but Pitt fans have NEVER learned. Can't wait to replace a coach because "we can take it to the next level". THE NEXT LEVEL ISN'T ALWAYS UP!!! We had a class act in Dixon. Barnes thinks because his name isnt Pederson, every thing he does is automatically golden. Honestly, my first impression of him is he is extremely arrogant. I never said that on here until now because I didn't want to interrupt the love fest. If Pitt fans learn nothing else, we don't have to change just to change things up. Especially from the winningest coach in program history! Pitt deserves to be laughed at!
I'd love to say Pitt fans will learn from this...
- Thread starter FourPanthers
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Dixon lost a lot of steam once we left the BE, and then Nordenberg, Cochran, and Pederson to a lesser extent left. But he was very loyal to Nordy. I honestly do not believe JD was happy in recent years, and moving to TCU is what he wanted. The problem is how this search was conducted, and who was hired.
Agreed, but why wasn't Dixon happy? I question an AD who isn't willing to work with a successful coach. He's heard from so many people that Pederson was the devil so it's almost like Barnes felt like, if Pederson liked Dixon then I shouldn't. Which is ridiculous. Don't run Dixon out of town just to make your symbolic mark on the program. If that's his mark, no thanks!
It all started with us leaving the BE. I honestly think he would have left then, but he was a loyal guy to Nordy and Cochran so he stayed. I think he lost confidence in how and where we were going to recruit after the move to the ACC.
He gave the masses bread and circuses ( script Pitt and update some aging facilities)
Figured Narduzzi didn't crap the bed and seems popular, and cheap, so extends him after 1 year on his contract.
Hires a good coach for a sport no one cares about.
Now, I fear he's going to go scorched to recreate Pitt athletics in his own image.
Perhaps this thud of a hire will put checks and balances back in place?
Figured Narduzzi didn't crap the bed and seems popular, and cheap, so extends him after 1 year on his contract.
Hires a good coach for a sport no one cares about.
Now, I fear he's going to go scorched to recreate Pitt athletics in his own image.
Perhaps this thud of a hire will put checks and balances back in place?
I guess I'm just bummed out that soooo many Pitt fans loved the fact that he left but never learn that we actually had it pretty good compared to what we could have. Learn from our mistakes.
I think a lot of people appreciated what he did for us, but for his own happiness is better off at TCU. He really appeared to age 10 years in the last 3-4.
It is pretty simple to understand Barnes' and Dixon's actions this past week, if anyone is paying attention, instead of pushing their private agendas.
1)It has been posted by reputable posters multiple times that a significant segment of big money boosers have been actively working to remove Dixon. This was intensified after the loss to Wisconsin.
2) Barnes was hired primarily because of his history as a fund-raiser. His hirng history was minimal. His best hire was promoting an assistant. Not exactly earth-shattering.
3) The easiest way to raise significant amounts of money is to go, as Willie Sutton the bank robber famously said "...where the money is." He can potentially raise more money from a handful of the big guys than a thousand of us. To fulfill what may be his primary function, he has to schmooze those guys.
4) As such, it is clear they had considerable influence and were instrumental in worsening the relationship between Dixon and Pitt. Dixon had the big contract buy-out and even with the efforts of the boosters, had at least another bad year before anyone would have seriously considered firing him. But, the timing of the TCU opening allowed Dixon AND Pitt a face- and money-saving out. As it worked out, it relieved pressure on Dixon but it certainly intensified pressure on Pitt. And Mr. Barnes.
5) All the talk about Barnes having connections certainly has a much more ominous connotation given the Stallings hire, doesn't it? Reportedly the boosters are "not pleased" with Stallings so Barnes' move might backfire on him in several ways. Those given to conspiracy theories might muse whether the Miller contact might have been 1) made to molify the big boosters and 2) intentionally botched to allow him sign Stallings and help his buddy.
Maybe the object lessons for everyone here are 1) there are ALWAYS things going on behind the scenes that most people don't know about and 2) we as a fanbase know little about basketball and lack perspective. Very few would say we are better off as a program today then we were even immediately after the Wisconsin loss.
It is what it is. We move on, each in our own way.
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Again the false narrative that the fan's opinion caused any of this. I think there is some learning to be done but I think its for those that over estimate the power of the folks in the seats.
Dixon had gotten fed up with SP. Then Barnes arrives....and MIGHT have begun meddling. Jamie, like all good coaches, wants control. Might have resisted Barnes' "suggestions", causing a rift. So, 2 years after Jamie declaring he was a Pitt guy, planning on retiring from here, suddenly wants to leave for a place he spent all of 4 years in??
Too many people are blurring the fact Jamie was done here with the fact our AD screwed us over on the new hire.
Should have at least countered Enfield like he was expecting..
Should have at least countered Enfield like he was expecting..
With respect to the past five years, theres not a big difference between JD and KS. In the final analysis, this hire, and Barnes career, will be determined by how the team plays the next three years. What some people seem to forget is that Barnes has a lot more riding on this hire than anyone of us.
Has a poster claimed they would be personally fired if KS isn't a great coach? Of course the AD is more affected than any of us. That's a ridiculous sentiment to even mention.
Why is it ridiculous? Ive seen more than one post suggest that Barnes either hired Stallings as a favor to his buddy or because hes already planning on leaving Pitt. Yeah right......guy is going to torpedo his career making an awful hire so he can position himself for his next job. LOL.......some of the stuff that's posted here is pure comedy.
Not to mention, the people running around like their hair is on fire and threatening not donate have far less skin in the game than Barnes. But hey if you all want to be miserable have at it. Its really no different than the Jamie Haters or the Nutting Haters. Some folks simply can never get themselves to look at the glass as half full, no matter what the circumstances are.
That's exactly why it is ridiculous. He obviously has more "skin in the game" because IT IS HIS JOB, and not any of ours. That's like saying nobody can comment on the NFL because we're not on a roster. Nobody is claiming we have more skin in the game, unless you consider that people are generally lifelong fans, and have been here longer than Barnes, and will be here after Barnes. If he sinks our ship, we're sunk. He goes and works somewhere else.
You're arguing against something nobody has ever said or even implied.
Yeah that's working out really well for Steve Pederson. As far as our ship being sunk, Pitt stunk before Howland and did pretty well with an Up and comer. Your rebuttal pretty much proves that my comment is not ridiculous because you think Barnes can just pick up the pieces and move on.
Also I never said no one can comment. I've said it was bad hire. However life moves on. Im not going to be miserable over a coaching hire at Pitt.
Yeah, it did. Steve worked many years as an AD and made millions more dollars than anyone on this site commenting about him has. He doesn't have to be an AD now because he's already set for life. If he works at all today, it is because he wants to, not because he has to.
If you have followed this board at all, you know you can't lump Pitt Fans as a singular group. We are the most split fan base in the country. So if you are going to generalize, please specify to which group of Pitt fans you are referring too.
That is all.
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