Soccer Hire Gives Me Hope

[Dallas Burgher]

Maybe this AD is looking for places Pitt can excel at a reasonable price. If that is the case then wrestling has great potential. I believe the matches would be sold out if the team was to seven or eight all the time with a shot at the NCAA Championship.

 

[CrazyPaco]

Pitt is way more attractive for Olympic sports in the ACC than it was in the Big East, and its facilities are much improved.

The money has also increased greatly for Pitt thanks to the ACC.

What will bear watching is the money moving forward because that $ bar has been raised for everyone. You can see it happening in football where schools are throwing more money than they ever had previously at staffs. Pitt is still going to be at the bottom of the P5 in revenue, so it is probably lucky to get in on some coaches early in the growing salary bubble.

Even with all that said, it is still may be the most impressive hire Pitt has ever made as far as existing coaching pedigree...and it doesn't happen without being in the ACC and the Petersen Sports Complex...but the impressiveness cannot be understated and is a real feather in Barnes cap.

Another thing that is different is that Pitt has no more legacy coaches with decades of tenure...gone are Dieffenbach, Stottlemyer, and Luxbacher. That means it is less likely people will be kept around just for being good soldiers in miserable conditions. The conditions for retention are different than 10 years ago when Pitt didn't have the funds to fully fund scholarships or provide appropriate facilities. Still a long way to go though.

 

[Nish67]

Paco, love to hear your perspective on the current state of each Olympic Sport and where we are in the quest to be in the upper tier of the ACC. Areas like coaching, facilities, funding. For example, for track, I believe we have the right coaching staff and obviously need a dedicated facility. Don't know where we are on available scholarships. On a lesser known level, women's tennis, I believe Alex Santos is the right coach. this year's freshman class, his first, proves we are on the right track, and we need a dedicated facility. Please expand as you see fit.

 

[CrazyPaco]

Baseball - recruiting better than ever but essentially trying to keep its head above water in one of the nation's toughest leagues. Getting to the ACC tournament is the goal and would be a major accomplishment for the program. Have to do that soon.

XC - Men are terrible. women had one of their best year in history but still distance still neglected. No real distance coach. The distance program is largely an afterthought.

Gymnastics - treading water in mediocrity. Yohman is actually one of those long-term legacy coaches.

Men's soccer - impossible to trend anywhere but up, regardless of the fantastic coaching hire.

Women's soccer - had best season ever but still a ways to go. Trending up.

Softball - unbelievable season last year making the NCAAs. Holly Aprile is currently the rock star of the AD. Trending up, big time.

Swimming & Diving - facing much stiffer competition in the ACC. Recruiting better, but not enough to challenge for the conference or a national ranking. Needs to step up. Swimming facility renovation in Trees will help. Noles has also been there forever.

Tennis - another program with no where to go but up.

T&F - no track = bad program that won't be taken seriously until it fixes the facility problem. Competitive in some events, mostly jumps and sprints, considering the circumstances but mediocre at best. Women are poor. 1 east regional qualify on both sides last year = tied for worst in the conference.

Wrestling = worrisome backwards progression.

Volleyball - seems stuck on the wrong side of the NCAA bubble. Needs to break through next year or two...next is year four for Fischer.

So some progress, but a lot more progress is needed.

 

[Nish67]

Thanks Paco!

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Drop Track & Field. Add lacrosse.