Gavin

[CrazyPaco]

Fortunately the field house upgrades are coming no who got the position so I think we'll be ok on that front.

My concern is also Pat Santoro's apparent reaction to those plans. I'll have to try to get more clarity on that.

 

[bwh05]

My concern is also Pat Santoro's apparent reaction to those plans. I'll have to try to get more clarity on that.

The field house is due to get a $60 million overhaul. Not getting Santoro wasn't due to him not liking the planned upgrades.

 

[TIGER-PAUL]

60MIL? When? Like over 10 or 20 years you mean? Pitt has never spent that much ever.

 

[bwh05]

60MIL? When? Like over 10 or 20 years you mean? Pitt has never spent that much ever.

Not sure of the exact start date, as we're still in the design phase. Populus did the renderings as you probably already knew, so we're still looking at a couple years from start to finish.

 

[Pantherguy4]

He will be a good coach, I hope! Let's give him a chance.

 

[Delpanther]

Very uninspiring hire. Once again Pitt goes cheap and takes a flier on an unknown commodity... the primary reason our athletics teams are in the aggregate near the bottom of the acc.

 

[CrazyPaco]

The field house is due to get a $60 million overhaul. Not getting Santoro wasn't due to him not liking the planned upgrades.

Actually, a close source said he specifically mentioned Pitt's inability to speak to its plans for facilities, etc. Pat is someone that knows what he is talking about because he oversaw major facility upgrades for wrestling at Lehigh. Based on your other post, I would guess that meant not having a concrete timeline, plan, and/or funding in place as opposed to just showing architectural renderings of proposed renovations. Heck, I remember Pitt sending out sketches of the convocation center to basketball recruits in 1991. That's the sort of situation you don't want to be stuck in, promised something but waiting a decade for it.

Pitt should have had an offer ready with built in timelines guaranteed in a contract with compensation if it didn't meet those timelines.

 

[33Rocks]

I am not sure how he cleans house on the assistants when they are his friends. Awkward...... Lets hope he shows us he has the maturity and experience to make those tough decisions.

If he keeps Peter's old staff, If would be disappointing. Need move in a new direction, with fresh group of assistants.

Very uninspiring hire. Once again Pitt goes cheap and takes a flier on an unknown commodity... the primary reason our athletics teams are in the aggregate near the bottom of the acc.

The Pitt job should be able to attract big time coaches. Problem, just never seemed to be a priority through a few administrations. When administrators say they want to build championships, it takes more than talk, it takes commitment. Got to do your homework and you have to think big. It's a shame, Pitt wrestling has to be a sleeping giant. Cause truth of the matter,it is the one sport at Pitt that could be a parrenial top 10. Hoping Gavin does not fall in the trap of hiring his buddies who were with Peters. This program needs some dynamic new assistants. I would have loved Cunningham or Hahn, cause you know they would brought an exciting staff and brought new blood to the program . Gavin must get his assistants right. If he does, he could be very successful. If he doesn't. More of the same.

 

[CrazyPaco]

If he keeps Peter's old staff, If would be disappointing. Need move in a new direction, with fresh group of assistants.

The Pitt job should be able to attract big time coaches. Problem, just never seemed to be a priority through a few administrations. When administratorssay they want to build championships, it takes more than talk. Got to do your homework and you have to think big. It's a shame, Pitt wrestling has to be a sleeping giant. Cause truth of the matter,it is the one sport at Pitt that could be a parrenial top 10. Hoping Gavin does not fall in the trap of hiring his buddies who were with Peters. This program needs some dynamic new assistants. I would have loved Cunningham or Hahn, cause you know they would brought sn exciting staff. Gavin must get his assistants right. If he does, he could be very successful. If he doesn't. More of the same.

I will say this, Pitt's reeled in Jay Vidovich and John Hargis under Barnes. The first is an unbelievable, nationally stunning hire, and the second is an extremely solid, excellent hire. I had thought the bar had been raised, and all indications seemed to point that way. In fact, the initial interviewees for wrestling pointed that way. It seemed, in this case, that Pitt was lacking in execution in the hiring process more so than actually lacking a desire to upgrade with impactful coaching.

Vidovich may have fallen into Pitt's lap, but Barnes sealed the deal. This is why I have a hard time not fingering Lyke on this. If it is true she spent only 15 minutes with Santoro, and I'll eventually find that out from the horses mouth, that is unbelievably damning in my opinion.

 

[steelton]

If he keeps Peter's old staff, If would be disappointing. Need move in a new direction, with fresh group of assistants.

The Pitt job should be able to attract big time coaches. Problem, just never seemed to be a priority through a few administrations. When administrators say they want to build championships, it takes more than talk, it takes commitment. Got to do your homework and you have to think big. It's a shame, Pitt wrestling has to be a sleeping giant. Cause truth of the matter,it is the one sport at Pitt that could be a parrenial top 10. Hoping Gavin does not fall in the trap of hiring his buddies who were with Peters. This program needs some dynamic new assistants. I would have loved Cunningham or Hahn, cause you know they would brought an exciting staff and brought new blood to the program . Gavin must get his assistants right. If he does, he could be very successful. If he doesn't. More of the same.

The current assists couldn't help bring in the local recruits, therefore I am hoping that he was told he had to bring in new people! I heard that may have happened!

 

[Delpanther]

Every great coach was inexperienced prior to their first head coaching job. Hopefully, he will be turn out to be a very good one for PITT. In the meantime, Gavin deserves our support.

Let him learn his craft somewhere else...

 

[guyutethepig]

It's safe to say that all wrestlers on a d1 level are workers. I can't see anybody questioning that. If my memory serves me right, Keith only placed once in high school and that was fifth his senior year. By his junior year he was a champ or finished second, and then finished undefeated his senior year and won it. Then ended up ranked #1 pre olympic for a year or more before being knocked out of contention. I see him as somebody that took what he was taught to another level. A quality we see in the best teachers. If they got him for less then they saved for assistant money and we know he has connections with a lot of recent good wrestlers... holding out that can lead to a Burroughs, Taylor, Dake, or Steiner wanting to help a friend and themselves build a great program. As it would be lead by a heck of a hard worker and hopefully a good guy.

Gavin finished 7th and 3rd in HS
He finished 2nd to Askern his junior year and went undefeated his senior year.

 

[bwh05]

Actually, a close source said he specifically mentioned Pitt's inability to speak to its plans for facilities, etc. Pat is someone that knows what he is talking about because he oversaw major facility upgrades for wrestling at Lehigh. Based on your other post, I would guess that meant not having a concrete timeline, plan, and/or funding in place as opposed to just showing architectural renderings of proposed renovations. Heck, I remember Pitt sending out sketches of the convocation center to basketball recruits in 1991. That's the sort of situation you don't want to be stuck in, promised something but waiting a decade for it.

Pitt should have had an offer ready with built in timelines guaranteed in a contract with compensation if it didn't meet those timelines.

Maybe he didn't think things were going to happen in a timely fashion, but like I said in other posts, Pat was ready to take the job here.

 

[CrazyPaco]

Maybe he didn't think things were going to happen in a timely fashion, but like I said in other posts, Pat was ready to take the job here.

I don't doubt that. He wouldn't have interviewed if he wasn't seriously considering it.

 

[goalieman]

Maybe he didn't think things were going to happen in a timely fashion, but like I said in other posts, Pat was ready to take the job here.

It's a shame that if Pat was ready to take the job, that he is not our coach right now ..... very disappointing ...... would have been a home run hire.

 

[gmandingo]

I am in total agreement with the OP. Watching these threads for the past few weeks, I have a new appreciation for the passion that PITT wrestling fans and alumni have for the program.

Therefore, I am going to increase my donation and ask that the additional amount is earmarked for the wrestling program. (I am currently supporting the football team (and have Club seats), the men's basketball team (and have Loge seats) and the women's basketball team (and have VIP Floor seats).

HAIL TO PITT!

You can do what you want, as can any Pitt donor. But, for me this was the last straw in donating to the AD. I wrote a letter to the Chancellor and AD advising them that I am terminating all future donations to the AD and removing it as a beneficiary of my will. I still will donate to the CAS but no longer to the AD.

Because the AD was to receive a percentage of the remainder interest in my will, the amount of the gift varies depending upon the market value of my estate. But based upon today's value of my estate, the AD lost in excess of $300,000. But, the CAS still will receive in excess of $300,000.

As I advised in my letter, I purposely decided not to increase my gifts to the CAS to reflect the amount not being given to the AD as I believe that would undercut the impact of my decision to remove the AD from my will and annual contributions. There are numerous worthwhile charitable organizations I believe will make much better use of the gifts than the AD.

Every Pitt wrestling fan can and should make a personal decision of how to respond to this. This is mine. To me this signals a purposeful decision not to attempt to become a national power in the one college sport where we have a significant geographic recruiting advantage. I find it unconscionable.

If you don't like my decision, here is my response: It is my money and my decision. I don't give a flying fu*k what you or anyone else thinks about it!

If you post a reply, don't expect me to respond. As I said, I have no interest in what anyone else thinks and will not be on this board again.

It is your money, so you do you man...BUT you will look like a damn fool in the end when the program shows success and you bitched and moaned on a message board before you ever gave a Pitt Man and National Champion a chance!

 

[TIGER-PAUL]

The field house is due to get a $60 million overhaul. Not getting Santoro wasn't due to him not liking the planned upgrades.

What was it due to?

 

[Dallas Burgher]

My concern is also Pat Santoro's apparent reaction to those plans. I'll have to try to get more clarity on that.

That would be great CP.

 

[Dallas Burgher]

Gavin finished 7th and 3rd in HS
He finished 2nd to Askern his junior year and went undefeated his senior year.

I saw the Asker match in OKC with Thom67 and had a great time. He gave Asker a run for his money..