Just a few thoughts of a 30 year Pitt fan who wanted to share them with my brothers and sisters in arms and feel my pain but long to take one more sip of the Koolade. Maybe a rant, maybe sharing…. Kinda like group therapy for emotionally battered long time Pitt fans trying to rectify the future in light of the past (not minimizing domestic abuse or addiction in any way, humbly attempting to verbalize my angst) For the last 30 years have been hard on us as Pitt fans. Kinda like smack junkies, we got a big rush in our formative years as fans, 75-83, won a NC and in hunt for a few others, a “Golden Age of Pitt FB” where we learned the meaning of phrases like, “My three favorite teams, PITT, Alabama and whoever plays Penn State”, and "Will rogers never met JoPa" not to mention “________ sucks”, (Insert ND,WVU, BC, Syracuse or Georgia …). In the hunt for the national champ every year. Pitt Stadium was a tough place for visitors. Then in 83 we entered a spiral of “perpetual suckiness” I moved to Texas at 15, just in time to witness this march from the penthouse to the shi%house . The 1983 Cotton Bowl, who we should have beat t by 20 and then later watched Ironhead play in the last ever Bluebonnet Classic. Never got comfortable with Walt but scratched my head at his firing… Darn near blew my brains out with the ‘Stache era. Loved the guy, loved the story, again drank the Koolaide, dying for him to succeed, but in the end just wasn’t a good head coach (but a great guy to have a beer with). 6-3 in El Paso sucked... Been chasin the dragon since I was a kid and for the first time since then I can catch that dragon.
I think there is a recipe for success at the college level and organizations in general, and I believe Pitt finally has those pieces in place right now, which will bring us out of the “sucky” cycle we have been in. Here’s why Im feeling really thirsty for Koolaide.
1)Quality people in charge and support for the program at the top of the organization: First and foremost, this must be present. You must have both commitment and sound vision at the highest positions, in this case Chancellor’s Office, to do the things that need to be done in terms of hiring the right folks, allocating the resources and providing support needed.
The previous chancellor, who shall remain nameless, while having success in many areas, was a horrible failure to athletics and failed to see the benefits to the university of a successful athletics program. His apathy and lack of understanding and leadership and pension for “cronyism” doomed Pitt FB for his entire tenure. I believe that Galligher is a great organizer and understand what must occur to have a successful organization and his hire alone tipped the trajectory of Pitt Football upward. The purse strings are open, and the money is there to compete and good decisions are being made at the top. He will be as good for Football and Basketball as Nordenberg was bad for them. He values athletics and understand the effect athletic success creates.
The AD is basically the Chancellor’s man in athletics. His job is to see that the goals set by senior management are being met and to manage the day to day. In this case, there were no senior management goals, and to compound the issue, our athletic director was a complete and utter buffoon who personified the Peter Principle in every way, and created an environment of pettiness, inefficiency and general apathy toward FB. I would love to be on the other end of the receiver when Galligher called Stevie and asked for his short list to replace Paul Chryst. I imagine after hearing the first two names he said, “Charlie Weiss??? Charlie F’ing Weiss???? Greg Schiano? WTF? These results remind me of the douchebag AD who hired Bill Callihan at Nebraska. What was his name again? Wasn’t there long after that and I hear that the Governor of Nebraska threatened to have the state police arrest him and shove a corncob up is A## if he ever returned to the state. Oh, that was you Steve? Wow, Steve, it’s becoming really apparent after studying the situation, that you simply suck as an AD, and you’re are an insufferable douchebag, two things I cannot suffer here at Pitt so you are fired…” The reason I’m eternally grateful to HCPC for likely providing Galligher. (I still want to punch him in the nutsack for tearing down Pitt Stadium to build a gym.) Now Compare Stevie the Douchebag to Barnes, who both understands and shares his bosses vision and understands how to staff and manage the process to deliver said vision to boss( ref Utah State), fans, students and alums. He prizes and enables capable guys like EJ and Duzz rather than inhibiting them, and provides the tools that are needed.
2)Having informed, capable, intelligent managers at the point of attack and empowering them with both resources and environment needed to be successful. (Starts at Head Coaches) We got a good one. Successful head FB coaches tend to have three prevailing qualities, they are great leaders who can convey the plan to the group and get them to buy in, great people managers, who understand people and how to get the most out of them and understand recruiting and be effective at it (college coaches need the third but not so much in NFL). I believe that HCPN possesses all of these qualities as well as has the resources and environment to be successful. He attracts top notch younger assistants to his coaching tree (Conklin, and the linebackers coach, Peterson etc.) who will all be head coaches themselves one day as well as understands the need to “lock down” the other side of the ball with two very proven, capable great football guys who know what they are doing to design and build an offense to complement the defense he runs and have done it before (Cheyney and Salem). When PN was assembling the staff, at no time I said to myself, WTF?, like I did with HCPC hirings.. Matt House? Seriously? I believe that if PC had the resources available, the hire would have gone quite differently and he likely would have gotten a “Cheyney type DC”. I blame the House hire as much on Steve as PC’s discomfort with unknown personal assets. HCPN guys can also recruit, and evidenced by the resumes of the entire staff. Peterson, Sims, Harley, Powell Sherman, and Salem (The king of the Selfie) Even Cheyney delivering on two QBs so far, Peterman and DiNucci(jury is out on him but I like the kid) , the only position he likely recruits. So you got a good leader and manager in the Head Coach, capable assistants/recruiters who are empowered and we have landed and are still in the hunt for our top targets to round out the recruiting box.
Details like on-campus Stadium, urban versus pastureland campus really don’t matter that much to the big picture and are a matter of taste. With our recent facilities upgrade, and our roomies, The Steelers, at Heinz, the City of Pittsburgh and everything Pitt offers (education, tradition, Primanti’s, cool Pittsburgh accents..) some of the kids will dig it. Not all will be a great fit but you don’t need all of them, you need some. I’d put us up against almost anyone. First and foremost, top notch players want to win and if you build a winning culture, the recruits will come. If we win and like the coaching staff, more will come. If we win, like the coaching staff and that staff puts a few kids high in the draft, even more will come. The kids are gonna come and i really believe we will have at least 5-7 years with Duzz if the current status quo remains.
If you get 1 and 2 right, which I think Pitt has nailed, It’s my humble opinion were in for a fun ride up the bell curve. Thanks Paul. No hard feelings. You were a class act when you were here. Best of luck for a great future, unless you are playing Pitt. If you are Paul, were gonna kick your ass. (Damn, does that feel great to be able to say that and really mean it!!!!!! Been a hard last 30 years, but I’m glad I stayed). Thanks for Sharing. My name is Joe, and I am a Pitt Fan. Hail to Pitt!!!!!
I think there is a recipe for success at the college level and organizations in general, and I believe Pitt finally has those pieces in place right now, which will bring us out of the “sucky” cycle we have been in. Here’s why Im feeling really thirsty for Koolaide.
1)Quality people in charge and support for the program at the top of the organization: First and foremost, this must be present. You must have both commitment and sound vision at the highest positions, in this case Chancellor’s Office, to do the things that need to be done in terms of hiring the right folks, allocating the resources and providing support needed.
The previous chancellor, who shall remain nameless, while having success in many areas, was a horrible failure to athletics and failed to see the benefits to the university of a successful athletics program. His apathy and lack of understanding and leadership and pension for “cronyism” doomed Pitt FB for his entire tenure. I believe that Galligher is a great organizer and understand what must occur to have a successful organization and his hire alone tipped the trajectory of Pitt Football upward. The purse strings are open, and the money is there to compete and good decisions are being made at the top. He will be as good for Football and Basketball as Nordenberg was bad for them. He values athletics and understand the effect athletic success creates.
The AD is basically the Chancellor’s man in athletics. His job is to see that the goals set by senior management are being met and to manage the day to day. In this case, there were no senior management goals, and to compound the issue, our athletic director was a complete and utter buffoon who personified the Peter Principle in every way, and created an environment of pettiness, inefficiency and general apathy toward FB. I would love to be on the other end of the receiver when Galligher called Stevie and asked for his short list to replace Paul Chryst. I imagine after hearing the first two names he said, “Charlie Weiss??? Charlie F’ing Weiss???? Greg Schiano? WTF? These results remind me of the douchebag AD who hired Bill Callihan at Nebraska. What was his name again? Wasn’t there long after that and I hear that the Governor of Nebraska threatened to have the state police arrest him and shove a corncob up is A## if he ever returned to the state. Oh, that was you Steve? Wow, Steve, it’s becoming really apparent after studying the situation, that you simply suck as an AD, and you’re are an insufferable douchebag, two things I cannot suffer here at Pitt so you are fired…” The reason I’m eternally grateful to HCPC for likely providing Galligher. (I still want to punch him in the nutsack for tearing down Pitt Stadium to build a gym.) Now Compare Stevie the Douchebag to Barnes, who both understands and shares his bosses vision and understands how to staff and manage the process to deliver said vision to boss( ref Utah State), fans, students and alums. He prizes and enables capable guys like EJ and Duzz rather than inhibiting them, and provides the tools that are needed.
2)Having informed, capable, intelligent managers at the point of attack and empowering them with both resources and environment needed to be successful. (Starts at Head Coaches) We got a good one. Successful head FB coaches tend to have three prevailing qualities, they are great leaders who can convey the plan to the group and get them to buy in, great people managers, who understand people and how to get the most out of them and understand recruiting and be effective at it (college coaches need the third but not so much in NFL). I believe that HCPN possesses all of these qualities as well as has the resources and environment to be successful. He attracts top notch younger assistants to his coaching tree (Conklin, and the linebackers coach, Peterson etc.) who will all be head coaches themselves one day as well as understands the need to “lock down” the other side of the ball with two very proven, capable great football guys who know what they are doing to design and build an offense to complement the defense he runs and have done it before (Cheyney and Salem). When PN was assembling the staff, at no time I said to myself, WTF?, like I did with HCPC hirings.. Matt House? Seriously? I believe that if PC had the resources available, the hire would have gone quite differently and he likely would have gotten a “Cheyney type DC”. I blame the House hire as much on Steve as PC’s discomfort with unknown personal assets. HCPN guys can also recruit, and evidenced by the resumes of the entire staff. Peterson, Sims, Harley, Powell Sherman, and Salem (The king of the Selfie) Even Cheyney delivering on two QBs so far, Peterman and DiNucci(jury is out on him but I like the kid) , the only position he likely recruits. So you got a good leader and manager in the Head Coach, capable assistants/recruiters who are empowered and we have landed and are still in the hunt for our top targets to round out the recruiting box.
Details like on-campus Stadium, urban versus pastureland campus really don’t matter that much to the big picture and are a matter of taste. With our recent facilities upgrade, and our roomies, The Steelers, at Heinz, the City of Pittsburgh and everything Pitt offers (education, tradition, Primanti’s, cool Pittsburgh accents..) some of the kids will dig it. Not all will be a great fit but you don’t need all of them, you need some. I’d put us up against almost anyone. First and foremost, top notch players want to win and if you build a winning culture, the recruits will come. If we win and like the coaching staff, more will come. If we win, like the coaching staff and that staff puts a few kids high in the draft, even more will come. The kids are gonna come and i really believe we will have at least 5-7 years with Duzz if the current status quo remains.
If you get 1 and 2 right, which I think Pitt has nailed, It’s my humble opinion were in for a fun ride up the bell curve. Thanks Paul. No hard feelings. You were a class act when you were here. Best of luck for a great future, unless you are playing Pitt. If you are Paul, were gonna kick your ass. (Damn, does that feel great to be able to say that and really mean it!!!!!! Been a hard last 30 years, but I’m glad I stayed). Thanks for Sharing. My name is Joe, and I am a Pitt Fan. Hail to Pitt!!!!!
