Did anyone catch the FAN yesterday during the afternoon?

[Pittx9]

Talking about Pitt Football and Todd Thomas said he would've loved to play for this staff. They followed up with a sound clip of Todd Graham saying "speed, speed, speed". Everyone busted out laughing.
I gotta admit when Graham was hired, I was excited as I thought his philosophies were the new way of college football. I spoke to guys in the program who told me what a snobby, rich, arrogant individual he was. I kind of didn't listen because I just wanted Pitt to win. Boy, was I wrong.
Everything happens for a reason though. I wouldn't trade the past 30 whatever years for anything if I knew Narduzzi would one day save the program.

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

Well, Todd Graham is a good salesman and he told anyone who would listen that his style of football was the future of the sport. Also, he had a LOT of people who bought it and who were also selling that nonsense...HARD!

I don't blame people for buying into it. College football HAS fundamentally changed and teams absolutely DO need to run some tempo offense. However, the notion that you need to run that style of offense was a myth at the time and it is a myth today.

There are still many different ways to skin a cat and truthfully, there always will be.

 

[Pittx9]

Yeah gotta admit at the time I was a little excited. College football was becoming a game of spread offenses and I thought Graham would implement a style that would produce results. Maybe he could've won here, but I really blame Pederson for him not wanting to be here. That doesn't mean though, that if Graham were ever to return to Pittsburgh I wouldn't boo him loudly, because you best believe I would.

 

[Consultant Panther]

Yeah gotta admit at the time I was a little excited. College football was becoming a game of spread offenses and I thought Graham would implement a style that would produce results. Maybe he could've won here, but I really blame Pederson for him not wanting to be here. That doesn't mean though, that if Graham were ever to return to Pittsburgh I wouldn't boo him loudly, because you best believe I would.

Pitt was never more than a stepping stone for him. They way he left showed what kind of person he is...He's pure scum.

 

[OH Pete]

Everything happens for a reason though. I wouldn't trade the past 30 whatever years for anything if I knew Narduzzi would one day save the program.

I'm very optimistic about Narduzzi. But I don't think we are quite ready to declare to believe that he is going to save the program. He is 4 games into his head coaching career. And as much as everyone wants to get down on Chryst, he did leave some talent behind. With the exception of Whitehead and Peterman, Narduzzi is having success with what Chryst left behind. Lets wait and see how this season unfolds and how his first real recruiting class ends up in February before getting too excited.

Having said that, I'm glad Chryst is gone and Narduzzi is here. I truly believe Paul maxed out as far as what he was capable of accomplishing here and that Pat Narduzzi is an upgrade.

 

[Pittx9]

Don't get me wrong, I liked Chryst as far as his offensive philosophy and running a clean program. He was good for Pitt, for a short time. But Narduzzi just has what it takes to build a program. There aren't many coaches as passionate as him. You just don't lose a lot of games when you're that dedicated. Outstanding hire by Pitt.

 

[The Loaded Italian]

I know Chryst is a wisky guy and all... but seriously... how could Wisconsin not try to get Narduzzi first before hiring Paul Chryst? I think just about anyone knows he is an upgrade over Chryst

 

[Pittx9]

I know Chryst is a wisky guy and all... but seriously... how could Wisconsin not try to get Narduzzi first before hiring Paul Chryst? I think just about anyone knows he is an upgrade over Chryst

Seems to me Barry Alvarez is a very loyal guy and I think after their coaching debacles which were similar to ours, he had to go with a Wisconsin lifer to stabilize the program and keep the alumni from losing their minds.

 

[benchwarmer04]

Talking about Pitt Football and Todd Thomas said he would've loved to play for this staff. They followed up with a sound clip of Todd Graham saying "speed, speed, speed". Everyone busted out laughing.
I gotta admit when Graham was hired, I was excited as I thought his philosophies were the new way of college football. I spoke to guys in the program who told me what a snobby, rich, arrogant individual he was. I kind of didn't listen because I just wanted Pitt to win. Boy, was I wrong.
Everything happens for a reason though. I wouldn't trade the past 30 whatever years for anything if I knew Narduzzi would one day save the program.

say what you want-graham is no better or worse than any college coach ,now coaching at major college level. my answer to you all is" what's he doing at ASU "? all he said he was going to do was bring pitt to the level of other programs.he showed his rear end -as he was leaving-because someone did not make good on the promises they made to him. i'm thinking peterson told him one thing-"you can recruit the athletes you need " and the chancellor said" no way, can you bring in the athletes wvu routinely brings to the table.". graham was going to have the same team you currently have at wvu. same athletes from the same schools. all wvu does is light up the scoreboard -and lose critical games. graham was at wvu and saw how it was done.

 

[pitt-girl]

Don't get me wrong, I liked Chryst as far as his offensive philosophy and running a clean program. He was good for Pitt, for a short time. But Narduzzi just has what it takes to build a program. There aren't many coaches as passionate as him. You just don't lose a lot of games when you're that dedicated. Outstanding hire by Pitt.

Here's my take on the current situation with Narduzzi: Perception IS reality. What I mean is (and unfortunately I have to use PSU as the comparison only because they are relevant to us right now in recruiting) watching Pitt/PSU on Saturday both won. But the energy and excitement surrounding Pitt was clearly higher. Now some of that probably has to be that we were the underdogs, but I think it's more about the player's perception about what they're doing. And that is something good coaching plays up. If a player feels really good about his performance it shows. And right now you see that a lot more on the field at Pitt. The end result can be the same, but the perception of HOW it came about is what becomes important, not only with current players, but with recruits too.

Coming full circle, I was a big supporter of Chryst. I thought he was the right hire at the right time and left Pitt in a much better place when he left. However looking back, he too (just like the current PSU staff) just couldn't seem to bring the palpable energy out of the players, even with victories. Am I making any sense?

 

[bwh05]

Well, Todd Graham is a good salesman and he told anyone who would listen that his style of football was the future of the sport. Also, he had a LOT of people who bought it and who were also selling that nonsense...HARD!

I don't blame people for buying into it. College football HAS fundamentally changed and teams absolutely DO need to run some tempo offense. However, the notion that you need to run that style of offense was a myth at the time and it is a myth today.

There are still many different ways to skin a cat and truthfully, there always will be.

Graham also put those kids thru hell with the way he coached them, plus the religious overtones in the program bordered on a Pentecostal tent revival. When you add in the hillbilly wife and "Little Roc", man you literally couldn't make that stuff up and it was only 6 months.

 

[Pittx9]

Here's my take on the current situation with Narduzzi: Perception IS reality. What I mean is (and unfortunately I have to use PSU as the comparison only because they are relevant to us right now in recruiting) watching Pitt/PSU on Saturday both won. But the energy and excitement surrounding Pitt was clearly higher. Now some of that probably has to be that we were the underdogs, but I think it's more about the player's perception about what they're doing. And that is something good coaching plays up. If a player feels really good about his performance it shows. And right now you see that a lot more on the field at Pitt. The end result can be the same, but the perception of HOW it came about is what becomes important, not only with current players, but with recruits too.

Coming full circle, I was a big supporter of Chryst. I thought he was the right hire at the right time and left Pitt in a much better place when he left. However looking back, he too (just like the current PSU staff) just couldn't seem to bring the palpable energy out of the players, even with victories. Am I making any sense?

Everything you said, I agree 100%

 

[Slick Manager of Champs]

Here's my take on the current situation with Narduzzi: Perception IS reality. What I mean is (and unfortunately I have to use PSU as the comparison only because they are relevant to us right now in recruiting) watching Pitt/PSU on Saturday both won. But the energy and excitement surrounding Pitt was clearly higher. Now some of that probably has to be that we were the underdogs, but I think it's more about the player's perception about what they're doing. And that is something good coaching plays up. If a player feels really good about his performance it shows. And right now you see that a lot more on the field at Pitt. The end result can be the same, but the perception of HOW it came about is what becomes important, not only with current players, but with recruits too.

Coming full circle, I was a big supporter of Chryst. I thought he was the right hire at the right time and left Pitt in a much better place when he left. However looking back, he too (just like the current PSU staff) just couldn't seem to bring the palpable energy out of the players, even with victories. Am I making any sense?

everything except Chryst being the right hire and leaving Pitt a better place. He came in we were 6-6 and he didn't improve on it. His teams came out mostly flat and unprepared. Gameday coaching was sub-par. Coaching hires were lazy. He was a step or two below Wanny/Walt and not a whole lot better than Hackett.

 

[pitt-girl]

everything except Chryst being the right hire and leaving Pitt a better place. He came in we were 6-6 and he didn't improve on it. His teams came out mostly flat and unprepared. Gameday coaching was sub-par. Coaching hires were lazy. He was a step or two below Wanny/Walt and not a whole lot better than Hackett.

Well, I think he bought a sense of stability to the program that it sorely needed and he did a heck of job recruiting the OL and some other key players (Connor, Boyd). I agree the records weren't any better, but the program was better IMHO.

 

[Pittx9]

Yeah Chryst was not nearly as good as Wanny or Walt, but he preceded Fraud Scam. In that sense, he did a good job as Toddy boy left the program a mess.

 

[Jeffburgh]

Graham is a darn good college football coach, the one thing is his inability to win something - a league title specifically.
Just very Pitt like that the first for real college coach they had in a while was like oil and water here. But, there were definitely cultural issues in addition to whatever institutional issues.

Chryst is what most describe him here. Yeah, he left the program in a better place is accurate in one way, in that he came on board after the morons uncessarily blew up the program by canning Wanny without any plan or readiness to hire a new coach and then making the bad match with Graham. SO, the program was more "stable" and he mostly got the roster reset with players that ultimately seem to fit into what Nards is going vs a square peg/round hole thing with the players and what Graham does.

Nards. I will say this again. He WANTS to be here, which is something this program has only really seen with Wanny since Foge didn't work out. That accounts for a lot, he gets Pittsburgh and genuinely sees something in the school and program. Add in that he is super intelligent guy who has designed a defense that is a current standard, is a for real college coach and also is VERY genuine and has great energy ...

 

[NTOP]

I know Chryst is a wisky guy and all... but seriously... how could Wisconsin not try to get Narduzzi first before hiring Paul Chryst? I think just about anyone knows he is an upgrade over Chryst

Alvarez can call the shots......and will. Bielema & Anderson bailed out because of it.

 

[Jeffburgh]

Talking about Pitt Football and Todd Thomas said he would've loved to play for this staff. They followed up with a sound clip of Todd Graham saying "speed, speed, speed". Everyone busted out laughing.
I gotta admit when Graham was hired, I was excited as I thought his philosophies were the new way of college football. I spoke to guys in the program who told me what a snobby, rich, arrogant individual he was. I kind of didn't listen because I just wanted Pitt to win. Boy, was I wrong.
Everything happens for a reason though. I wouldn't trade the past 30 whatever years for anything if I knew Narduzzi would one day save the program.

He tweeted that during the game.
Also, saw Nard's sent one of those gift things to Dorin Dickerson ...

 

[PittMan 72]

Here's my take on the current situation with Narduzzi: Perception IS reality. What I mean is (and unfortunately I have to use PSU as the comparison only because they are relevant to us right now in recruiting) watching Pitt/PSU on Saturday both won. But the energy and excitement surrounding Pitt was clearly higher. Now some of that probably has to be that we were the underdogs, but I think it's more about the player's perception about what they're doing. And that is something good coaching plays up. If a player feels really good about his performance it shows. And right now you see that a lot more on the field at Pitt. The end result can be the same, but the perception of HOW it came about is what becomes important, not only with current players, but with recruits too.

Coming full circle, I was a big supporter of Chryst. I thought he was the right hire at the right time and left Pitt in a much better place when he left. However looking back, he too (just like the current PSU staff) just couldn't seem to bring the palpable energy out of the players, even with victories. Am I making any sense?

Yes, you are making sense. A LOT of college football is about raw emotion and effort. Millionaire coaches are asking young guys to lay their bodies on the line for them in return for the value of a scholarship. Just look at the number of serious injuries and surgeries that result in CFB every week across the country. For some relatively smallish percentage of them, there will be the chance to also showcase their talents and hopefully get drafted (or maybe signed as UFA's) by the NFL; for an even smaller number, maybe even to get very rich. But for most, it's just the value of the scholarship.

So a college HC better be able to use whatever guile and persuasiveness he can manage to conjure up to extract the kind of emotion and effort that is required to win games. Hopefully to win lots of them in order to keep those multi-million dollar coaching contracts coming.

Acquiring talent and bringing out the most from what is acquired is extremely important too, no doubt. But the best situation is to not only have more talent than the other guy most of the time, but to extract the maximum in terms of effort and desire from these guys to want to win games in college. That's what the very best college coaches are able to do, consistently and over the passage of time. We'll have to see if PN has that kind of "magic" to go along with football knowledge and recruiting ability. Still a ways to go to prove that he does. But the intensity and innate motivational skills seem as if they may be there.

 

[#99HUGHgreen]

everything except Chryst being the right hire and leaving Pitt a better place. He came in we were 6-6 and he didn't improve on it. His teams came out mostly flat and unprepared. Gameday coaching was sub-par. Coaching hires were lazy. He was a step or two below Wanny/Walt and not a whole lot better than Hackett.

Agree with your thinking except that Chryst may have been the right hire IF ONLY BECAUSE it created just enough time for Narduzzi to be ready to take over and he did help out with recruiting a good Oline again and Conner and Boyd and Orndoff (and a few other key players).

 

[Panther Parrothead]

Well, I think he bought a sense of stability to the program that it sorely needed and he did a heck of job recruiting the OL and some other key players (Connor, Boyd). I agree the records weren't any better, but the program was better IMHO.

^^^All of the above^^^, and in addition, too many posters forget that before Chryst could stabilize the program, he had to "take out the trash". When he arrived, there were waaaay too many players who didn't belong on a D-1 roster, either for lack of talent, or reasons reflecting their lack of desire and commitment. If y'all notice, none of the departed players have set the collegiate football world on fire, and few are even getting significant playing time at their current program.

 

[Pittnerski]

Lloyd Carrington not pleased ^^^

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

^^^All of the above^^^, and in addition, too many posters forget that before Chryst could stabilize the program, he had to "take out the trash". When he arrived, there were waaaay too many players who didn't belong on a D-1 roster, either for lack of talent, or reasons reflecting their lack of desire and commitment. If y'all notice, none of the departed players have set the collegiate football world on fire, and few are even getting significant playing time at their current program.

People seem to be forgetting everything that was going on around the program when Chryst got here. I remember someone asking me at the tailgait before his first game at Pitt what my expectations for the season were. I said that if Pitt managed to go 6-6 with everything that had happened and with the talent level on that team that they should build a statue to Chryst.

All 6-6's aren't the same. His last one was certainly disappointing, but if anyone thought that first team of his was going win 8 or 9 games then they were simply delusional. That 6-6 wasn't just a success, it was a huge success.

 

[Jakey_John]

Graham was a jackass and will stay at ASU as long as he can because with the PAC 12 schedule he has a built in excuse for not winning a league title. Chryst on the other hand, most likely meant well but he's just not head coaching material. That's ok because some coordinators are cut out to be just that. He will be average to above average in Madison because of his support structure and so be it. While it is too early to tell concerning Narduzzi, I would be much more surprised if he is unsuccessful. You're not the best coordinator in the country for nothing.

 

[Black_Man_Panther]

Is it Chryst's fault the QB he inherited sucks? Don't pass judgement on the guy for at least 3 years.

I know Chryst is a wisky guy and all... but seriously... how could Wisconsin not try to get Narduzzi first before hiring Paul Chryst? I think just about anyone knows he is an upgrade over Chryst

 

[Panther_in_Kentucky]

Here's my take on the current situation with Narduzzi: Perception IS reality. What I mean is (and unfortunately I have to use PSU as the comparison only because they are relevant to us right now in recruiting) watching Pitt/PSU on Saturday both won. But the energy and excitement surrounding Pitt was clearly higher. Now some of that probably has to be that we were the underdogs, but I think it's more about the player's perception about what they're doing. And that is something good coaching plays up. If a player feels really good about his performance it shows. And right now you see that a lot more on the field at Pitt. The end result can be the same, but the perception of HOW it came about is what becomes important, not only with current players, but with recruits too.

Coming full circle, I was a big supporter of Chryst. I thought he was the right hire at the right time and left Pitt in a much better place when he left. However looking back, he too (just like the current PSU staff) just couldn't seem to bring the palpable energy out of the players, even with victories. Am I making any sense?

Not really. While Chryst was a good person he was a poor head coach and a poor public speaker. What is really sad is that Nordenberg, after giving his all out effort to trash Pitt Football, while rewarding his incompetent AD and mid major basketball coach went cheap on the hire of Chryst and cheap on his assistants. I hope Chancellor Gallagher and AD Barnes clean freaking house in Pitt's Athletic Department. Anyone who had any affiliation with Steeeeeeve needs to be flushed out and fired. Now that makes sense !

PS: Did the Philosophy team switch over to Script or are they still wearing the DinoCat "Pittsburgh" apparel? Great idea Mark.

 

[pitt-girl]

Not really. While Chryst was a good person he was a poor head coach and a poor public speaker. What is really sad is that Nordenberg, after giving his all out effort to trash Pitt Football, while rewarding his incompetent AD and mid major basketball coach went cheap on the hire of Chryst and cheap on his assistants. I hope Chancellor Gallagher and AD Barnes clean freaking house in Pitt's Athletic Department. Anyone who had any affiliation with Steeeeeeve needs to be flushed out and fired. Now that makes sense !

PS: Did the Philosophy team switch over to Script or are they still wearing the DinoCat "Pittsburgh" apparel? Great idea Mark.

Not wanting to open up the Nordenberg football debate again but everyone needs to keep in mind the first full ACC payout to Pitt wasn't until July 2014. It more than doubled what Pitt received from the old BE. And also keep in mind previous to that date athletics were kept afloat from General Fund "loans" (I believe it was the GF, could have been another bin). It's not like Nordenberg was withholding and hoarding available monies for other uses. Gallagher luckily has had a lot more cash to spend on athletics.

 

[pitt-girl]

Agree with your thinking except that Chryst may have been the right hire IF ONLY BECAUSE it created just enough time for Narduzzi to be ready to take over and he did help out with recruiting a good Oline again and Conner and Boyd and Orndoff (and a few other key players).

I can't disagree with any of that.

 

[TheNewCastlePanther]

Yeah gotta admit at the time I was a little excited. College football was becoming a game of spread offenses and I thought Graham would implement a style that would produce results. Maybe he could've won here, but I really blame Pederson for him not wanting to be here. That doesn't mean though, that if Graham were ever to return to Pittsburgh I wouldn't boo him loudly, because you best believe I would.

I would love to see us play ASU!! Could you imagine what the atmosphere would be like at Heinz!!!!

 

[Pittx9]

I would love to see us play ASU!! Could you imagine what the atmosphere would be like at Heinz!!!!

Wouldn't be surprised if they scheduled that game, only for Penny to get pneumonia because of the weather and Todd misses the game. The guy is way too much of a coward to show his face in Pittsburgh ever again.

 

[thebadby2]

Well, I think he bought a sense of stability to the program that it sorely needed and he did a heck of job recruiting the OL and some other key players (Connor, Boyd). I agree the records weren't any better, but the program was better IMHO.

I was never a Chryst believer, but I agree with this statement 100%. He stabilized things and built up the personnel on the offensive side of the ball. He found some real diamonds in the rough who are major contributors now as well. He did fail us in recruiting QBs, WR depth beyond the one superstar he brought in, and defensive players. But the program was in better shape personnel-wise when he left than it was when he found it for sure.

Now we have to hope that Narduzzi doesn't do the opposite--build the defensive personnel up without doing the same on the offensive side. So far the 2016 class is pretty defense heavy and many of the uncommitted guys we are expected to have a good shot to bring in are defensive players. Keep bringing in those OLs baby! Can never have enough quality depth along the lines.

 

[vegasgreed]

what is todd doing now?

 

[Pittx9]

what is todd doing now?

Listed on the Jaguars roster as Practice Squad/Injured