I’m not opposed to going the military school route. They have to be good x and o wise and no body has to evaluate kids better. Maybe not head coach but definitely coordinators
Top realistic coaching options for Pitt
- Thread starter HailtoPitt
- Start date
True, but why take a chance when you could hire someone who has already proven himself as head coach material?
Pitt is a mediocre program, operating within a mediocre athletic department, with a mediocre budget, mediocre fan and alumni support system.
I don't think many coaches aspiring for greatness would find what Pitt offers, both in terms of money and support acceptable.
Besides, you stated in your post 10-2 or 11-1 with an ACC Championship. Since joining the ACC, the winner of the league has been a playoff caliber team, (FSU, then Clemson) Do I think its possible for Pitt to reach that level? No. I don't.
It's so much easier for a bad/mediocre/moron of a head coach to win a National Championship at a good program than it is for a great coach to ever compete for one at Pitt. That's reality.
Well, I think the whole stench around the sex abuse scandal with Dr. Larry Nassar (and related cover-up) at MSU had a lot to do with that decision on Fickell's part. But aside from that, I have absolutely no idea if the Pitt job (should it become open) would even have any appeal at all to him.
Maybe LF is waiting for the NFL to come calling? Only he knows for sure.
Power 5 is a different animal than the lower level, but if you can find a young coach who checks off all the boxes then he should be in the running. Head coaching experience isn’t a make or break IMO. Just look down the hall at the South Side Complex and see how they went about hiring their Super Bowl coaches. Not one of them had head coaching experience.
Just four years ago we were a one point loss to North Carolina and a three point loss to Virginia Tech away from a 10-2 regular season that would have put us in the ACC championship game against a team that we had already beaten in the regular season. And of course that team would have been no where close to making the playoff, even with a win in the ACC championship game.
I mean seriously, is your memory that bad?
And by the way, that was with a mediocre (at best) coach. Do you seriously not think that a good coach could accomplish that on occasion?
I get your point hiring a coach from the south but using John Majors may not be the best example. Majors was a tailback in the single wing at Tenn. At Pitt he used the power I for several years and eventually moved to the Houston Veer, regardless, Pitt could have run the Sutherland Double Wing , the ND Box, the present day Spread and Pitt would not have won the NC without the All American Tony Dorset. I believe a team can win with many different Off’s within any region of the country if you have high profile recruits to run the system. Clemson would probably be just as successful if they ran the Power I with a few minor adjustments such as a full time FB etc. Ohio State, PSU, Wis., and at times USC, Oregon and others can also go into other conferences and win. Respect your opinion and don’t totally disagree.
That was a mediocre team that actually probably. overachieved. Pitt wouldn't have beaten them a 2nd time. It probably wouldn't have even been close.
Dabo obviously didn't respect Pitt, otherwise he wouldn't have tried to chase points when he could have easily milked clock and put the game away. We didn't get Clemson's A game. Thankfully, Dabo is also a mediocre coach. A mediocre coach that has built a great program.
They had enough talent to win 10 games with good coaching. Your last 2 sentences clearly demonstrate you are a clown. You are the same guy that blows James Franklin and acted like Stallings was a good hire.
Offense
Peterman
Aston
Conner
Orndorff
Henderson
Weah
Dorian Johnson
Biz
O’Neill
Officer
Bookser
Defense
Hendrix
Jarrett
Soto
Price
Galambos
Caprara
Brightwell
Maddox
Lewis
Whitehead
Webb
Should have at least been 10-2 in 2016. No way Pitt should have lost those games to VT and UNC.
Yeah. That's not anything special. Solid offensively.
Stallings could have gotten Pitt to the NCAAs once every 3 or 4 years, and in the middle of the pack in the ACC. Probably about the same as the current coach. FWIW. I was NOT in favor of running Jamie off. If they had Sean Miller locked down, I'd have been all for it. As it was I thought they should have kept him until it cratered, which also would have been 2018, imo.
Yeah, I like Franklin. I'd take him over Duzzi. He's doing okay at PSU.
Stallings could have gotten Pitt to the NCAAs once every 3 or 4 years, and in the middle of the pack in the ACC. Probably about the same as the current coach. FWIW. I was NOT in favor of running Jamie off. If they had Sean Miller locked down, I'd have been all for it. As it was I thought they should have kept him until it cratered, which also would have been 2018, imo.
Yeah, I like Franklin. I'd take him over Duzzi. He's doing okay at PSU.
But they did lose those games.. Clemson should have won every regular season game in 2016 too. What's your point?
This has to be a troll job, right? I mean, no one can be this dumb? In the same thread he calls Dabo a mediocre coach he pimps for Kevin Stallings?
I can't even begin to fathom how stupid/drunk/high you have to be to make these statements?
I don't really think Clemson cares they lost to Pitt in 2016.
Seriously, are you a nitter? No one, and I mean no one, can be this purposefully stupid?
4 starters off that defense played in the NFL.
Stallings was 0-18 in conference play his last year. LOL - Yeah okay. That gives your trolling away.
Franklin is a good recruiter, but a bad game day coach. Yesterday was the latest example. There are a lot of coaches I’d take over Duzz. Not exactly a high bar to get over.
Serioulsy, he pimps for Kevin Stallings, and calls Dabo Sweeney mediocre in almost the same post. Like come on, you are either are dumb or trolling if you make those statements, and I'm going with trolling.
He also called that 2016 team "solid" offensively when it was literally the best offense Pitt probably has ever had. If defensive genius Narduzzi could have got that defense to play average, Pitt has a change to win 10+ games and an outside shot at the CFP. Instead, with three NFL players in the secondary, he managed to finish 100th in yards per game, 106h in pts per game, and, I'm not joking, 127th out of 128th in passing yards allowed per game..with three guys that played and have started in the NFL. Lewis an Maddox we thought sucked here, but the reality is Narduzzi is just a moron.
That 2016 team will make me angry the rest of my life...the way Narduzzi absolutely wasted it. That was Pitt's best chance in a long time to have a special season and the moron Narduzzi wasted it. Next to last in passing yards per game....defensive genius my butt....with 3 NFL players.
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Really? Why do you say he's a good recruiter? He's had ONE top ten class since he's been at PSU. He clearly can't keep up with tOSU (Meyer or Day) or Michigan when it comes to bringing in talent.
Cmon man, Franklin is an ok gameday coach at best, certainly nothing more than that. His talent is the ability to recruit, and he does a damn good job of that.
No sense comparing his recruiting to OSU’s, those 2 programs aren’t really comparable. Ohio St is on a totally different level from Penn St, not even close.
If the 2016 team will make you angry for the rest of your life, you clearly need to get a life.
Zero shot at the CFP with that team. Simply nowhere NEAR enough talent. Sheesh. Look at the recruiting rankings & look at the subsequent NFL drafts.
I'm making a point. In Dabo's 4th year at Clemson, He lost to NC State 37-13, lost to South Carolina 34-13, and lost to WVU 70-33. Dabo doesn't win because of some elite coaching prowess. The guy had never been a head coach or even a coordinator when he took over at Clemson. He wins because he transformed Clemson into a recruiting juggernaut.
LMAO at this crazy premise that somehow 2 loss seasons are special. That is also freaking insane.
If you can get between 6 to 9 wins at Pitt, in any particular season, you should be satisfied. The infrastructure at Pitt isn't there to expect any better.
I think most of these guys don’t realize that being a good coach encompasses multiple things. Recruiting is a big part, same for gameday coaching, hiring staff, and keeping everyone happy and out of trouble.
Agree those 2 guys are #1 and #2, their record says it all. I think Dan Mullen is way, way high up on that list as well.
He has ONE top 10 class since he's been at PSU. Regardless of the perception about his recruiting, there is nothing great about that.
But he’s always right around the top 10 though, surely you’re not trying to insinuate he’s anything more than a competent gameday coach are you?
ZERO. As in Zero = the number of times Saban and Dabo combined will step on the field this year against a team that can matchup with them in terms of talent.
Dan Mullen. Dan was at Mississippi State for 9 seasons. His conference record is 33-39. He never won his division. He finished 4th, 5th, 5th, 4th, 5th, 2nd, 5th, 5th, and 4th. That's what great coaching gets you at a school with a mediocre infrastructure.
Glad somebody mentioned Jimbo Fisher. Does anybody seriously think a guy like Jimbo Fisher would even answer a phone call from Pitt, even if he was young and in the coordinator stage of his career? Hell no.
Jimbo Fisher always wanted more; this time, FSU was tired of giving
Fisher brought the Seminoles back to national prominence, but it came at a cost. Even with constant demands and frayed relationships, FSU was happy to pay until Fisher tried to raise the price one too many times.
I'm not trying to insinuate anything. Although he has three 11 win season, with a B1G Championship and 2 New Year's Six Bowl wins. I've been told by others on this board those type of seasons are 'special'
ZERO. As in Zero = the number of times Saban and Dabo combined will step on the field this year against a team that can matchup with them in terms of talent.
Dan Mullen. Dan was at Mississippi State for 9 seasons. His conference record is 33-39. He never won his division. He finished 4th, 5th, 5th, 4th, 5th, 2nd, 5th, 5th, and 4th. That's what great coaching gets you at a school with a mediocre infrastructure.
Glad somebody mentioned Jimbo Fisher. Does anybody seriously think a guy like Jimbo Fisher would even answer a phone call from Pitt, even if he was young and in the coordinator stage of his career? Hell no.
Jimbo Fisher always wanted more; this time, FSU was tired of giving
Fisher brought the Seminoles back to national prominence, but it came at a cost. Even with constant demands and frayed relationships, FSU was happy to pay until Fisher tried to raise the price one too many times.www.espn.com
You are one of the only people I know that thinks James Franklin is a better coach than Dan Mullen, pretty sure most Penn St fans would make that trade in a minute.
Where did I say that?
The point I was making is that you can't do anything special at a program like Mississippi State, that has limited resources and can't compete in terms of money, facilities, and infrastructure. Out of 9 seasons at Miss State, Mullen lost 6 or more games 4 times. He lost 4 games 8 out of 9 seasons at Mississippi State.
PSU and Florida aren't comparable. Florida can be an elite program. I'm not sure PSU is anything more than second-tier.
