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Pitt Softball

ACC not representing very well in NCAA tournament.
So far, V Tech, Clemson, and Duke all losing at the moment.
Of course it isn't over until it's over!
 
FreeportPanther said:
That's all interesting, but I'm passing on what I was told by someone "very close" to the team. I have no reason to doubt what I was told. There was no reason to make things up.
They specifically said "One year Contracts".
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I'm not doubting you. And I'm not saying that it isn't possible that players were told they were on "one year contracts". I am telling you that for players who started on scholarship at Pitt they may have been told that, but that would actually be a lie.

Now if they were a walk on when they first got here, that's different. Walk ons who later get scholarships can be given one year scholarships. And I don't know if the rule applies to transfers or not. Maybe transfers can be only given a scholarship for one year. But someone who goes to Pitt (or any P5) and is on scholarship as a freshman cannot be taken off scholarship simply because the coach decides that they want to.

Of course the coach could tell the person that they weren't going to play, and could try to make their life miserable such that they don't want to be there anymore. But that's different, and coaches have been doing crap like that probably since the first athletic scholarships were given. And that's what the current rules are supposed to prevent.
 
Holly had a unique personality and I imagine there were some contentious relationships with some players. But, she knew the sport, knew how and where to recruit, and had a sharp eye for talent.

I thought she would do better than she actually has at Louisville, considering the success of Womens’ sports there like basketball and volleyball.
 
Kind of surprised there has been no movement in hiring a new coach.
Actually crickets around the search.

This is when Travel Ball season gets ramped up, and also the time for camps, both of which are the backbone of recruiting.
If Pitt has no coach or staff, they will have wasted an entire year of recruiting, and will be 100% at the mercy of the portal.

Plus players on the roster will start to get jumpy and begin to look around for more stable opportunities.

What gives???
 
BTW the softball situation is a disaster and getting worse! Team essentially dissolving and no one recruiting during prime season. Interviews not going well at least 2 people turned it down. Team promised a coach by Memorial Day but obviously not.
Other programs are recruiting what players are left.
 
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FreeportPanther said:
BTW the softball situation is a disaster and getting worse! Team essentially dissolving and no one recruiting during prime season. Interviews not going well at least 2 people turned it down. Team promised a coach by Memorial Day but obviously not.
Other programs are recruiting what players are left.
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More than 2 people have turned that job down. Have heard as many as four have and Pitt is throwing big cash at candidates to entice anyone to take it. The roster is pretty much gutted with graduation and transfers. The softball situation has been a disaster since they put themselves in the same situation when they parted ways with the previous coach. I’m not sure Hermanek and Lyke could screw it up any more than they have i f they tried.
 
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They’d be better off going for a young, hungry coach that can sell ice to an Eskimo. Lower starting salary with bigger incentives built into the contact and a little extra NIL money to make up the difference.
 
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A.Donald said:
More than 2 people have turned that job down. Have heard as many as four have and Pitt is throwing big cash at candidates to entice anyone to take it. The roster is pretty much gutted with graduation and transfers. The softball situation has been a disaster since they put themselves in the same situation when they parted ways with the previous coach. I’m not sure Hermanek and Lyke could screw it up any more than they have i f they tried.
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Their only starting pitcher has transferred to Duke. They have virtually NOTHING left but a couple position players who are barely hanging on and as the portal deadline approaches, they're likely gone too.
A total hot mess on steroids!
 
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FreeportPanther said:
Interesting.
Seems like the age you'd retire, not take on such a huge challenge.
Good luck to her, it's a big task!
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She’s actually only 55 years old - younger than I expected given that she’s been the head coach at Harvard for 30 years.
 
Very interesting and surprising hire. Given how long the search has taken and the reported number of coaches that turned the job down, I expected we'd be hiring a 26-year-old coach from Idaho Agriculture, Mining, & Upholstery for the job. Good luck to Coach Allard. It's a daunting task ahead of her. I look forward to watching the introductory news conference and hearing her answer to "Why in the world would you want to..........?"
 
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90% of the job is recruiting, the other half is coaching.

I'm not sure how well recruiting to Havard will translate to recruiting to Pitt. We'll see. I wish her well and hope she can right the ship.
 
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I’m not sure she really recruited that much at Harvard. They don’t give athletic scholarships, and if you have a recruit who wants an Ivy League education and is qualified and you say “would you like to go to Harvard?” I think you are pretty much done.

She has had a good record at Harvard, particularly in the last few years; however, overall she has a losing record outside the Ivy League. I think Hermanek had a winning record(or close to it) outside the ACC, but she was out of her depth in the conference.

To me, this is a desperation hire after at least 9 people turned down the job according to reports. She stays here 3 or 4 years, probably collects a much bigger salary than at Harvard, and adds a nice cushion to her retirement portfolio.

The key is going to be hiring two assistants who are young, energetic and know the areas where the recruits are —PA, California, Texas, Florida, Georgia — and recruit like hell. They already are too late to do anything for the upcoming season aside from the transfer portal . And one of them needs to be a pitching coach unless she is going to do that since she pitched at Michigan.
 
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Yeah, this is a pretty uninspired hire to me, though it’s glaringly obvious they didn’t have many options. I literally don’t know anything about her, but it feels kinda Stallings-esque. Not that the circumstances are the same, but an older coach, likely nearing the end of their career, that will bring basically no new energy to a program in desperate need of it
 
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goodtymes said:
Yeah, this is a pretty uninspired hire to me, though it’s glaringly obvious they didn’t have many options. I literally don’t know anything about her, but it feels kinda Stallings-esque. Not that the circumstances are the same, but an older coach, likely nearing the end of their career, that will bring basically no new energy to a program in desperate need of it
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Pay board says she played with Lyke at Michigan. No idea if that's true, but it would make sense. H2P
 
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Sometimes at these Ivy type schools, there is just no way to compete nationally. You are expected to be competitive in your league, but there isn't money or scholarships to take that next step.

Coaches at these places are still competitors and want to win, and after years of treading water due to limited resources, some would jump at a chance to compete at a higher level. That could be the case here. I hope so. I'm sure Heather's personal connections had a lot to do with it. But I'm hoping there is that frustration at never being able to take the next step and there is still competitive fire there to prove something at what should be a higher level.
 
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I usually don't like to respond to clueless posts but, Mike and Goodtymes, you take the cake. She's old, at the end of her career, can't be judged on her recruiting prowess because everybody wants to go to Harvard, better get young assistants who know how to recruit in California, reeks of desperation - yep, clueless. Facts - Randy Waldrun and Jay Vidovich were in their 50's. What have they done for Pitt? She is from southern California and is a legend. She is in the Hall of Fame already. She was always the #1 choice but the timing wasn't right before. Now it is. We are unbelievably fortunate
 
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CrazyPaco said:
Sometimes at these Ivy type schools, there is just no way to compete nationally. You are expected to be competitive in your league, but there isn't money or scholarships to take that next step.
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So it took her 30 years to act on that "fire"??
Nice story...................
More like, Please old crony, save me here!!! No one will bite on this job!!!
I'll pay you great, no pressure, and in 5 years you can waltz into retirement.

As long as we're speculating here, that is MY speculation.
 
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Nish67 said:
I usually don't like to respond to clueless posts but, Mike and Goodtymes, you take the cake. She's old, at the end of her career, can't be judged on her recruiting prowess because everybody wants to go to Harvard, better get young assistants who know how to recruit in California, reeks of desperation - yep, clueless. Facts - Randy Waldrun and Jay Vidovich were in their 50's. What have they done for Pitt? She is from southern California and is a legend. She is in the Hall of Fame already. She was always the #1 choice but the timing wasn't right before. Now it is. We are unbelievably fortunate
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Oh yeah? Well, what would you know anyway? 😂

(Kidding, of course)
 
Waldrum and Vidovich are absurd comparisons. They both won consistently at high levels. Her record in games played outside the Ivy League is below .500. She never advanced beyond the NCAA Regionals in 30 years of coaching. (I’m not saying she should have won an NCAA title at Harvard, but just illustrating the absurdity of the comparison.)

I’m sure after reportedly promising the team she would have a new coach in place before Memorial Day to try to minimize transfer portal exits (that worked out so well), and after being turned down by at least NINE coaches to whom she offered the job, she is spinning this exactly the way you said it. But, it clearly is a fairy tale.

As far as her being a legend in California, I lived there for 48 years. I played fast pitch softball. I have followed women’s fast pitch softball for more than 40 years. There are a number of legends in California. Lisa Fernandez, to name just one. A 19-9 pitcher who was a one-time AA on a team that didn’t win a title ain’t one of them.
 
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mike412 said:
Waldrum and Vidovich are absurd comparisons. They both won consistently at high levels. Her record in games played outside the Ivy League is below .500. She never advanced beyond the NCAA Regionals in 30 years of coaching. (I’m not saying she should have won an NCAA title at Harvard, but just illustrating the absurdity of the comparison.)

I’m sure after reportedly promising the team she would have a new coach in place before Memorial Day to try to minimize transfer portal exits (that worked out so well), and after being turned down by at least NINE coaches to whom she offered the job, she is spinning this exactly the way you said it. But, it clearly is a fairy tale.

As far as her being a legend in California, I lived there for 48 years. I played fast pitch softball. I have followed women’s fast pitch softball for more than 40 years. There are a number of legends in California. Lisa Fernandez, to name just one. A 19-9 pitcher who was a one-time AA on a team that didn’t win a title ain’t one of them.
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Read carefully, Mike. Vidovich and Waldrun are age comparisons in response to the comment that she's at the end of her career at 55. Vidovich was also 55 when he came to Pitt.

I get it. You played fast pitch softball. So have a lot of other people. Doesn't make you an insider on how and why decisions are made at Pitt. You are basically questioning an AD who was just named the best in the nation. I know message boards encourage people to express their opinions but you obviously believe yours trumps all others.
 
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Nish67 said:
I usually don't like to respond to clueless posts but, Mike and Goodtymes, you take the cake. She's old, at the end of her career, can't be judged on her recruiting prowess because everybody wants to go to Harvard, better get young assistants who know how to recruit in California, reeks of desperation - yep, clueless. Facts - Randy Waldrun and Jay Vidovich were in their 50's. What have they done for Pitt? She is from southern California and is a legend. She is in the Hall of Fame already. She was always the #1 choice but the timing wasn't right before. Now it is. We are unbelievably fortunate
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I literally said I know nothing about her, and I am hoping to be proven wrong. I just, personally, think the program needs a burst of energy. Also, softball is way different from soccer in that there aren't numerous paths to recruiting successes in softball. As someone who is fairly involved in the travel scene in Western PA, you come to realize that in softball, talent is king. Listen, maybe she comes and is able to sell her vision and get the talent in that she needs, and I'd be thrilled, I just tend to think a young, up and comer looking to make their name might be hungrier and more able to pull that off.
 
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Nish67 said:
I usually don't like to respond .... She is from southern California and is a legend. She is in the Hall of Fame already. She was always the #1 choice but the timing wasn't right before. Now it is. We are unbelievably fortunate
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Thanks for pipping up. You endorsement carries weight. Sometimes it is important to knock down misinformation. It is good to know that she was the #1 choice and Pitt has not settled for choice #9. Not that it guarantees success, but unwarranted negativity shouldn't undermine her program before she even sets foot on campus. I do like the fact she is from SoCal and may reestablish recruiting connections there. Let's hope she's as successful as everyone wants her to be.

And thanks for continuing to support these programs in tangible ways.
 
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Read carefully: No one would have questioned the hiring of a 50-something coach with a history of success at the highest levels. But, she has 28 years of coaching at a much lower level than the ACC. That’s why your citation of Vidovich and Waldrum, who both had success at the highest level of college soccer, was ridiculous.

She has never coached at this level. She has never recruited at this level. Her experience is at a school which doesn’t give athletic scholarships. Her non-conference record is below .500. Comparing her to Waldrum and Vidovich was asinine.

I guess the fact that when they tell you she was the “first choice” for the job all along, you buy it hook, line and sinker is the reason you get “inside information.” You didn’t think to ask “then why did you first offer the job to 9 other coaches?” And, the “timing wasn’t right earlier” is equally b.s. What cataclysmic event prevented her from taking the job right after Harvard was eliminated in the Regionals but was gone less than a month later?

By the way, since you know so much inside information, why don’t you post the number of Pitt players who are in the softball transfer portal or have already committed to another school?
 
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mike412 said:
Read carefully: No one would have questioned the hiring of a 50-something coach with a history of success at the highest levels. But, she has 28 years of coaching at a much lower level than the ACC. That’s why your citation of Vidovich and Waldrum, who both had success at the highest level of college soccer, was ridiculous.

She has never coached at this level. She has never recruited at this level. Her experience is at a school which doesn’t give athletic scholarships. Her non-conference record is below .500. Comparing her to Waldrum and Vidovich was asinine.

I guess the fact that when they tell you she was the “first choice” for the job all along, you buy it hook, line and sinker is the reason you get “inside information.” You didn’t think to ask “then why did you first offer the job to 9 other coaches?” And, the “timing wasn’t right earlier” is equally b.s. What cataclysmic event prevented her from taking the job right after Harvard was eliminated in the Regionals but was gone less than a month later?

By the way, since you know so much inside information, why don’t you post the number of Pitt players who are in the softball transfer portal or have already committed to another school?
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Where is the “9 people turned down the job” coming from? Earlier in this thread someone suggested that two people turned it down, and maybe as many as four. But that’s far from nine.

And…how do we know that Allard wasn’t one of those people who turned it down, we circled back with a higher offer and she accepted?
 
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Oh, did I mention I had a bridge for sale? I'll give a couple of you guys a great deal on it.
I'd rather sell it to a die hard PItt fan, than the 9 other people who want it really bad!

We've been to big time Showcase tournaments in Ohio the past few weekends. Literally crawling with coaches from the biggest to D3. Teams from all over the Midwest and NE.
THAT and NOW is where the recruiting action is. These coaches literally ignore HS. High level travel is where the action is, and then camps.
PItt has been AWOL obviously since they had no coach. The delay in this hire literally eliminates this year's class of elite prospects because those are already committed.
Pitching prospects are all locked up in their Junior years, so that ship has sailed.
Now it will be all about the second round of the transfer portal for this coach.
Pitt's team has been gutted. Our current #1 pitcher is now pitching for Duke!
Don't Pee down our back and tell us it's raining! #1 Choice indeed, but if you say so.................
 
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TheSpecialSauce said:
The Softball Field is named after Nish. The very same poster some of you are arguing with right now.
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All well and good, and grateful for the $$ support.
But the softball program has been allowed to become a hot mess.
The team was promised a coach by Memorial Day, and they wanted the coach to be a man.
Coach Herm should have been gone years ago. She did NOTHING in 5 years.
The job was offered to candidates and they ALL turned it down.
Hard to believe their #1 choice all along suddenly had some kind of Epiphany and everything fell into place!

In any event, hope it works out, but it's going to be a while to even get back to the surface, let alone tread water!
 
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My first thought was its a credible hire. My second thought was why would she take one of the worst jobs in P5?
 
TIGER-PAUL said:
My first thought was its a credible hire. My second thought was why would she take one of the worst jobs in P5?
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It shouldn't be one of the worst jobs in P5.
The facilities are very good, including the field, lockers, lounges, dorms, etc.
Being a northern school, the weather is a negative, but other teams face the same problem.
The ACC is a good softball conference.
There is good talent within a 250 mile circle.

You need pitching, first and foremost. Pitt fanned on a couple of really good local pitching prospects in the past few years. Like Coach Herm was blind!!

A good coach can make it work here, or at least be competitive and at the very least qualify for the ACC tournament!
How embarrassing for the tournament to be held at PItt and PItt didn't qualify!
That alone should have demanded a coaching change!!!
 
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Agree with what you've said Freeport. I'm frustrated too with our inability to get top-level pitching. That is the name of the game, no doubt.

When I donate, I do it to give back to the school I love and in a way that is impactful. That's why I give to Olympic Sports like softball and wrestling. You don't have to give a large sum to make a difference. I don't expect to be an "insider" in return. I visit the team at least once a year. I don't offer opinions because that is not my place. Because I was financially able to donate doesn't make me a better person than anyone else on this forum or any other alum for that matter. It just bothers me when I read "opinions" that are so negative.

I've dealt with Pitt athletic directors and administration for a very long time. At one time, Maureen Anderson was the only person of quality at Pitt. The organization that Heather has put together is simply amazing. The fact that she's convinced the chancellor and board of trustees to approve Victory Heights is unprecedented. Alumni donations are at an all-time high, way beyond anyone's expectations. Has some of Heather's hires not worked out? Sure. But look at how many winning teams we have now. She was selected AD of the year for a reason. I hope she's still in that job long after I'm gone. H2P!

I've said my peace.
 
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goodtymes said:
I literally said I know nothing about her, and I am hoping to be proven wrong. I just, personally, think the program needs a burst of energy. Also, softball is way different from soccer in that there aren't numerous paths to recruiting successes in softball. As someone who is fairly involved in the travel scene in Western PA, you come to realize that in softball, talent is king. Listen, maybe she comes and is able to sell her vision and get the talent in that she needs, and I'd be thrilled, I just tend to think a young, up and comer looking to make their name might be hungrier and more able to pull that off.
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Opinions are often based upon unproven assumptions.
 
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