What happened to the Tressel to Pitt AD rumors?
- Thread starter thebadby2
- Start date
Which year?
Actually the only one to have really made remotely good hiring decisions, or to even give lip service that there's no excuse for Pitt not winning, has been Juhl, so we should be in no hurry. Maybe if hoops collapses through the cellar the rest of this season, he'll be pissed enough and bold enough to make an immediate move.
Otherwise, as another poster said, other than a splash like Tressel, what's to be excited about? The new AD will just come in blathering about Pitt as a "hidden gem", "can't wait to fill Heinz Field," "reconnect" Pitt with the community," "reconnect with our great alumni," "we intend to compete for championships" etc. It gets pretty schlocky after a while. More walky less talky please.
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I always saw that as D.O.P.....Dead On Posting!
Why would a notable well thought of outstanding Head Coach at YSU & OSU that won FBS & FCS National Championships and is now President of YSU ever accept an Athletic Director Position anywhere except maybe at Ohio State and why do that under Urban Meyers that beat him badly in a NCS Game?
D.O.P!
What would Tressel actually do for Pitt? He won't be coaching, so football recruiting is not going to be improved by his presence. Would his primary role be asking people for donations, and if so would that be successful in PA? It would wok in Ohio, but not sure it works in Pittsburgh.
Or anywhere???? Maybe being a Head Coach in the NFL but being President of YSU is not bad gig for a Youngstown Native.
He is good friends with Coach Narduzzi already too, and is a phone call away anytime Coach Pat needs to call, the Youngstown Boys stick together no matter where they go and stay in touch by going back to Youngstown Events.
I would not be surprised Jim's Nephew return to Ohio someday or be the next Coach of MSU?
Actually, why couldn't he help recruit (unofficially of course...somehow I'd suppose that's another in a long list of selectively-enforced NCAA nags)?
Use any and every port in the storm.
But may as well suggest he also assist in liver transplants because it's the same likelihood of Pitt remotely considering hiring him. To be fair, also the likelihood of his actual interest.
I still say, may as well milk Juhl for as long as he's willing to serve.
Do you think that maybe, since he's been a successful head coach at a high prestige program and the president of a university -- where he's had be knowledgable about everything that's university-affiliated -- he might actually be a better, more qualified candidate than any other person whom Pitt could find?
Nah......
The last part of your last sentence should be doubly bold if that were possible.Do you think that maybe, since he's been a successful head coach at a high prestige program and the president of a university -- where he's had be knowledgable about everything that's university-affiliated -- he might actually be a better, more qualified candidate than any other person whom Pitt could find?
Nah......
That said, why would Tressel want the job? I'm not self loathing to think it's a bad job in context of sports jobs...but I'd think it pales in comparison to president of a decent sized and not-absolutely-unrespected university? Maybe AD of, well, Ohio State I could maybe see, but actually, even then, compared to a university president?
That will give the guy (or gal) time to have fabricate his escape strategy. "It was my sick daughter/son/parakeet's dream job for me to be AD of (random middle of the road school name here) , but rest assured it's the ONLY job I would have ever left this budding juggernaut for. The future is so bright, I had to wear welders masks to all my countless meetings with the accountants here."
Do you think that maybe, since he's been a successful head coach at a high prestige program and the president of a university -- where he's had be knowledgable about everything that's university-affiliated -- he might actually be a better, more qualified candidate than any other person whom Pitt could find?
Nah......
The only reason he is President of YSU is for fundraising, because people in Ohio like him and will donate. Any other qualifications people came up with are garbage. IF he could raise a lot of money for Pitt athletics, then it would be a good move, but it would be a hard task for him here.
Well, it would pay more, not like he needs it.
And I'd guess he'd prefer athletics to academics.
That said, I'd doubt he's coming here.
Again...the final part of his sentence...who could Pitt find more qualified? Especially for the fund raising, which I agree is paramount?
Anyone willing to donate significant money for sports to Pitt (heretofore not many) has to be a sports nut to begin with, meaning they know (and likely envy) Tressel for his OSU success and would like to see it duplicated at Pitt.
A phony like SP or Barnes or a hundred other plastic-coiffed suit jockeys weaseling their way from job to job that we're likely considering now, might not hold much gravitas with these money folks (which was almost surely true, or else where is the money?).
These types are not just type A, but A-H. And yes, I mean guys like Lubrano at PSU. Ideally not as insane and pro-rapist, though. But you need guys at least a little irrational in the passions they back. Isn't all sports fandom irrational, after all? See the thread on bowl importance...
Perhaps with Tressel, these mover/shaker types who would scoff at insincere clowns like Barnes would see a guy who has proven he could do real things with their money that they'd like to see happen...aka winning.
Which is, alas, precisely why Pitt brass wouldn't consider him in a million years.
First off, he would butt heads with the toxic people at Pitt after 5 minutes, if it took a guy like Barnes one month to know he wanted out.
Second, he would have wanted a fair salary, and one that made him in the top tier of the conference, and we know that ain't happening either
So.........
There's seems to be a core group at Pitt that won't let go, families influence, that make that job lower. Tressel would be nuts at this time to come here.
Why would he want the job? (1) he has already stated that he will not return to coaching, where he could make a shit ton of money, so he isn't about that so much; (2) it would pay at least twice as much as he makes as YSU prez (I believe 300k is what i read), and it's a much easier gig with less responsibility and obligation; (3) It's familiar turf close to home; (4) Narduzzi is part of the Tressel coaching tree.
Thanks. I should have said I figured the job would pay a better flat salary than YSU pres, and money is nothing to sneeze at. But I figure this guy had made more than enough pure money by this time that he would have slightly different priorities by now. Also if he really wanted to be a college AD somewhere, I think other, frankly better opps would have presented themselves to him before.
Duzz pulled Canada out of the dumpster, and I was wrong on him, maybe he will have another hire like that , Duzz is few I trust up on the hill these days. I just hope Pitt issues don't sour him on being here, and he gains enough clout soon, and can make things just as he wants.
The buzz tressel would create makes him the best option by far. Maybe not the best option out there, but I can already guarantee he's a better option than whoever they'll hire. If tressel actually contacted Pitt it's actually hilarious they think they're in a position where they can turn someone like him down.
Pretty much anyone else who would've ever thought of coming to Pitt and would be a splash hire, probably already has a better job. I'm getting nervous that this is going to be a ho-hum hire of someone on a lesser level than Barnes. I really hope I'm wrong, I just don't think there's any really great options out there at the moment.
Pretty much anyone else who would've ever thought of coming to Pitt and would be a splash hire, probably already has a better job. I'm getting nervous that this is going to be a ho-hum hire of someone on a lesser level than Barnes. I really hope I'm wrong, I just don't think there's any really great options out there at the moment.
When you're banned from coaching for being shady, that will cause places to stay away.
If Pitts not even looking at him, there's your number one reason.
You know what sucks, Pitt could be a great job, if the administration was all in, and they are not. Pitt has as much if not more, than most schools in this country going for it!
This is a good post. If you're looking for someone to raise money quickly. A guy named Jim Tressel is more likely to do that than some no-name mid-major AD with no ties to the area.
Tressel makes people believe Pitt is serious about football and serious about winning.
Do keep in mind that the folks who banned him for tattoos, memorabilia, and other such relative trivial offenses are the same people who gave a mere slap-on-the-wrist to the school who protected and enabled a known child predator.
Indeed. Concern over what the NCAA might think, or national (and especially local media) should be next to zero. They collectively share in the culpability for the Penn State Boy Rapes through their enabing and condoning of it. Penn State should be in the middle of it's 10 year (minimum) Death Penalty right now.
And if Tressel would be poison to some other school that hired him as AD, why isn't WVU in trouble for hiring Gee as PRESIDENT? He scoffed at the entire scandal at OSU, said it would be more likely that Tressel would fire HIM than vice versa.
That said, OSU got more discipline for free tattoos than PSU got for decades of boy rape. The NCAA can go to hell.
The fact that you actually feel this way speaks volumes.
That's extremely shortsighted if in fact it proves to be a reason this doesn't happen. It's also the only reason we have a chance to hire someone with his profile and resume.
I'm sure Tressel to Pitt is a pipe dream. We should all prepare to be disappointed in the actual hire. I mean, after all, was anyone excited about Barnes?
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It's always just a matter of time before any thread on the Lair turns to PSU. I mean ths is a thread about Tressel for AD for chrissakes.
OK then, back to Tressel. First, where was there any indication (outside threads on this board) that he expressed interest to Pitt? I came late (that what's she said), but never did see a link or even anyone claiming hearsay.
Second, what indeed should Pitt truly be concerned with hiring him? He may not be supremely qualified but would seem a ton more qualified than what we usually rate. And the NCAA is an even bigger joke than ever since that whole thing went down, going on a decade now. If UNC and Miami and Baylor and Louisville among many others can escape huge (by comparison) scandals in just the last 3 years alone, what the hell is Pitt worried about? Hire the best guy.
True, but as we know, psu is Too Big To Fail.
Pitt ain't.
And since the Ncaa has an actual precedent about actually doing something to Tressell, Pitt or any other school needs to tread real carefully in dealing with him.
Can anyone who is in the know please comment to my question.
I was told by a good friend that Pitt has hired the same search firm that gave us Barnes (and Stallings)
I was told by a good friend that Pitt has hired the same search firm that gave us Barnes (and Stallings)
If i recall correctly, the Tressel rumor first blew up a few weeks ago based on a Pittsburgh Sports Now post that "potential really big news" could be breaking regarding the AD spot. That was followed up on PSN with a post that "reliable sources" indicated that Tressel reached out to Pitt about the job. Since then, crickets. No way to verify whether there was any truth to the original rumor.
Second: I don't think Pitt should be the least bit concerned about hiring him, if Tressel really is interested in the job. In fact, the powers that be should be concerned about missing a chance to actually make a big time hire for once.
I don't know why he wouldn't want to climb the chancellor food chain unless he has run into dead ends there with bigger more prominent schools. seems odd he would go down the chain for an ad job. I imagine our a.d spot would pay him more money than ysu does as chancellor.
I have no doubt Tressel could have hired a better basketball coach - good luck to next AD making a hire with a 1or 2 ACC win team after next year
Stop it!
Barnes was a basketball guy. He knew what he was doing. (lol)
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