This thread is full of truths but people are so dead set in making their case and not accepting of other truths listed.
As for Wanny taking over for Walt. I thought Dave was a great hire, a perfect fit. Local kid, Pitt alum who knew the NFL and could recruit and sell both Pitt and the NFL experience to recruits, and this would have been his last coaching stop and would not have Pitt be a stepping stone to a better job. A Pitt lifer as head coach, finally.
As for Dave’s lack of success his first three years despite having talent he inherited from Walt, and there was talent, Dave’s style of offense wasn’t Walt’s style of offense of pitch and catch. Some coaches are set with their style of offense. I doubt Urban Meyer could take a pass happy offense with an immobile pocket passer and be as successful as he is running his style of offense with a very mobile qb.
However, the truly great coaches adjust to the talent they have but all coaches want to run the style of offense they are most comfortable with.
Wanny would of given Pitt long term coaching stability but I agree his game day coaching left a lot to be desired. For coaches that aren’t great game day coaches, they need to find good coordinators and stay out of their way and let them do their job.
I too thought the players quit on Wanny in the West Virginia game but then at his post-firing press conference so many of them were there in support of him.
Did Wanny underachieve? Sadly yes, especially in a weak football conference. Pitt should have ruled the Big East or at least split dominance with West Virginia especially after Miami and Virginia Tech left for the ACC.
I think a big difference with Narduzzi compared to Chryst is Pitt no longer loses games they used to lose particularly as a favorite. Last year, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and Syracuse were games I think we might have lost with Chryst, even Penn State this year. I think the attitude has changed to a more confident, positive one than in years past.
Make no mistake Narduzzi inherited this offensive line from Chryst. Chryst wanted to build the Wisconsin offensive model and it begins up front and then you add great running backs.
Someone wrote Chryst had to learn to become a head coach. Agreed, and he used Pitt as on-the-job training for his next gig. I thought he would have provided stability and integrity but one can’t blame someone for going for their dream job when it becomes available. I don’t begrudge him that.
One has to remember that unless a coach is in his third year he’s playing with his predecessor’s recruits. Wanny getting Harris’, Chryst getting Wanny’s and Graham’s, and Narduzzi getting Chryst’s. So they may not have the type of QB they want and players they want down the line.
We can look back as Pittsburghers surely like to do, and compare things to the past both good and bad, but the needle is pointing upward.
