If you think significant donors to any athletic program are satisfied with a “respectable product”, I’m guessing you don’t know any.
Shady on DW
- Thread starter steelcurtain55.
- Start date
That begs the question, what does a "significant " donor look like at Pitt and how many are them?
I hear you. Yet those are classes are what it takes to compete at a high level. Remember before NIL kicked in, how furious Florida Gator fans were with Dan Mullen's shoddy recruiting? His 4 years in Gainesville saw classes ranked #17, #8, #7, #10. That's fine if the goal is 8 to 10 win football. It doesn't cut it if you want to win championships and keep up with Georgia & Alabama.
So you think donors at Vanderbilt & Northwestern don't realize their programs have limitations that other schools in their respective conferences don't?
I can agree to that to some extent. But I feel like what is missed is there are guys who come into college football? Who are what I will call program builders and no matter where they’re at. They find the players that fit their scheme that will help them get their team to the next level. Cason point urban Meyer was at Bowling Green, but he was able to recruit good enough to take Bowling Green to another level. Then he goes to Utah and he’s able to recruit good enough to get Utah to the next level. Then he gets to Florida and he recruits on another level to take them to the next level. My only point is that at some point you have to be able to get a guy who can sell himself enough to get the players that he needs to execute the scheme that he has. And I feel like Pat Narduzzi can do a better job of that then what he’s done
I'm reasonably sure that when major donors write 7 digit checks to Vandy and Northwestern they are intending to do anything they can to elevate those programs to something beyond "respectable".
The fact the best we could do with shady was make 1 bowl game
In El Paso - and scored 0 points -
Is one of those mysteries that can only be explained by DW!
In El Paso - and scored 0 points -
Is one of those mysteries that can only be explained by DW!
But DW wasn’t that guy to elevate a program either -
As we definitely learned .
There is a reason Urban can pick and choose any program in the country to coach -
Where wanny - ended up as a position coach in the nfl and retired
But my point is that a Urban Meyer had to START somewhere and why is it that Pitt can never find those young upcoming coaches who can recruit for where they are at good enough to elevate a program….a Urban Meyer at Bowling Green, a Brad Steven’s at Butler in basketball. I mean we never even get lucky!!!!!
Howland and Dixon might dispute that
Jamie Dixon NEVER went to a Final Four. Brad Stevens did. No comparision. Howland left prematurely before taking that step
Oh is that the sole distinction of success ?
They both elevated the program . Dummy .
So now you’re introducing new criteria. You just like being goofy. This isn’t as bad as your take about Mahomes being overrated, but your act is tiring quickly.
Did Urban's recruiting really elevate Utah? They were pretty good before he got there and they won with kids that weren't his for the most part. Case in point - all the NFL players on his 2004 team minus Weddle were from the previous regime. Alex Smith, Quinton Ganther, Paris Warren, John Madsen, Steve Fifita, Jon Fanene, Sione Pouha, Spencer Toone, etc. The entire starting unit's on both sides of the ball were from the previous regime.
During his Florida run, most people credit Zook with loading the cupboard with talent. https://www.gatorcountry.com/florida-gators-football/meyer_knew_exactly_what_he_was_getting_into/
Urban is arguably the #2 HC of his generation. He can recruit and coach. He can get boosters to spend money. I'm not disputing that.
The difference is if a MAC/MT West Coach has tremendous success like Urban did, he's not putting PITT on his radar for his next gig. He's looking at a place that recruits itself and has legitimate chance of winning a NC. When Urban left UF and was working for ESPN, he put a map of schools above the Mason Dixon line that meet the criteria to compete for NC and there was only 1 - OSU - go figure.
My point is is that why can’t be the team that has a coach that gets that success? And I’m not introducing a new criteria. I’m just saying they actually won the big games as opposed to having a little bit of success and never getting over the hill. Winning a New Years Bowl is good measure of success that puts you in a different tier and getting to a Final Four puts you in a different tier. Why can’t Pitt be the starting point???? Means they don’t get creative with their hires.
Urban sullied his reputation down south with the way he left Florida. His last Florida team was abysmal by their standards. The program wasn't in a good place in terms of talent when he left either.
I highly doubt it. Those programs don't have the potential to be anything more than respectable. And I use respectable because it's a very generic term that can cover a wide range and still conveys something favorable.
Believe it or not, there are donors who donate millions to programs such as Vandy & Northwestern just so their teams can remain somewhat competitive. That's enough to be very beneficial in a variety of ways to the University. At some schools, it's not all about competing for championships.
He's looking at a place that recruits itself and has legitimate chance of winning a NC.
This was Kelly's mindset in leaving ND for LSU as well.
Ohio State and Michigan are the only northern schools that realistically qualify to be in that exclusive club of maybe 6-8 total programs in the entirety of college football. Both are 120 year brand names with boundless resources.
Nah. Some donors just don’t look for every excuse not to give. Pat Ryan didn’t become a billionaire by being stupid. He knows NU can’t compete. He donates because he wants his name on crap and because otherwise NU will be in the tank.
