What Pitt could learn from the U

[Fsgolfdr]

I attended last nights game between ND and Miami and I can’t remember ever being in an environment with so much energy and excitement . (I’ve gone to many Pitt games over the yrs ) Being I spend half the yr in SFl and I absolutely hate ND sports it was an easy choice , I was Caine fan yesterday . Starting in the parking lot with the tailgating the level of excitement was something I’ve never experienced at a Pitt game , everyone was your new best friend . I was expecting to see a lot of ND fans , but if 5% of the crowd were ND fans that’d have a lot .(not 30-40%) The closest I can come to describing the noise level inside the stadium was rock concert like and it never changed throughout the game .The only other game I’ve ever seen that could rival last night game for excitement and intensity would’ve been TDs 303 yd game against my buds from ND .
Take aways
The U is back
Their back because they went out and hired the right coach
They went out and paid what it took to get the coach ( 4 mil ) they wanted and they are now contenders for a national championship. ( it didn’t take long either )
Their incoming recruiting class is top 5 and with 30 prospects at last nights game getting better
With their success their fans are back ( the cheapest seat last was going for over $300 ) . I’m sure season ticket sells and donations for next season will easily offset any investment they made
Playing in big games like this are invaluable in turning students into lifelong fans
PITT CHANGE YOUR APPROCH TO ATHLETICS embrace winning it does wonders for the student body , the alumni and the city . By the way it pays off $$$$$$$
Ps ..as for the actual game , compared to the Caine’s ND looked like they were running in mud . Their quick and talented , it might not be pretty in a couple weeks hope for bad weather !

 

[Sarge25]

How was the crowd last year for Pitt/Miami?
How was the crowd for Pitt/VaTech 2003?

Win and night games do something special for a crowd.

 

[Delpanther]

I attended last nights game between ND and Miami and I can’t remember ever being in an environment with so much energy and excitement . (I’ve gone to many Pitt games over the yrs ) Being I spend half the yr in SFl and I absolutely hate ND sports it was an easy choice , I was Caine fan yesterday . Starting in the parking lot with the tailgating the level of excitement was something I’ve never experienced at a Pitt game , everyone was your new best friend . I was expecting to see a lot of ND fans , but if 5% of the crowd were ND fans that’d have a lot .(not 30-40%) The closest I can come to describing the noise level inside the stadium was rock concert like and it never changed throughout the game .The only other game I’ve ever seen that could rival last night game for excitement and intensity would’ve been TDs 303 yd game against my buds from ND .
Take aways
The U is back
Their back because they went out and hired the right coach
They went out and paid what it took to get the coach ( 4 mil ) they wanted and they are now contenders for a national championship. ( it didn’t take long either )
Their incoming recruiting class is top 5 and with 30 prospects at last nights game getting better
With their success their fans are back ( the cheapest seat last was going for over $300 ) . I’m sure season ticket sells and donations for next season will easily offset any investment they made
Playing in big games like this are invaluable in turning students into lifelong fans
PITT CHANGE YOUR APPROCH TO ATHLETICS embrace winning it does wonders for the student body , the alumni and the city . By the way it pays off $$$$$$$
Ps ..as for the actual game , compared to the Caine’s ND looked like they were running in mud . Their quick and talented , it might not be pretty in a couple weeks hope for bad weather !

The key is the HC...Miami finally figured out that career coordinators don't cut it and hired a proven HC. Even after 15 failed efforts to go cheap, Pitt still tried to find a diamond in the rough in the form of a coordinator. Pitt should have hired Dan Mullen from MSU but no, once again, they chose to roll the dice. You get what you pay for....

 

[Las Panteras]

I was there also.

yes it was loud. However....the Miami Va Tech (with Vick at QB) battles in the old Orange Bowl exceeded the level last night.The old dump had a certain echo that amplified everything. You just would not know because no one ever showed up.

Ask anyone who has been to both.

 

[Deer Head]

Miami got a head coach that should not have been available and also wanted to go there.

Im not sure what Pitt can learn from that. Nothing really.

 

[Delpanther]

Miami got a head coach that should not have been available and also wanted to go there.

Im not sure what Pitt can learn from that. Nothing really.

Money....you get what you pay for.......that's what Pitt can learn from that situation. Pitt will have to overpay for a proven HC due to 40 years of ineptitude and indifference to FB....sooner or later they will recognize this.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Miami got a head coach that should not have been available and also wanted to go there.

Im not sure what Pitt can learn from that. Nothing really.

Money seems to make a lot of guys available !

 

[jtownknowitall]

Pitt should relocate its campus to Fort Lauderdale. That might help lure the right coach and players.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I'll boil it down to the root essence. Football is important to the U and those who run the school. It is not to Pitt and those who run Pitt.

Del, you love to bag on the Nuttings, and rightfully so, well Pitt is essentially run by the Nuttings.

 

[Deer Head]

Richt went to Miami and has already made his money in coaching. Its not about money at all for him. I cannot think of a single thing Pitt could learn from this? Bring back Wannstedt maybe.

 

[Burgh15]

Easier said than done when one of the top coaches in college football became available and just so happened to be an alum of your university.

 

[crosbymalkin8771]

I’m not a total pessimist, but with that said, I’m very curious to see what the line will be on the Pitt-Miami game. Honestly think we could see another Ok St level thrashing. They took it to us even with worse teams than they have now.

 

[OriginalEther]

Lol....This thread is a hoot.

Of course they had good atmosphere for this game. They're undefeated in November, and they're playing the most hated team in college football: Notre Dame.
Heinz Field would have looked the exact same way in 2009 had Pitt not screwed the pooch against a garbage NC State squad earlier in the year.

If all it took was paying a coach $4 million a year to be successful, then every school would do it. Including Pitt. You can find lots of examples of schools shelling out the money and making good hires on paper, only for said hire to be a complete bust. Miami rolled in the dice in betting that Richt wasn't finished when Georgia canned him, and fortunately (for them) they guessed right.
Amazingly, it looks like the move paid off for Georgia also, in spite of last night.

As for lack of commitment from the school, yawn. Save the conspiracy theories for Infowars. Just imagine if the school really wasn't committed and didn't subsidize athletics with $7-8 million each year.

 

[Las Panteras]

There is nothing to be learned from the U that we as diehard pitt fans dont already know.

Miami set themselves up for a national TV game of significant implications. Unlike Pitt, they seized the opportunity....ran Notre Dame out of the stadium and their program is now on solid footing and ready to take off.

Pitt on the other hand.....builds a little momentum leading up to national TV games against Cincinnati......Notre Dame and yes....Miami and EACH F$%KING TIME.......Pitt vomits all over themselves....

Because of these glorious F&%K ups over the years....we can attribute at least some of our sucktitude to those moments.

 

[FordhamIII]

I attended last nights game between ND and Miami and I can’t remember ever being in an environment with so much energy and excitement . (I’ve gone to many Pitt games over the yrs ) Being I spend half the yr in SFl and I absolutely hate ND sports it was an easy choice , I was Caine fan yesterday . Starting in the parking lot with the tailgating the level of excitement was something I’ve never experienced at a Pitt game , everyone was your new best friend . I was expecting to see a lot of ND fans , but if 5% of the crowd were ND fans that’d have a lot .(not 30-40%) The closest I can come to describing the noise level inside the stadium was rock concert like and it never changed throughout the game .The only other game I’ve ever seen that could rival last night game for excitement and intensity would’ve been TDs 303 yd game against my buds from ND .
Take aways
The U is back
Their back because they went out and hired the right coach
They went out and paid what it took to get the coach ( 4 mil ) they wanted and they are now contenders for a national championship. ( it didn’t take long either )
Their incoming recruiting class is top 5 and with 30 prospects at last nights game getting better
With their success their fans are back ( the cheapest seat last was going for over $300 ) . I’m sure season ticket sells and donations for next season will easily offset any investment they made
Playing in big games like this are invaluable in turning students into lifelong fans
PITT CHANGE YOUR APPROCH TO ATHLETICS embrace winning it does wonders for the student body , the alumni and the city . By the way it pays off $$$$$$$
Ps ..as for the actual game , compared to the Caine’s ND looked like they were running in mud . Their quick and talented , it might not be pretty in a couple weeks hope for bad weather !

The easy answer of course is they have to win.

Now the hard part is how do you do that.

Recruiting and recruiting locally we have to find a way to keep the best players here as mentioned in another post "A little adds up to a lot" described all the local players lost and what kind of team we could have had if they stayed.

When Pitt was the best football program in the country it was done by keeping the best local talent home and mixing it with talented players from the south. Right now we are able to bring talent from the south but falling short locally.

Narduzzi needs to find that energetic salesman type assistant that can connect the local players, sell early playing time and benefits of having friends and family see you play. Be the big dog and make a name in your own area.

Used to be Pitt and Penn State battled for the best but now Notre Dame, Ohio State and Michigan are taking more players we're even losing more to West Virginia. I know these are tough competitors to beat but you have to if you want any hope of being successful.

The bottom line is to do this you must spend $$$

 

[pittguy81]

You can swing a dead cat over your shoulder in South Florida and hit 40 D1 prospects. Pitt will realistically never recruit like the U. They always got the players even if the coaching let them down and the teams weren't great.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

You can swing a dead cat over your shoulder in South Florida and hit 40 D1 prospects. Pitt will realistically never recruit like the U. They always got the players even if the coaching let them down and the teams weren't great.

They don’t have to recruit as well as a Miami to be much better than they are now . They recruited with the best in the past , it can be done and even if it’s not at the Johnny Majors / Jackie Sherrill level it has to improve dramatically for Pitt to ever have a successful program that makes college game a blast in Pgh .
Would it be so bad to have fun at a Pitt game with a wild crazy crowd ?

 

[BuffetParrothead]

Hire a great transformational make things happen AD ( like U of Miami Fl did), who's a leader, isn't afraid to make major changes if required ( its required at Pitt), other than purchasing a few new soccer balls, and move the athletic program from life support to living and growing!

What are the odds of this happening? Answer : Close to zero!

 

[pittguy81]

They don’t have to recruit as well as a Miami to be much better than they are now . They recruited with the best in the past , it can be done and even if it’s not at the Johnny Majors / Jackie Sherrill level it has to improve dramatically for Pitt to ever have a successful program that makes college game a blast in Pgh .
Would it be so bad to have fun at a Pitt game with a wild crazy crowd ?

As recently as 2015 Pitt actually had better home attendance than Miami even though they have better weather and a much bigger metro to draw from. Heinz can be a great place when Pitt plays and folks give a damn. PSU last year. Night game against VT when Pitt had Fitz. Enough people don't give a sh*t about the program.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

You can swing a dead cat over your shoulder in South Florida and hit 40 D1 prospects. Pitt will realistically never recruit like the U. They always got the players even if the coaching let them down and the teams weren't great.

Maybe that's what we need to recruit better a dead cat not sure anyone thought of that?

And I'm in support of anything that might work! Rain dances anything!

 

[pittguy81]

Maybe that's what we need to recruit better a dead cat not sure anyone thought of that?

And I'm in support of anything that might work! Rain dances anything!

Couldn't hurt

 

[Pittfan85]

First off, drawing comparisons between Miami and pitt is absurd, given the recruiting environment they are in. Even in their years where they had coaches like Shannon and golden, they were averaging 7 or 8 wins a year. Their baseline even when they are crap is close to what’s expected peak would be.

Second off, I’m shocked that when you are 8-0 and playing the number three team the atmosphere is good. Great observation there by the OP.

Third, who is pitt’s Mark Richt? Wanny? That worked out so well...

This is just a weird post by the OP. There are almost no comparison between the U and Pitt. Miami has been a sleeping giant for years. They got a great coach that was an alum, and they will likely be back as one of the blue bloods.

 

[Saboteur]

They don’t have to recruit as well as a Miami to be much better than they are now . They recruited with the best in the past , it can be done and even if it’s not at the Johnny Majors / Jackie Sherrill level it has to improve dramatically for Pitt to ever have a successful program that makes college game a blast in Pgh .
Would it be so bad to have fun at a Pitt game with a wild crazy crowd ?

It can and will be done.

 

[GT74]

So many posters think the admin doesn’t care about winning and won’t pay for good coaches. Don’t see it. The admin DOES care, no doubt about it. Pay big? Pitt was willing to make Canada the highest paid ass’t in the ACC, but still couldn’t keep him. And, they thought Narduzzi was a good catch, and he WANTED to be at Pitt. Paying big does not necessarily mean more success. Butch Jones got fired before season ended, Fla did the same, and more high paid guys will go at end of year. Narduzzi’s fate is to be determined. Let’s quit using pay and ‘caring’ as an excuse. Let Heather and the coaches try to get it right.

 

[DiehardPanther]

1) I attended the Pitt vs Miami game, and it was half full. It was the same size as what we get at Heinz, possibly smaller.

2) They pump crowd noise into the stadium and the acoustics are very loud. It was obnoxiously loud, and my ears were ringing. The crowd wasn’t necessarily loud, but it was amplified tenfold.

3) Location, Location, Location. South Beach and massive amounts of talent in So. FL and the state of FL. It is idiotic to compare the two schools for that reason.

4) It is a different vibe for sure. They are the Bad Boys of college football, and they embrace it. They have swag. Pitt has a black cloud vibe. Just a lot of negativity.

 

[Deer Head]

Yinzers are only happy if love loathing. That is one thing they could learn perhaps to not do. This could be started by not having this thread.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

1) I attended the Pitt vs Miami game, and it was half full. It was the same size as what we get at Heinz, possibly smaller.

2) They pump crowd noise into the stadium and the acoustics are very loud. It was obnoxiously loud, and my ears were ringing. The crowd wasn’t necessarily loud, but it was amplified tenfold.

3) Location, Location, Location. South Beach and massive amounts of talent in So. FL and the state of FL. It is idiotic to compare the two schools for that reason.

4) It is a different vibe for sure. They are the Bad Boys of college football, and they embrace it. They have swag. Pitt has a black cloud vibe. Just a lot of negativity.

I was also at that Pitt /Miami game last yr and it shows you how fast a program can turn around once the proper coach is in place and he recruits players that can compete at a high level and WIN . Miami had some issues with sanctions and without a good product there’s too much other stuff to do down here .
The problem I see at Pitt is their recruiting isn’t getting better , a roster full of 3* won’t cut it .
Trust me there was no piped in artificial noise last night just a lot of happy people who are hoarse and hangover today in SFl.
There’s no doubt that Pgh can’t compete with the amenities of SFl , the sun , the girls , the beach their campus is incredible , but they need to find a way to recruit some guys that could go there or a OSU , PSU ND not an Eastern Michigan or Rutgers .
If they can’t they will never be able to compete and one look at a half empty stadium tells you everything you need to know about the future of Pitt sports .

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Yinzers are only happy if love loathing. That is one thing they could learn perhaps to not do. This could be started by not having this thread.

When you see how much fun a winning program brings to a school and community it’s just a shame that in my yrs as a Pitt fan they ( administration melding ) ruined both their Fb and Bb programs . Both programs were pathetic and then they built both up into national powers just to tear them down again .
In either the Fb or bb program what do you see that makes you feel that either are on the verge of turning the corner ? I see nothing but pain and empty seats .

 

[SDWC]

Lol....This thread is a hoot.

Lol....This thread is a hoot.

Of course they had good atmosphere for this game. They're undefeated in November, and they're playing the most hated team in college football: Notre Dame.
Heinz Field would have looked the exact same way in 2009 had Pitt not screwed the pooch against a garbage NC State squad earlier in the year.

If all it took was paying a coach $4 million a year to be successful, then every school would do it. Including Pitt. You can find lots of examples of schools shelling out the money and making good hires on paper, only for said hire to be a complete bust. Miami rolled in the dice in betting that Richt wasn't finished when Georgia canned him, and fortunately (for them) they guessed right.
Amazingly, it looks like the move paid off for Georgia also, in spite of last night.

As for lack of commitment from the school, yawn. Save the conspiracy theories for Infowars. Just imagine if the school really wasn't committed and didn't subsidize athletics with $7-8 million each year.

That garbage NC State team had a guy named Russell Wilson at QB, clearly a proven bum.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

So many posters think the admin doesn’t care about winning and won’t pay for good coaches. Don’t see it. The admin DOES care, no doubt about it. Pay big? Pitt was willing to make Canada the highest paid ass’t in the ACC, but still couldn’t keep him. And, they thought Narduzzi was a good catch, and he WANTED to be at Pitt. Paying big does not necessarily mean more success. Butch Jones got fired before season ended, Fla did the same, and more high paid guys will go at end of year. Narduzzi’s fate is to be determined. Let’s quit using pay and ‘caring’ as an excuse. Let Heather and the coaches try to get it right.

In four yrs from now when Pitt Fb continues to win anywhere from 4-8 games a season makes a few secondary bowls and then lose those games and a bb program that will struggle to win more then 6/7 conference games and play to an empty Pete what will Pitt do ? Go out and hire the best coach or a coach they can afford because they generate no revenue from either sport ?
Offering Canada a contract considerably less than LSU was offering didn’t take much courage because he wasn’t going to accept it .
Do you think that pay didn’t cause the friction between Dixon and Barnes ? Or do you think that KS coaching career was better than Jamie’s ?
Don’t kid yourself it’s all about money and vision . Pitt just doesn’t get that highly successful Fb and Bb programs might cost more to operate , but they also bring in a lot more moola . It will develop a loyal alumni base who had such a good time at games they may elect to donate to the athletic department somewhere down the line .
If you can’t do the math I’ll make it simple for you 1500/2000 at a bb game will not generate more revenue than 10/12000 . In Fb 40,000 fans in the stadium will generate much more $$$ than 20,000 .
It’s all about money !

 

[paulbl99]

I attended last nights game between ND and Miami and I can’t remember ever being in an environment with so much energy and excitement . (I’ve gone to many Pitt games over the yrs ) Being I spend half the yr in SFl and I absolutely hate ND sports it was an easy choice , I was Caine fan yesterday . Starting in the parking lot with the tailgating the level of excitement was something I’ve never experienced at a Pitt game , everyone was your new best friend . I was expecting to see a lot of ND fans , but if 5% of the crowd were ND fans that’d have a lot .(not 30-40%) The closest I can come to describing the noise level inside the stadium was rock concert like and it never changed throughout the game .The only other game I’ve ever seen that could rival last night game for excitement and intensity would’ve been TDs 303 yd game against my buds from ND .
Take aways
The U is back
Their back because they went out and hired the right coach
They went out and paid what it took to get the coach ( 4 mil ) they wanted and they are now contenders for a national championship. ( it didn’t take long either )
Their incoming recruiting class is top 5 and with 30 prospects at last nights game getting better
With their success their fans are back ( the cheapest seat last was going for over $300 ) . I’m sure season ticket sells and donations for next season will easily offset any investment they made
Playing in big games like this are invaluable in turning students into lifelong fans
PITT CHANGE YOUR APPROCH TO ATHLETICS embrace winning it does wonders for the student body , the alumni and the city . By the way it pays off $$$$$$$
Ps ..as for the actual game , compared to the Caine’s ND looked like they were running in mud . Their quick and talented , it might not be pretty in a couple weeks hope for bad weather !

Pitt is never going to do what the U is doing and “embrace” winning.

The pinheads and eggheads would consider that embrace as selling out for Football...which after all is gauche and a violent sport.
How could they go back to Ivy League Mixers and explain Pitt playing in some Bowl Championship or whatever??

We’re in a mess.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

First off, drawing comparisons between Miami and pitt is absurd, given the recruiting environment they are in. Even in their years where they had coaches like Shannon and golden, they were averaging 7 or 8 wins a year. Their baseline even when they are crap is close to what’s expected peak would be.

Second off, I’m shocked that when you are 8-0 and playing the number three team the atmosphere is good. Great observation there by the OP.

Third, who is pitt’s Mark Richt? Wanny? That worked out so well...

This is just a weird post by the OP. There are almost no comparison between the U and Pitt. Miami has been a sleeping giant for years. They got a great coach that was an alum, and they will likely be back as one of the blue bloods.

If a program is a good program the location of the program has no bearing on recruiting.

Good programs attract good players. If the programs in FL were bad programs the FL players would go elsewhere but they happen to be good programs.

At this time Pitt isnt considered a good program so why should a Fl kid go to Pitt except for immediate playing time?!

 

[Pittfan85]

For the love of god, can we stop? Miami and pitt might be the worst comparison you could make. Saying pitt can do it because Miami did is literally the stupidest thing I’ve seen on here.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

If a program is a good program the location of the program has no bearing on recruiting.

Good programs attract good players. If the programs in FL were bad programs the FL players would go elsewhere but they happen to be good programs.

At this time Pitt isnt considered a good program so why should a Fl kid go to Pitt except for immediate playing time?!

Because he’s the 150th best player in the state !

 

[thebadby2]

The key is the HC...Miami finally figured out that career coordinators don't cut it and hired a proven HC. Even after 15 failed efforts to go cheap, Pitt still tried to find a diamond in the rough in the form of a coordinator. Pitt should have hired Dan Mullen from MSU but no, once again, they chose to roll the dice. You get what you pay for....

Richt was a top OC when he was hired at UGA.

I think the key is not hiring a coordinator for a ground-up rebuild job like this one. That requires someone who has been there, done that. UGA was already loaded when he got there.

Nobody has succeeded at Pitt since Jackie. At some point, you have to recognize maybe it’s not them, it’s Pitt.

 

[DiehardPanther]

Richt was a top OC when he was hired at UGA.

I think the key is not hiring a coordinator for a ground-up rebuild job like this one. That requires someone who has been there, done that. UGA was already loaded when he got there.

Nobody has succeeded at Pitt since Jackie. At some point, you have to recognize maybe it’s not them, it’s Pitt.

You are right. Pitt’s administration, BOT, and alums need to step it up. That is the biggest issue.

Note - Pederson wanted to hire Richt in 1996 when he first got here. They brought him in, and interviewed him. Richt turned down the job.

 

[thebadby2]

You are right. Pitt’s administration, BOT, and alums need to step it up. That is the biggest issue.

Note - Pederson wanted to hire Richt in 1996 when he first got here. They brought him in, and interviewed him. Richt turned down the job.

Mama Richt didn’t raise no fool.....

 

[DiehardPanther]

Mama Richt didn’t raise no fool.....

LOL. Walt Harris doesn’t get enough credit. In 2003 we actually had really good attendance and buzz around the program. You would think the admin would have been smart enough to extend Walt and give him more $ for assistants. No, of course not.

 

[CrazyPaco]

I attended last nights game between ND and Miami and I can’t remember ever being in an environment with so much energy and excitement . (I’ve gone to many Pitt games over the yrs ) Being I spend half the yr in SFl and I absolutely hate ND sports it was an easy choice , I was Caine fan yesterday . Starting in the parking lot with the tailgating the level of excitement was something I’ve never experienced at a Pitt game , everyone was your new best friend . I was expecting to see a lot of ND fans , but if 5% of the crowd were ND fans that’d have a lot .(not 30-40%) The closest I can come to describing the noise level inside the stadium was rock concert like and it never changed throughout the game .The only other game I’ve ever seen that could rival last night game for excitement and intensity would’ve been TDs 303 yd game against my buds from ND .
Take aways
The U is back
Their back because they went out and hired the right coach
They went out and paid what it took to get the coach ( 4 mil ) they wanted and they are now contenders for a national championship. ( it didn’t take long either )
Their incoming recruiting class is top 5 and with 30 prospects at last nights game getting better
With their success their fans are back ( the cheapest seat last was going for over $300 ) . I’m sure season ticket sells and donations for next season will easily offset any investment they made
Playing in big games like this are invaluable in turning students into lifelong fans
PITT CHANGE YOUR APPROCH TO ATHLETICS embrace winning it does wonders for the student body , the alumni and the city . By the way it pays off $$$$$$$
Ps ..as for the actual game , compared to the Caine’s ND looked like they were running in mud . Their quick and talented , it might not be pretty in a couple weeks hope for bad weather !

This has to be bull. "Everyone" knows you can't have any type of appropriate atmosphere while playing off-campus.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

This has to be bull. "Everyone" knows you can't have any type of appropriate atmosphere while playing off-campus.

Your right it really sucked . I’m not sure how all those coeds were able to get the stadium !