant improvement, even though we are losing 3 of the top tacklers. I can guarantee we’ll see more pressure on the opposing QB, and more penetration all around in the opponents’ backfield.
HCPN seems to be a proponent of an attack defense while DCMH’s defenses seemed to be pretty passive.
Anyways, nice piece. I always remember how I handled myself in college…Pitt basketball has definitely had some excellent kids.
He was wearing shorts.
Just thought I’d report that.
Vinopal’s 26 x 225# would have been #1 for safeties at the combine, his vertical top 8 and his 40 top 5. Impressive showing for him.
1. Just how different will the offense be?
2. Just how improved will the defense be?
The next pending question .. where will the Spring Game be played? … Note, it will be 4/16 or 17 but not at Heinz which is cuurently under construction .. (end zone seats, I think)