1) Stallings was in a bad situation from the get. He was in a no win situation, especially after Barnes left. He was not really likeable figure, but when Barnes left, and a new sheriff came to town, and the program's performance tanked to all time lows, it was obvious because....
2) Hiring Stallings was one thing. It is standard to give a contract term to coaches to at least cover a recruiting cycle, 5 years is fairly standard, 4 maybe for 1st timers. But Pitt gave Stallings a 6 year contract with full buyout amount! We gave that to a coach who was likely going to be fired, and who no one else wanted. We were bidding for his services against NO ONE. While that is on Barnes, this is really on Pat Gallagher and any of his advisors, trustees. Think of it this way, if it was a 5 year deal, right now Stallings buyout would be $6.9 million over $9.4 million. The 6th year, AND a full buyout clause was just completely irresponsible and maybe the single stupidest moment in Pittsburgh sports since David Littlefield ran the Pirates.
3) Kevin Stallings is not scared of this. Pitt should know first hand He was the one who would not let Sheldon Jeter transfer to Pitt. He was the one who blocked Cam Johnson to UNC. He relishes this kind of crap and is not scared of this kind of battles. He is NOT a sympathetic figure.
4) IF this was the route Pitt was going, they should have been documenting and going through formal HR type activities throughout this year. Giving him warnings or items to place in a personnel file in regards to conduct or the fact he does nothing to promote the program. Then at least, you are or have been building a case. Maybe they have been doing this, but this is Pitt.
5) Stallings went total rebuild. But he did it, without selling it to anyone, without having the guy who hired him having his back. Did he do the right thing? Maybe. Likely not. But if he would have been front and center saying hey, we have guys, most who should be redshirting but we have to count on this year, and they will grow into this, but this year is going to suck. Please be patient with us, and continued to front the program and tout how good of kids they are (easy to root for) and be patient, perhaps there wouldn't be so much acrimony. But he didn't, was standoffish, and in regards to this, there was still a large portion of fans who were pissed at him because he was not Jamie Dixon.
6) Pitt, when deciding to part with Stallings, which was obvious the last 6 weeks should have been assessing this job, who would take it, and what is the cost. You have to realize that to have a legit coaching upgrade, this transaction was going to cost over $13 million this year.
7) This is not a bad job, but it has been made alot worse than it should be. Virginia Tech was a bad job, but they realized it, they made a big contract to Buzz Williams, made promises on facilities and assistant coaching budgets. Pitt, I am afraid, still won't do this and because of this, we will be underwhelmed with the next hire also.
8) Pitt is getting blasted, right now Heather Lyke needs to get in front of this. Not by mudslinging and publicly jousting with Stallings, but by being positive about the direction of the program and their (Pitt's) intentions in what they are looking for in the next coach.
9) Pitt is going to have to overpay for the next guy. What I hope, is there are some basketball savvy people that have some connections to Pitt or at least Pittsburgh that is providing some advice. Because Scott Barnes was supposed to be a basketball guy, and that search was a joke. I am not sure who these people are, but they need to be having daily conversations with Lyke and steering this coaching search.
10) Patrick Gallagher is an empty suit. A government bureaucrat. He is horrible. He should be fired. Say what you want about Nordenberg, he was dignified, he was front and center, very public. Most people, including Pitt alums couldn't identify Gallagher in a police lineup. This ultimately is on him. While I don't expect nor want a Chancellor to be a defacto AD, I would expect him to have rudimentary knowledge and understanding, or at least have access to some trusted confidants who do know, and would have rejected the Stallings contract. That was bad. When a hack, no nothing fan like me saw that contract and it raised concerns and questions, why didn't it do that to him?
2) Hiring Stallings was one thing. It is standard to give a contract term to coaches to at least cover a recruiting cycle, 5 years is fairly standard, 4 maybe for 1st timers. But Pitt gave Stallings a 6 year contract with full buyout amount! We gave that to a coach who was likely going to be fired, and who no one else wanted. We were bidding for his services against NO ONE. While that is on Barnes, this is really on Pat Gallagher and any of his advisors, trustees. Think of it this way, if it was a 5 year deal, right now Stallings buyout would be $6.9 million over $9.4 million. The 6th year, AND a full buyout clause was just completely irresponsible and maybe the single stupidest moment in Pittsburgh sports since David Littlefield ran the Pirates.
3) Kevin Stallings is not scared of this. Pitt should know first hand He was the one who would not let Sheldon Jeter transfer to Pitt. He was the one who blocked Cam Johnson to UNC. He relishes this kind of crap and is not scared of this kind of battles. He is NOT a sympathetic figure.
4) IF this was the route Pitt was going, they should have been documenting and going through formal HR type activities throughout this year. Giving him warnings or items to place in a personnel file in regards to conduct or the fact he does nothing to promote the program. Then at least, you are or have been building a case. Maybe they have been doing this, but this is Pitt.
5) Stallings went total rebuild. But he did it, without selling it to anyone, without having the guy who hired him having his back. Did he do the right thing? Maybe. Likely not. But if he would have been front and center saying hey, we have guys, most who should be redshirting but we have to count on this year, and they will grow into this, but this year is going to suck. Please be patient with us, and continued to front the program and tout how good of kids they are (easy to root for) and be patient, perhaps there wouldn't be so much acrimony. But he didn't, was standoffish, and in regards to this, there was still a large portion of fans who were pissed at him because he was not Jamie Dixon.
6) Pitt, when deciding to part with Stallings, which was obvious the last 6 weeks should have been assessing this job, who would take it, and what is the cost. You have to realize that to have a legit coaching upgrade, this transaction was going to cost over $13 million this year.
7) This is not a bad job, but it has been made alot worse than it should be. Virginia Tech was a bad job, but they realized it, they made a big contract to Buzz Williams, made promises on facilities and assistant coaching budgets. Pitt, I am afraid, still won't do this and because of this, we will be underwhelmed with the next hire also.
8) Pitt is getting blasted, right now Heather Lyke needs to get in front of this. Not by mudslinging and publicly jousting with Stallings, but by being positive about the direction of the program and their (Pitt's) intentions in what they are looking for in the next coach.
9) Pitt is going to have to overpay for the next guy. What I hope, is there are some basketball savvy people that have some connections to Pitt or at least Pittsburgh that is providing some advice. Because Scott Barnes was supposed to be a basketball guy, and that search was a joke. I am not sure who these people are, but they need to be having daily conversations with Lyke and steering this coaching search.
10) Patrick Gallagher is an empty suit. A government bureaucrat. He is horrible. He should be fired. Say what you want about Nordenberg, he was dignified, he was front and center, very public. Most people, including Pitt alums couldn't identify Gallagher in a police lineup. This ultimately is on him. While I don't expect nor want a Chancellor to be a defacto AD, I would expect him to have rudimentary knowledge and understanding, or at least have access to some trusted confidants who do know, and would have rejected the Stallings contract. That was bad. When a hack, no nothing fan like me saw that contract and it raised concerns and questions, why didn't it do that to him?
