The Pitt fan Paradox

[pittbb80]

I find it quite amusing how Pitt fans defend the hoops or football program to support their loyalty to a particular coach. When outsiders criticized Pitts performance the past five years, Pitt fans vehemently defended the programs performance. Perhaps to a lesser extent we saw the same defense of PC and DW.

Yet when the coaching position became open, many of those same fans who would rage at any criticism of the program, claim that Pitt is not good enough to attract a quality replacement. I just find it amusing how the very same people who get offended at people criticizing the program think so little of the same program when it comes to attracting a good coach.

I do get the lack of confidence in Pitts administration historically. After all particularly on the football side of things the administration has generally been a joke. However I do get the strong sense that for the first time in a long time we have very strong leadership on the athletic side of things and the funds and will to compete at the highest level. Im excited about who Barnes et al hire and will be looking forward to seeing how the new coach performs. I guess Im a Pitt fan first and foremost and have little loyalty to the guys on the sidelines when they choose to move on.

 

[levance2]

I was someone who wanted Pitt to fire Wannstedt. He won 10 games the same year that Dixon made the Elite 8. Pitt still has not had another 10 win season.

Even if people like Narduzzi, and even if he ends up being a great coach here, nobody can say he was a "splash hire" because he wasn't.

 

[PHATWOOD]

I was someone who wanted Pitt to fire Wannstedt. He won 10 games the same year that Dixon made the Elite 8. Pitt still has not had another 10 win season.

Even if people like Narduzzi, and even if he ends up being a great coach here, nobody can say he was a "splash hire" because he wasn't.

Yeah, but you had the worst Division I A.D. in the last thirty years overseeing that dumpster fire of a coaching search. Pitt hasn't even been near normal since that clown show started, so I really don't think you can truly compare the Wannstedt firing and where football is right now - while I absolutely get the point you were trying to make.

Obviously Narduzzi wasn't a splash hire. But he was a good hire who appears to have a lot of upside here, is a good fit here, and who the fans have embraced and vice versa. There's a lot of buzz around the program because he works hard, recruits hard, and understands that you have to be part coach part marketer in this town.

 

[levance2]

I could argue that Barnes himself is evidence of where we are. We didn't go out and poach some P5 AD, we got a promising guy from a lesser school. It seems to have worked out, but he's no "splash."

 

[CaptainMurphy]

I think you are describing a small contingent of the fan base. Anyone who was a Pitt fan from 2000-2010 knows what heights the program is capable of and what a quality job this is. We are an ACC school with a recent history of success, I think most of us realize it is an attractive job.

 

[UPitt129]

I find it quite amusing how Pitt fans defend the hoops or football program to support their loyalty to a particular coach. When outsiders criticized Pitts performance the past five years, Pitt fans vehemently defended the programs performance. Perhaps to a lesser extent we saw the same defense of PC and DW.

Yet when the coaching position became open, many of those same fans who would rage at any criticism of the program, claim that Pitt is not good enough to attract a quality replacement. I just find it amusing how the very same people who get offended at people criticizing the program think so little of the same program when it comes to attracting a good coach.

I do get the lack of confidence in Pitts administration historically. After all particularly on the football side of things the administration has generally been a joke. However I do get the strong sense that for the first time in a long time we have very strong leadership on the athletic side of things and the funds and will to compete at the highest level. Im excited about who Barnes et al hire and will be looking forward to seeing how the new coach performs. I guess Im a Pitt fan first and foremost and have little loyalty to the guys on the sidelines when they choose to move on.

Get it through your head. Pitt is a decent job, but Pitt is unlikely to make a splash hire, and it is not a destination job. If you don't get one of the millers, you are going to roll the dice on a mid major assistant.

I hope I am wrong, but pitt is likely ending up with mark Schmidt, an unproven will wade, or someone along those lines from a lower conference.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I find it quite amusing how Pitt fans defend the hoops or football program to support their loyalty to a particular coach. When outsiders criticized Pitts performance the past five years, Pitt fans vehemently defended the programs performance. Perhaps to a lesser extent we saw the same defense of PC and DW.

Yet when the coaching position became open, many of those same fans who would rage at any criticism of the program, claim that Pitt is not good enough to attract a quality replacement. I just find it amusing how the very same people who get offended at people criticizing the program think so little of the same program when it comes to attracting a good coach.

I do get the lack of confidence in Pitts administration historically. After all particularly on the football side of things the administration has generally been a joke. However I do get the strong sense that for the first time in a long time we have very strong leadership on the athletic side of things and the funds and will to compete at the highest level. Im excited about who Barnes et al hire and will be looking forward to seeing how the new coach performs. I guess Im a Pitt fan first and foremost and have little loyalty to the guys on the sidelines when they choose to move on.

Well said. You need to participate more. Pitt BB fans have been the worst to this. Talking up Jamie's accomplishments and how we just lost the best coach in program history. Yet, we can't attract a coach from a mid major college because this job is not good enough.

 

[steel_curtain]

I was someone who wanted Pitt to fire Wannstedt. He won 10 games the same year that Dixon made the Elite 8. Pitt still has not had another 10 win season.

Even if people like Narduzzi, and even if he ends up being a great coach here, nobody can say he was a "splash hire" because he wasn't.

-Wanny won 10 games playing in a midmajor like Big East football Conference, not the ACC. Wanny didnt play Notre Dame or Iowa in the non-conference schedule either, 2 Top 10 teams to boot. Wanny also didnt lose James Conner for the entire season or any player even close to Conner's ability, the former ACC player of the year. Ill roll the the dice with Narduzzi. Narduzzi was a Top 3 paid assistant in the entire country. He was more in demand than you think.

 

[pittbb80]

If JD was so great why ist the program very attractive after 13 years? Seems to be contradictory to me. JD did a great job but the program still isn't very attractive to hire a very good replacement?

IMO we don't need a splash hire. We need a very good hire. Id settle for a Narduzzi type in a heart beat

 

[UPitt129]

If JD was so great why ist the program very attractive after 13 years? Seems to be contradictory to me. JD did a great job but the program still isn't very attractive to hire a very good replacement?

IMO we don't need a splash hire. We need a very good hire. Id settle for a Narduzzi type in a heart beat

Get it through your head. There is a difference between being a good program, and being attractive to coaches.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Get it through your head. There is a difference between being a good program, and being attractive to coaches.

Why wouldn't Pitt be attractive to coaches?

 

[pittbb80]

Get it through your head. There is a difference between being a good program, and being attractive to coaches.

Youre right. Good programs, in great conferences, who are willing to pay in excess of $3MM a year to a HC, that have pretty good facilities and strong administrative support are not very attractive to prospective coaches. Seems logical to me.

Look we get it. You think Pitt is a crappy program that was only good because of Jamie Dixon. Now that hes gone theres no other coach out there that Pitt can afford that will be as good as Jamie.

 

[UPitt129]

Youre right. Good programs, in great conferences, who are willing to pay in excess of $3MM a year to a HC, that have pretty good facilities and strong administrative support are not very attractive to prospective coaches. Seems logical to me.

Look we get it. You think Pitt is a crappy program that was only good because of Jamie Dixon. Now that hes gone theres no other coach out there that Pitt can afford that will be as good as Jamie.

You finally got it right.

 

[NTOP]

Yeah, but you had the worst Division I A.D. in the last thirty years overseeing that dumpster fire of a coaching search. Pitt hasn't even been near normal since that clown show started, so I really don't think you can truly compare the Wannstedt firing and where football is right now - while I absolutely get the point you were trying to make.

Obviously Narduzzi wasn't a splash hire. But he was a good hire who appears to have a lot of upside here, is a good fit here, and who the fans have embraced and vice versa. There's a lot of buzz around the program because he works hard, recruits hard, and understands that you have to be part coach part marketer in this town.

And we have no idea if Barnes...or it it Barnum?? will be better.

 

[PHATWOOD]

You finally got it right.

Probably time for you to log out for a few days and take a few deep breaths.