I think at this point we can say Lyke expects/demands results

[ratking17]

With the axing of another coach yesterday, she has championship level expectations. I like that and it will trickle down. That is why I don't wring my neck about football recruiting . Either narduzzi is going to find success or he will be asked to leave. I am of the opinion that narduzzi is the perfect fit for pitt and his extension was very important in terms of giving the program some much needed stability. But it is also very clear at this point that Lyke is not messing around. Winning matters

 

[TIGER-PAUL]

I think other Pitt ADs have demanded results. The big thing with her is she's convincing key people to go along and more importantly getting them to shift money to her to do it.

 

[RaleighPittFan]

https://www.cardiachill.com/2018/6/...-resigns-pittsburgh-panthers-acc-heather-lyke

 

[ERICCARTMAN]

Heather is going at it the right way. Demonstrate an understanding of the institutional problems at PITT and making the tough decisions before working on the alumni for increased support.

Scott Barnes was taking the easy approach. Issuing a report showing PITT support was near the bottom of the ACC and hoping the increased funds would cure all of the athletic department's problems.

 

[PittFanDan17]

She's kicking butt. Not backing down to anyone!

 

[President Stache]

Just fired Jordano... wouldnt have expected that one.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

I think other Pitt ADs have demanded results. The big thing with her is she's convincing key people to go along and more importantly getting them to shift money to her to do it.

If you mean demanded results with no real consequences for not delivering them then yeah, we have had ADs that have "demanded " results.

 

[Saboteur]

With the axing of another coach yesterday, she has championship level expectations. I like that and it will trickle down. That is why I don't wring my neck about football recruiting . Either narduzzi is going to find success or he will be asked to leave. I am of the opinion that narduzzi is the perfect fit for pitt and his extension was very important in terms of giving the program some much needed stability. But it is also very clear at this point that Lyke is not messing around. Winning matters

The days of using Pitt as a job for life are over. And in case anyone with a tendency to rip into Gallagher noticed, the extension given Lyke means that the new Sheriff in town has the combination of the support of her superiors and a set of brass balls. And we ain't had the latter since Caz.

 

[joeydavid]

I think it's very clear. She either believes you are on the right path or you are not. If you are not, she's not going to be swayed by spin, excuses or short term results. She and her decision making has been extremely impressive so far.

The days of using Pitt as a job for life are over. And in case anyone with a tendency to rip into Gallagher noticed, the extension given Lyke means that the new Sheriff in town has the combination of the support of her superiors and a set of brass balls. And we ain't had the latter since Caz.

 

[Las Panteras]

As i dont follow pitt baseball....i thought it seemed Pitt was moving in the right direction?

 

[joeydavid]

If 6th and 7th place finishes in the Coastal represents moving in the right direction...

As i dont follow pitt baseball....i thought it seemed Pitt was moving in the right direction?

 

[pitt2533]

As i dont follow pitt baseball....i thought it seemed Pitt was moving in the right direction?

Guess it depends on what your definition of moving in right direction is.

I think they were going in the right direction but it was also not some clear and fast rise either so I could see people arguing otherwise.

They have struggled overall with the move to the ACC. This year though they qualified for the ACC tourney and made it to the Semi Finals which was a huge feat for a program such as Pitt playing in the ACC.

Jordano had a nice class coming in including a couple of kids who were drafted.

He did lose his top two pitchers to the draft(one was a senior) and lost his two best hitters so who knows what next year would bring. I think pitching would be a strength next season even with the loss of pitching to the draft this year.

Jordano has brought in some talent. There have been more players drafted the last handful of years than at any time I can remember. But while Pitt has improved it's talent, the conference they are in is brutally tough one to win in.

 

[TIGER-PAUL]

If you mean demanded results with no real consequences for not delivering them then yeah, we have had ADs that have "demanded " results.

lol, yeah, maybe 'hoped for' more like it.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

.i thought it seemed Pitt was moving in the right direction?

We've been in the ACC five years. Here are the conference record in those five years:

2014: 11-19 (11th overall)
2015: 9-21 (14th)
2016: 10-18 (13th)
2017: 9-21 (T13th)
2018: 11-19 (12th)

The notion that there is any sort of movement there in the right direction is laughable. It took four years just to get back to where we were when we entered the conference. We didn't make the ACC tournament this year because we got better. We made it because last year the ACC started inviting 12 (out of 14) teams to the tournament. The amount of mileage that some people are giving Jordano for essentially one big upset, the North Carolina game, is laughable for anyone who understands that even bad baseball teams beat good ones relatively frequently (compared to most other sports).

 

[MajorMajors]

Baseball is a warm weather sport. I wish Pitt baseball all the best but good luck competing with the southern teams in baseball...

Go Pitt!

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Baseball is a warm weather sport. I wish Pitt baseball all the best but good luck competing with the southern teams in baseball...

Well it's not easy, but that warm weather haven Minnesota was a borderline top ten team all season and got a national seed in the NCAA tournament. UConn was in the top 25 most of the year and got a two seed, meaning between 17th and 32nd in the country, for the tournament. St. John's fell of at the end of the year but they were in and out of the top 25 for most of the season, which is pretty much the norm for them. So it certainly can be done.

Can it be done to the level that someone like Florida State or Texas or Arizona do it? Almost certainly not. But I don't think anyone is asking for Pitt to be on that level.

 

[MajorMajors]

Well it's not easy, but that warm weather haven Minnesota was a borderline top ten team all season and got a national seed in the NCAA tournament. UConn was in the top 25 most of the year and got a two seed, meaning between 17th and 32nd in the country, for the tournament. St. John's fell of at the end of the year but they were in and out of the top 25 for most of the season, which is pretty much the norm for them. So it certainly can be done.

Can it be done to the level that someone like Florida State or Texas or Arizona do it? Almost certainly not. But I don't think anyone is asking for Pitt to be on that level.

Good job finding the exceptions. Now we just need Pitt to become an exception.

I remember playing baseball games at Pitt in March and April. No fun.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Good job finding the exceptions. Now we just need Pitt to become an exception.

Those programs are merely instances that show that with the right coach in place northern teams can at least be competitive. Pitt fans may have a "woe is me" attitude about the baseball team being able to compete, and our former coach surely seemed to as well, but I'll bet you the person in charge of hiring the next coach doesn't.

Which is why she is now looking for a new coach. One who you can be guaranteed will not think that Pitt cannot compete.

 

[jtownknowitall]

You can say the same thing about football. Pitt just needs to become an exception like Ohio State.

 

[Saboteur]

Baseball is a warm weather sport. I wish Pitt baseball all the best but good luck competing with the southern teams in baseball...

Go Pitt!

Not every good baseball player wants to attend Caroline upstate.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Oregon state seems to stay competitive nationally despite not being in the sun belt.

 

[Chescat]

Oregon and Minnesota are good examples, but the comparison should be with successful programs in the northeast. St.John's is not a newcomer to excellence in baseball. It's not just one good coach, they've been very good for many years; 6 college world series appearances. They've won the Big East the past two years, and have in other years also. They've made the NCAA tournament an amazing 34 times. Bottom line, they have a baseball tradition, and baseball is not an afterthought.
They usually get knocked out of the NCAA after winning a few games in the tournament. Are they an elite team in college baseball? No, but they are considered a power.
I personally believe we could get to their level in talent. As far as overall record, we have a far greater challenge because of our ACC affiliation. Getting in to the NCAA's from the ACC is much harder than the Big East. But even when we were in the Big East, we were not the program that St. John's is and was. It'll be interesting to see what Lyke comes up with as far as the new coach.
I thought Jordano was slowly building a tradition here (maybe too slowly for Lyke)

 

[CrazyPaco]

UVA won the College World Series a couple years ago. Charlottesville isn't exactly tropical. Baseball could win at Pitt if it is invested in. There is a vacuum of baseball teams in the northeast and Pitt now has a huge advantage over most other northern programs by actually being in a baseball power conference. It just needs investment. Pitt is new to actually having a full complement of scholarships to offer (which while in the Big East, to Jordano's credit, he kept Pitt competitive while at a huge disadvantage in scholies and facilities). But Pitt still doesn't carry as many roster spots as other programs and has bottom rung facilities. The bottom line is that PItt will have to invest in the sport if it wants to compete in it, and if it does, it could enjoy a unique advantage given the power vacuum of its geographical location and selling recruits on the advantages of its conference membership.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

If you mean demanded results with no real consequences for not delivering them then yeah, we have had ADs that have "demanded " results.

Clear measurable objectives with consequences if they're not achieved!

This is basic management 101 which isn't practised much by state, local, government or college organizations.

Lyke is introducing some private sector management practises to PITT athletics. Maybe it'll catch on !

I'm amazaed that PITT a major D1 U in a major US city doesn't have a track, tennis courts and has sub par baseball facilities.
Most D3 schools with the same sports as PITT have all of those things???


"it's five o'clock somewhere"
Signed: Mr Buffett
Go PITT & CSU Rams!

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Oregon and Minnesota are good examples, but the comparison should be with successful programs in the northeast. St.John's is not a newcomer to excellence in baseball. It's not just one good coach, they've been very good for many years; 6 college world series appearances. They've won the Big East the past two years, and have in other years also. They've made the NCAA tournament an amazing 34 times. Bottom line, they have a baseball tradition, and baseball is not an afterthought.
They usually get knocked out of the NCAA after winning a few games in the tournament. Are they an elite team in college baseball? No, but they are considered a power.
I personally believe we could get to their level in talent. As far as overall record, we have a far greater challenge because of our ACC affiliation. Getting in to the NCAA's from the ACC is much harder than the Big East. But even when we were in the Big East, we were not the program that St. John's is and was. It'll be interesting to see what Lyke comes up with as far as the new coach.
I thought Jordano was slowly building a tradition here (maybe too slowly for Lyke)

Right. I don't think anyone is expecting Pitt to become a Florida or a UCLA. But there are programs that have similar geographic limitations that we do who are better programs, far better programs, than we are. The goal is to be more like St. Johns or more recently UConn, and less like Boston College or Rutgers.

 

[PittMiamiRivalry]

Living in the South for 30+ years and not being a fan of pro baseball, I enjoy college and high school baseball as a great diversion between the big seasons. Would love to see Pitt baseball thrive and I support our AD's decision on the direction of the program. She is managing the big issues and providing guidance as well as support. So far, best AD since Cas Myslinski.