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Wednesday, 15 December 2010 23:12

Written by Paul Zeise

Colin Dunlap and I had a laugh today as we compared notes about the coaching search at Pitt and West Virginia. His lasted all of about eight hours and ended with a press release being sent out while mine dragged on for eight days - and we're told there may or may not be an actual official announcement tomorrow.

But now that it is over, all I can say is "THANK GOD" as I can go back to having a normal life that doesn't involve blogging and writing stories at all hours and working the phones and e-mails and all the other nonsense for 15 hours  - and yes, Ottograf, tracking flights....

I have been through six of these and I can honestly say this has been the toughest just because it is the first one I had to try and navigate around a search firm as well as an athletic director that really kept things as close to the vest as possible. Information was sometimes very tough to come by and it changed some - as it always does - sometimes in a matter of hours.

At the end of it all, however, Pitt has hired Michael Haywood from Miami (Ohio) to be the coach and judging from talk radio, the comments section in this blog and reading Chris Peak and Bob Lichtenfels message boards, fans don't seem to be overly excited about it (I'm being kind, by the way, because a lot of people seem rather angry about it).

I wish I could tell you this was a "can't miss" hire or a "star in the ranks" kind of coach, I can't because I don't know how this is going to turn out. He could turn out to be a star - he could turn out to be a dud, as well. Nobody knows, not the people that hired him and not even he does.

But like I wrote earlier -- Haywood seems to have a very solid resume, he has been a special teams coordinator, an offensive coordinator, a recruiting coordinator in his career and he has coached both sides of the ball and according to his bio, he's coached every position.

He is, as we talked about earlier, a mature coach in terms of how much experience he has around good programs, a disciplinarian and that is as good place to start. 

Again, we don't know how this will turn out, I would hope that Pitt fans will give the guy a chance before you write him off because you never know, he could end being the next Ben Howland and take Pitt to heights it hasn't seen in decades.

Now, all of that being said, Steve Pederson has set the bar extremely high and given the team he has coming back next year, there is no reason to expect anything less than eight or nine wins. And a BCS bowl should be expected within three years.

** As a new coach comes, it means the old coaching staff is leaving. Haywood is expected to bring his assistant head coach - Bill Elias - with him to Pitt and the two are not going to coach the Redhawks in the GoDaddy.com Bowl but instead will get started on recruiting and building an organization and staff. Elias is also the Redhawks recruiting coordinator and linebackers coach. There seems to be some good news already in terms of assistant coaches landing on their feet and I'll have more on that over the next few days as some of them begin to move on. A couple of them, from what I am being told, are close to landing jobs.

And then, according to OwlScoop.Com - which is the Temple equivalent of Pantherlair - Frank Cignetti is on the short list for Al Golden's old job. The job was first offered to Temple defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio but he turned it down and will join Golden at Miami. Cignetti would make an excellent head coach and like I wrote a few days ago when Golden left Temple -as an Owls fan and Temple alum I'd be all for that. So here's hoping things work out for him. 

Along those same lines, Frank's brother Curt, is apparently on the short list for the vacant head coaching position at Kent State. If that happens, and he lands there, it could be a spot for some of the Panthers graduate assistants or even younger coaches like Brian Angelichio or Scott Turner to land as well.

Like I said, it is great for the Pitt community to celebrate the hiring of a new coach but at the same time there are a lot of current Pitt assistant coaches who are scrambling to figure out what is next for them but at least it is good to hear there are some prospects for future employment on the horizon for all of them.

** Winslow Township (N.J.) four-star receiver Bill Belton is the latest player to decommitt from the Panthers and he will now take visits to Penn State, West Virginia and Cincinnati (according to both major recruiting sites Pantherdigest and Pantherlair). By my count that is five players who have decommitted from the Panthers since the announcement that Dave Wannstedt was being pushed into an administrative role and relieved of his coaching duties. I know there is panic out there about the recruiting class and here is what I'd say - it is not a big deal. Really, at this point it is not it is not a big deal, even though you'd rather not lose talented players. For one thing, you want Haywood to have a few scholarships available to go recruit some kids who are going to fit what he is looking for in this first class so the fact that a few guys have decommitted is not the end of the world. Also, I say this every year on signing day - nobody knows how good these guys are until they put on the pads and start playing against college athletes so there is no reason to be upset about players who may or may not fulfill their potential. You'd rather have six or seven guys in this class who are recruited by Haywood and fit in his system.

** Now that it is over and information is beginning to flow again, it appears that Al Golden was indeed the first target but Haywood was high on the list from day one as well. The job may not have officially been offered to Golden, but sources have told me there was at least some sort of framework for a contract on the table. That is irrelevant, however, at this point as Haywood is the coach and the only thing that will matter next year at this time is his record.

** The fact that Haywood is the first African-American head football or men's basketball coach at Pitt is amazing in many ways given the fact that the school is an urban campus and it is located north of the Mason-Dixon line. But here is what I think should be said  - while I think diversity is a good thing, my only point in bringing it up at the outset was that it is important that people of all races, creeds, colors, religions, etc., etc., are given opportunities to at least interview for certain high profile positions PROVIDED THEY ARE QUALIFIED. Let me say that again - I didn't say Pitt had to hire a minority, I said they needed to hire the best guy they could find but needed to make sure they included a few qualified minorities in the interview process. And Haywood is clearly qualified for this job, he clearly has a resume which suggests he has paid his dues and thus if he was the right fit for Steve Pederson and Mark Nordenberg, it is great to see that they hired him. Had they hired Dana Holgorsen or Todd Graham, I'd have been fine with that provided they gave a real and long hard look at some qualified minority candidates because even if they didn't get hired this time, they'd get a little publicity and maybe get a chance to get hired somewhere else. I was surprised by how much negative reaction my discussion of the need for some quality minority candidates to be identified but it has been just a sad reminder that there is still a small and thankfully dwindling group of people, who apparently haven't yet heard that the Civil War ended more than a century ago and contrary to what Bo and Luke Duke say, the North won.

OK, here are a few Q&A questions for tonight:

Q: If Michael Haywood doesn't pan out, do you think that Steve Pederson will be fired like he was at Nebraska?

Scott Rider, Harrisburg

ZEISE: I will say this is an important hire for Pederson, particularly since he fired a loyal Pitt guy with a winning record and a lot of people in his corner. But I don't think given all he has done at Pitt - especially during his first stint at the university - that this will be his legacy like the Bill Callahan debacle was at Nebraska. I really don't see that. What happened at Nebraska was unique in that, he came in and made that his first significant move and unfortunately that state and that program is so engrossed in football that there was no way that decision to fire Frank Solich and then take 40 days to hire Bill Callahan wouldn't be his legacy. Pederson has had a huge hand in moving Pitt athletics from the dark ages into the 20th Century. Has he made all the right moves? No, but nobody has. The one thing that could work against him, however, is this - his boss, Mark Nordenberg, is set to retire here in the not to distant future, perhaps as early as next year. If that happens and Haywood fails - the new chancellor may not have the same loyalty to Pederson as Nordenberg does and that could be a problem. But again, Pederson has done an awful lot for Pitt and at Pitt for this -- or getting rid of the Script Pitt - to be his legacy regardless of what happens.

Q: Do you think that the hiring of Haywood will bring more African-American fans to Pitt football?

Sean Farr, Pittsburgh

ZEISE: No, I don't think so. I mean, would the hiring of Dana Holgorsen have brought more fans of Jimmy Buffett to Pitt football. Not likely. The bottom line is the only way this guy will bring more fans to Pitt football - of any color - is if he wins. Pitt fans, God bless them, are tired of excuses. They are tired of hearing why their team can't win big games. They are tired of hearing about all the things that hold them back. They want a winner, just go out and win games and if he does that, fans will come support the team and do so not because the coach is black, but because fans want to see a winner.

Q: Why is Pitt trying so hard to make it sound like the decision for Dave Wannstedt to step down was mutual and what are the players' reactions?

Jeff P., Memphis, Tenn.

ZEISE: It is simple, they are trying to do the right thing by Wannstedt because of his loyalty, years of service and all the good things he's done for Pitt over the years. They didn't want to throw him out in the street, they didn't want to have his career end with him being fired by his alma mater. Nobody feels good about the way things went down or that it didn't work out with Wannstedt but in the end, the decision was made that he needed to be relieved of his duties and there was just not going to be a good way to do it. And the players were obviously upset because he was a players coach and a guy who made it clear that he cared about them. I've had a number of former players e-mail me and ask if they could have a forum to talk about their affection for Wannstedt but at this point, I just don't see how that does anybody any good. It is time to move on.

Q:  Paul, you seem to be pushing for a minority hire. So, does the Rainbow Coalition pay these schools back after the minority coach falls flat on his face?

Mike Stevens, San Marcos, CA.

Comments (64)

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written by rkohberger, December 16, 2010 - 04:02 AM

Thanks Paul, this couldn't have been easy for anyone involved. Appreciate the diligence you put in to trying to get us fans some info... and thanks for printing that last letter.

If anything, it shows that as passionate as some people can be about football, they can be equally as ignorant about life.

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written by BigJohn, December 16, 2010 - 04:08 AM

Paul

Here's why your comments about minority interviews are wrong: they're contradictory.

First, you say hire the best candidate. Then you say, interview people because of their skin color.

If you're looking for the best guy, skin color doesn't come in to it. It shouldn't even be a criteria, IF you're concern is to hire the best guy. 10 black candidates or 10 white candidates, it shouldn't matter, because there's no known connection between the amount of melanin in your skin and your ability to coach a football team.

Hence, saying 'hire the best man', AND 'look at a man's skin color', is contradictory. The Duke boys, while relatively uneducated compared to a Temple man, seem to have a better grasp of common sense.

Also, you insinuation that people who oppose your thinking on this are uneducated southern rednecks, a la the Duke boys, is arrogant and off-base. Liberal self-righteousness is unbecoming.

Lastly, this guy is the cheap hire. He couldn't land a HC job at even middling schools (except Pitt), although he interviewed for them.

Pederson screwed the pooch on this one, and Pitt just demonstrated - again - that it is a basketball school first. More 6 win seasons are on the horizon. Tell me again - Why did we fire Wanny?

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written by pens8755, December 16, 2010 - 04:41 AM

Say what you want about this. this is a garbage hire and a joke on Pitt fans. fire pederson, fire nordenberg. i'm only 24. ive never seen a great pitt team. i never will. this is a joke. im begging you not to spin this any other way. im begging you to be the voice for wins, not for this joke pitt keeps playing.

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written by ScriptFan, December 16, 2010 - 05:57 AM

Heard that Steve P and Bob Nutting met at an Eat 'N Park to discuss hiring strategies on the cheap. Did they share a plate at the All U Can Eat? Apparently neither one wanted to pick up the tab. (Comment not to be taken seriously.) Pitt - This is unreal...10 - 15? Offensive type? Couldn't put up more than 33 in a game vs. MAC opponents? I see those retired numbers hanging each game and wonder where the greatness ever went.

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written by JimnBigD, December 16, 2010 - 06:50 AM

This guy may be great or may be terrible. I'm, just like nearly everyone else here, completely unqualified to know either way. I can say I'm underwhelmed and not very excited. Of course I felt the same way after the Jamie Dixon and Mike Tomlin hires. Hopefully my impression will be just as misguided this time.

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written by Pat4Pitt, December 16, 2010 - 07:10 AM

Give the new guy a chance!

Wanny was fired because he couldn't coach and his recruiting was nowhere as good as he thought it was. The program was dying with him at the helm.

I want 3 things for Pitt FB - (
1) beat WVU,
(2) win Big East &
(3) stop being embaraased on national TV.

Wanny and his cronies couldn't give me one of them!

New blood, energy and ideas will lead to satisfaction of my wishes!

Good luck MIKE!

Thanks for the work on this Paul!

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written by apm74, December 16, 2010 - 07:47 AM

Great job covering this Paul. Your name and coverage have been mentioned a lot on Rivals Radio (Sirius) lately.

However this hire turns out, the entire process has certainly made Pitt look small in the college football world. He may be a great hire, but it's fairly obvious the university is not prepared to put forth the resources to compete financially to hire/keep a coach that commands high pay. Clearly they were not even considering another BCS-level head coach, nor a top assistant. Spin it any way they'd like, WVU was willing to outbid Pitt for their guy, and hence, he is where he is. Miami too.

It had been mentioned a lot lately that this hire will be an indication of how serious the administration is with having a winning football program. I can't help but come away with the feeling that it isn't any more serious now than it has been. And it's tough getting excited when you know that this guy will be gone in 3 years, regardless of how he does because, best-case scenario, the university continues to be cheap and he leaves for a "bigger" job. When does Pitt make itself a "big" job again?

In any event, this will be perceived as an underwhelming hire by many fans and season ticket holders. And as skeptical as Pitt fans have become, it's going to be difficult for the university to justify raising season ticket prices next year, even if there are 8 home games. It's going to be a tough sell, especially considering how cheap Pitt fans tend to be.

I'm an alum, lifetime fan and long-time season ticket holder, and I can say that I can't remember a time when Pitt fans have been more fed-up, frustrated and skeptical. And sadly, coach Haywood is going to be under the gun, so to speak from day one, unfairly as it may be. He's not walking in to a celebration as Wannstache did, nor will he have the grace period. He's not coming into a down-trodden program where no one cares as Walt Harris did. He's going to have to win big and win immediately. He has 2 years to make it to a BCS bowl, at most before the university sees its fan base truly erode. That's a tough spot.

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written by Alex, December 16, 2010 - 08:06 AM

Paul, where do you see Jeff Hafley ending up? He's been a great recruiter in New Jersey.

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written by jlawrence, December 16, 2010 - 08:27 AM

I understand that Bill Elias is exceptional and this is a real gem in the deal.

Would love to see them keep Greg Gattuso.

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written by p_zeise, December 16, 2010 - 08:39 AM

BigJohn - First off, you calling me a liberal is laughable and not even close to being in the ballpark. I'll leave it at that.

Second, there is nothing at all contradictory in what I wrote - you should hire the best guy, you should be open-minded about the process and take a look at a lot of candidates from different walks of life. Common sense, as you put it, would dictate that if you aren't looking beyond a small circle of people, you aren't really looking for the best guy.

Never once did I say Pitt had to hire a minority, i simply said they should try and at least a few minority candidates to talk to. A huge difference.

My question again, which you haven't answered, is this - why is it a bad thing or a negative thing for an organization to want to go out and try to interview more people for a job?

Ultimately you need to hire the best guy but what does it hurt to at least talk to some people who you may not have considered otherwise.

There is nothing contradictory about that at all.

That is really all I am advocating.

And let me say this for the record - I don't support the Rooney Rule because I am a firm believer in the concept of America as a free society and nobody should be forced to interview anyone they don't want to interview. I also think it puts minority candidates in the awkward spot of interviewing for jobs they don't have a prayer of getting - though going through the interview process is never a bad thing.

But I do support the goal of the Rooney Rule, which is to open the process to more candidates and give QUALIFIED minorities more opportunities to get in front of decision makers for interviews.

And I would hope that corporations, teams or academic institutions would be enlightened enough and open-minded enough to have the same goal in mind and do so on their own accord - without a rule or a law telling them they have to.

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written by p_zeise, December 16, 2010 - 08:43 AM

Alex - I am sure Hafley will be one of the guys on this staff who will at least get an interview with Haywood about staying on staff. He may ultimately not be retained, but I'd be willing to bet that he'll have a shot. If not, he is one of the guys who will find a spot to land, if nothing else because he's become a recruiting superstar. Who knows what happens but it wouldn't shock me if Iowa State has an opening on the defensive side of the ball that he doesn't go join his mentor, Paul Rhoads. And I'm sure any school - Syracuse, Penn State, Rutgers, Connecticut - which recruits New Jersey hard will look at him as well.

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written by HireMikeLeach, December 16, 2010 - 09:11 AM

I'm glad the search is over too. Am I jazzed about the decision? Not entirely. But I don't hate it either. I'm intrigued by Haywood. I really hope he brings that no-nonsense approach to Pitt as that was something I don't think DW really had. Player's coach? Is that another way to say he coddled some guys? Don't know. I never played for the man. But I don't know how you could look at Pitt's roster and not see a couple of prima donna-types and some "me first" attitudes. A manager tries to find a way to make everyone happy. A leader adjusts the attitudes.

I think there's a lot to like about the Haywood hire. And there's things to dislike, particularly the perception that Pitt is using the Nutting approach when it comes to spending money. We'll see how well that works shortly.

And just for fun, I'm trying to link an article I swiped from one of the message board posters (thanks infinitypanther!). It's the announcement that Gene Chizik was hired at Auburn. Check out the comments. I know. Pitt is not Auburn. Pitt does not have Cam Newton. But if you would have told those fans at the time they'd have a Heisman winner and shot at the MNC in 2 years, they'd have had you committed. Hope you enjoy it:

http://www.trackemtigers.com/2008/12/13/691638/news-bulletin-gene-chizik

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written by tke709, December 16, 2010 - 09:12 AM

Guys, don't get me wrong I am a true WVU fan, and generally NEVER comment on some other teams blogs and hate when others do on ours. But some of your fan's don't heed that though and has been trying to slam us hiring Holgorsen.

With that being said. I understand how you feel. BS was constant being second guessed as a hire never had a chance to succeed.

My sister went to PITT, my other sister went to PSU, I/my wife went to WVU. (split family) of course. I have never looked at Pitt like other eer fans, (I still Love beating Pitt), but again different than others.

Pitt needs to be relevant in the BE and to WVU to make the conference and WVU better. GIVE this man a chance before you throw him under the bus. I gave BS 2 yrs, and he flunked and was ready to quit renewing my tix until we hired Holgorsen.

Give this man 2 yrs, then clamour.

Good luck.

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written by Joe D, December 16, 2010 - 09:15 AM

I'll give him 2 years...
In both years, he needs a Top 25 ranking...
at least 8 wins in regular season.
If not, both Haygood and Pederson should go... and put in Wanny as AD.
Sorry, this is not the hire to take the program to the next level. It was a cheap hire and within the budget.

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written by Wayne J, December 16, 2010 - 09:24 AM

Paul, This is good news that Michael Haywood is now our Pitt coach. Praise the athletic department. A decision was made.
1. He has a excellent resume and vast experience at 3 major colleges, LSU, Texas, Notre Dame.
2. He is a leader and has passion for the game-a definite plus
3.He is a disciplinarian and even has his players wear ties to the games. Their men and should dress like men representing Pitt
4. He has worked at all levels and levels from offensive coordinator to recruiting.
5. He believes tha education is as important as playing football.
6.He is a winner and will instill this in his players.
7.Heis an unknown but how many unknown coaches became great ones.Let's celebrate this hire
and look forward to 2011 season. Wow! What a gamble it was to hire Jamie Dixon. Jamie Who? Only kidding. He has certainly turned out to be a great coach and look at our basketball program now.

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written by Cheetah, December 16, 2010 - 09:39 AM

Paul, I know you can't say this because you need access to Pitt, but you know this has complete disaster written all over it. This is just absurd that they are trying to pull the wool over our eyes and make it look like this guy is going to do better than Wannstedt. I fear that that the Pitt program is in big trouble.

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written by PantherMan, December 16, 2010 - 09:48 AM

Wow... 2010 and you still have folks like Mike Stevens, San Marcos, CA.

I'm shocked he actually put his name on that question.

Hey Mike... last I saw the Klan didn't field a college football team.

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written by gopittgo96, December 16, 2010 - 09:54 AM

Ok Paul, So what would have been a better hire: Haywood or Holgorsen? Also, do you think this whole process was handled as badly as I think it was?

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written by Cableman, December 16, 2010 - 09:55 AM

As a Pitt fan since birth I've read along with everyone else all the blogs, updates, stories of this search, and I have a few things to say about it all.

Steve Pederson is one of a very small number of people running the athletic departments of a major university. I suspect he knows a little more than the average blog poster. Just because Dana Holgorsen is a name being coveted by the average blog poster I have to have faith in the process of SP...otherwise I could have his job.

Michael Haywood, according to PZ, was very high on the list from the beginning. I know nothing about the guy other than what is being reported. Nor do I know anything about Holgorsen, Golden, Bradley, or anyone else. He may not be the "splash" hire that people envisioned but the only splash that matters is on the football field.

He will have a good core returning. He will need to upgrade the offensive line (this line was not the Hogs people.) He is losing two studs on the D line but there appears to be replacements in position. He has two outstanding backs, a QB with a year of experience (did you all really expect Tino to be Dan Marino this year?) and enough talent to win.

From what I've read and heard he will not tolerate the off the field issues that I think were higher on the list of Wanny's transgressions than anyone will admit. No South Side bar hopping for your Pitt Panthers.

And how can so many be bashing the guy and worry about him jumping ship with success at the same time? Pick one of the other people.

I do not need to see 50+ points per game to consider the Pitt Panthers a successful team. I was fine with Wanny's pro-style offense. But I want to see winning football, defense, offense, special teams. Aggressive football. Passionate football.

I do not want to get pumped for a Miami game and see Pitt lay a dozen eggs on the field. My NA Tigers would have been a better match. That was inexcusable as was the WVU game.

There is absolutely no reason in the world that Pitt cannot be a perennial top 20 team. In the spirit of the season...give Pitt a chance!

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written by gopittgo96, December 16, 2010 - 10:06 AM

Hey Cableman, Tell your story to Nebraska.

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written by Jack, December 16, 2010 - 10:11 AM

Paul,
I thought that you had lost your objectivity until I read your thoughtful response to the "Rainbow Coalition" crack. You haven't. I thought the selection was horrible and I was ready to give up my tickets, but you're right. You have to give Coach Haywood a chance. What else can we do? I still don't like the hire, but I can live with it. I'll keep my tickets and hope - pray - that the move was the right one. But one thing is certain. Fair or not, the grace period won't be long.

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written by Patriot9, December 16, 2010 - 10:12 AM

The Pitt administration needs to have the courage to admit that they don't care about having a football program. Right now they are at best a second rate program. They have a proven failure as athletic director who has just hired a football coach who with a record of 10-15 in the MAC is a proven failure as well. Pitt is on its way to being a third rate football program.

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written by Garyz1954, December 16, 2010 - 10:39 AM

Being a former head football coach at the high school level I somewhat understand the difficulties of a new coach coming in and the expectations are huge. I was a Wanstadt supporter although I am disapointed in his firing I wish Coach Hayward the best and one request. My personal view about any college offense is that unless the QB is Dan Marino or Tom Brady an offense has to have a QB that is a threat to run the ball. It can be the spread, pro or just a simple read option out of the shotgun or triple option type of attack. It just puts a burden on opposing defenses preparation. I look at West virginia not moving the ball in the first half vs pitt then the second half going more to the read option and being sucessful. Its just a decision that was made at halftime and a part of their package that pitt had trouble stopping

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written by pitt92alum, December 16, 2010 - 10:45 AM

Patriot9 - the Pitt administration DO care about the football program, but NOT AT ANY COST. DW had let too many transgressions go unpunished and the program risked becoming a haven for convicts-to-be. For that reason alone a change was warranted. Having said that, I was fine with the performance of the football team on the field, but leery of reading the Sunday news headlines.

I support the University with donations and am far more embarassed by police blotter reports (whether athletes or not) about Pitt's students than by where the football team ranks at the end of the year.

Of course it's fun to see them in the top 25 - but let's maintain our integrity - there is no place on Earth you can go to buy it back once it's gone.

Give the new coach a chance, rally behind the kids and stop the sniping. Keep criticizing the new coaches and you'll find that no decent prospect will want to come to Pitt - making his failure a self-fulfilling prophecy.

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written by OttoGraf, December 16, 2010 - 11:29 AM

Paul,

Do we know when the news conference is or when we can expect an announcement to know when the news conference is?

Also, I was just curious if you or any other media member plans on asking the new coach how he feels about Wannstedt still being able to his coach his(Mike's) team in the bowl game? or if he didn't really care at this point and will take over full control after the game, etc. I'm just kind of curious to see his thoughts since this is a rather odd situation with a guy getting fired, yet still being allowed to coach, prepare, watch film, etc.

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written by p_zeise, December 16, 2010 - 11:37 AM

A lot of good stuff in these comments - it seems like people have begun to settle in and accept that Michael Haywood is the coach and now are at least willing to give him a year or two before they declare it a disaster.

That is all you can do.

I don't know if this guy was the best choice, the right choice or even a good choice. I don't know that yet because I haven't observed his interactions with players, watched him on the field, watched how his players responded to him and most importantly, watched his team play a game.

I go into every one of these things open-minded. I know that to some that means I am being a university apologist, but knee-jerk reactionary has just never been my style. I feel like everybody deserves a chance.

Here is one thing to remember...

Of Pitt's hires in recent years, the two most celebrated ones were Ralph Willard and Dave Wannstedt. Two highly coveted guys whose names excited people and generated a lot of enthusiasm.

And in that time, the two hires which were ridiculed the most were Ben Howland and Jamie Dixon.

I'd say in hindsight - to use a favorite phrase of certain media relations members -- "winning the press conference" hasn't worked out that well for Pitt.

The news conference is at 4 p.m. by the way.

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written by michaelangelo404, December 16, 2010 - 11:53 AM

Just to put this all in perspective, I'm going to repost something I found on CBSSports.com.

Post:
"Let me see if I got this straight. Pitt hires a coach out of the MAC who was the coach of the team that won the conference (Miami, O). To many, this is considered a bad hire. Miami (FL) hires a coach out of the MAC who was the coach of the team that finished 3rd in the East division (Temple), lost to Miami (O), 23-3 and did not get invited to a bowl game. This, on the other hand, is considered a great hire. Just wanted to make sure I got that straight."

- Mr. PGH

Now, if you haven't already, watch the youtube video that everybody is talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgvMjKQZVnI

Have you ever played football? I have. This man deserves a shot.

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written by Joe D, December 16, 2010 - 11:54 AM

Paul,
The infamous private jet trip....
1. Was Holgorsen in it?
2. Was he visiting Pitt or WVU?

I've read in other blogs, he was visiting WVU.

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written by mark, December 16, 2010 - 12:03 PM

"and the program risked becoming a haven for convicts-to-be"........pitt92alum

Are you serious dude?

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written by apm74, December 16, 2010 - 12:06 PM

To be fair, I think Al Golden was the most over-rated hire, and as michaelangelo404 has pointed out, has not produced anything except for Temple's first winning season in approximately 75 years. At least Haywood has won a conference.

With that said, I also believe the Holgerson hire at WVU really stings and will perpetuate the barrel-makers' dominance in the Brawl. Like it or not, they paid for and got the best hire here. IMO, Pitt should have ignored the hype surrounding Golden and been willing to aim higher.

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written by highlander84, December 16, 2010 - 12:30 PM

Don't get why it is felt Golden would have been a better choice than Haywood. Don't get it at all. Just because the U fell for it and paid $$+ doesn't mean Pitt was wrong for not going there. They really seeme dto think they were getting Gruden, so delusional may not be a stretch down there.

I think it is telling that the DC turned down the Temple HC job to go to Miami as DC. IF the program was in a good place, why wouldn't you have taken the job? Assuming D'Onfrio (sp?) does want to be a HC some day, the only conclusion can be that they knew the program had peaked and were looking to get out.

Don't get the love for the OSU OC either. WVU got him. Good for them. If lifestyle rumors were true, those who have blanched when Pitt players got in trouble would have loved to have had a Larry Ustacy moment down in Oakland. Talk about publicity.

Wanted Leach (my dream), but definitely willing to give Haywood every opportunity to succeed. Looking forward to the presser later on today. Maybe it will be on FSN?

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written by GTurner, December 16, 2010 - 12:39 PM

Will someone explain to me how 10-15 is a proven failure when the program went from 1-11 in the first year to 9-4 in the second? That sounds like improvement to me. Of course, if we want to just look at total records of Pitt hires, in 1973 they hired a guy with a 24-30-1 record from lowly Iowa State. I wonder how that failure worked out.

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written by michaelangelo404, December 16, 2010 - 12:39 PM

I'm not convinced Holgorsen is the best guy to begin with. What head coaching experience does he have? Assistant HC? That just means he's a good number two. Granted, there are a lot of good coordinators who grow up to be good head coaches, but I'll be there are just as many who grow up to be really bad. Maybe WVU paid top dollar for someone who will never pan out. I hope so. Anyway, time will tell. At the very least we have a least one piece of evidence that shows Mike Haywood can win the big game, which is something that Wanny never really managed to do.

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written by Cheetah, December 16, 2010 - 12:48 PM

Good to see Pitt fans are right back to where they usually are- spinning things so they don't have to face reality and when this guy fails, it will start all over again.

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written by druc, December 16, 2010 - 12:49 PM

hey Paul any chance Pitt tried to go after Al Pacino? That inches speech in any given sunday should have at least got him an interview.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_iKg7nutNY

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written by cornell24, December 16, 2010 - 01:03 PM

One thing I know for sure about Coach Haywood, he won't let me down any more than I've been let down already the past several years decades.
I say we go back to this Holgorson thing. I understand wanting to spin it that he isn't that great a candidate, no garauntees, and Pitt wants to save face and say "we weren't really interested anyway." Screw all that! This guy thinks hicktown West Virginee is a better town, and WVU a better school? Fine. Haywood's mission is clear. Beat the p**s out of WVU every year till this guy is fired and 'eers start singing praises of Bill Stewart it gets so bad!
[of course winning other games, and the BE would be appreciated as well] Time to escalate this Brawl into an all-out war.

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written by TampaPittfan, December 16, 2010 - 02:02 PM

Ode to Mike:

The first Pitt game I remember is the Elliot Walker failed 2-pt conversion game against Penn State. I cried when I realized he didn't go over the goal line. I cried before the 2007 WVU game wondering how my beloved Panthers could ever be a 28 pt. underdog, lamenting how far the program had fallen. I cried tears of joy when they won. I nearly tossed the tv when Palko threw the pick against Ohio. Ohio! Are you kidding me! I have seen good coaches (Sherrill and Mike Gottfried) and I have seen bad ones (Majors II, Paul Hackett). I can only hope that you, Mike, fit into the former and not the latter. I don't care if your black, white, plaid or purple - as long as you win. If you hold your players to account for their play on the field, installs toughness and fortitude, teach them to hold together when faced with adversity, and play the best player regardless of class, it is already a win. Welcome, Mike Haywood to Pittsburgh. Learn the tradition and learn the players. But most of all, WIN!

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written by Joe D, December 16, 2010 - 03:30 PM

Read the WVU article by Dunlap on how Holgorsen was courted by WVU for a month. Interesting.

Terrible how the assistants are yet unaware of being fired.

Also, when Wanny was fired, apparently Horgorsen used Pitt to get WVU to commit and to big bucks.

And the private plane... who knows... but what a whopper of a BS story by Paul.

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written by michaelangelo404, December 16, 2010 - 03:36 PM

Hey hey, TampaPittfan said it best. I'm outta here fellas. See you in Birmingham. Err...actually see you on the Southside next year.

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written by pitt92alum, December 16, 2010 - 03:43 PM

Luck said Thursday he first informed Stewart about his decision to replace him on Nov. 14. He says he first met with Oklahoma State's Dana Holgorsen on Nov. 23.


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c...18JFOFurt

All those who are bashing Pitt for "missing out" on Holgorsen - they WVU and DH were deep into discussions long before Pitt decided to make a change. Started in early-mid November, apparently.

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written by Joe D, December 16, 2010 - 04:46 PM

First question,

Who were the 5 candidates??? Golden, Holgorsen, Haywood, ?, ?.

I hope he hires good OC and DC... and not the old timers of Reese and Watts... they are 65+.

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written by gasman, December 16, 2010 - 05:34 PM

Great News! In Harrisburg paper, Ben Rothlisberger complains that Haywood never reached out to him. Benny further states that any accomplishments of the football team are directly due to the AD and NOT Haywood.

Given Benny's fine judgement, I am enthralled with Haywood. The fact that he would fail to reach out to a Super Bowl winning punk, speaks volumes.

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written by Tony In Harrisburg, December 16, 2010 - 05:59 PM

I would love to know what type of offense Coach Haywood plans to run. Please don't say Pro-set.

Also I see no difference between Haywood and Golden except for the paycheck

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written by ud1978, December 16, 2010 - 06:12 PM

Ok, I've been convinced to squash my initial instinct to call this one of the saddest days in the history of Pitt football and give the new coach a chance to see how things develop. However, I'll be doing it from my TV set and not from my former season ticket seats. I'm from Missouri on this one, "show me" that this decision makes this football program worthy of support. Don't get me wrong, 6 years of losing almost every big game and being humiliated on national TV is more than a trend and Wanny's expiration date had passed. But I'm not convinced that improvement at a MAC program over a two year period is enough of a trend to justify this hire.

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written by p_zeise, December 16, 2010 - 06:24 PM

Joe D - Did you see today that Michael Haywood admitted he interviewed with West Virginia about the head coaching position? But wait a minute, Oliver Luck and Bill Stewart are now telling people Holgorsen was their guy for the past month?

Now how could that be? Could it be because like I said at the outset -- all together now - because in these things everybody lies, everybody tells tales, everybody spins things in a way that is favorable to them in the end and when all is said is done the guy they hire was always their first choice.

And what tale did I tell? I simply said a private jet left Dallas airport to pittsburgh and returned and could have had Dana Holgorsen it. I didn't say he was in it, I said he could have been and as it turns out he very could have been - only he was meeting with WVU, not Pitt.

I said it at the outset that is exactly how things would play out and it is how they always play out - remember when Walt Harris was hired? He was the "first choice" also, even though Matt Cavanaugh and Mark Richt were both offered the job first.

That is just the reality and frankly, my reporting and hounding of sources around Holgorsen is the primary reason the whole West Virginia angle broke.

Again, I have nothing at all to be ashamed of here.

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written by p_zeise, December 16, 2010 - 06:25 PM

gasman - Did you actually read those quotes by Ben Roethlisberger or were they rumors? Because Michael Haywood said he knows Ben, Ben has played in Miami's golf outing the past two years and Haywood and his staff were guests of Roethlisberger and sat in his box at a Steelers game this season.

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written by cornell24, December 16, 2010 - 06:45 PM

Paul,
Gasman is spinning the quotes a little, but Ben did say something like that. The quote from the AP
"He (Haywood) never reached out to me," Roethlisberger said Wednesday. "I don't really know him. I know what helped Miami, Ohio win this year, in my opinion, more than anything, is Brad Bates, the athletic director. What an awesome guy"

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written by Patriot9, December 16, 2010 - 06:54 PM

Paul, have you heard anything about the rumors that Haywood has had character issues at prior schools?

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written by Joe D, December 16, 2010 - 06:54 PM

Paul,
As Tomlin would say... consider this a teaching moment... re.. your reporting the past 8 days.

Who were the 3 others they interviewed... apparently they never interviewed Holgorsen because it says 5 Head coaches were interviewed.

And yes, I saw the SP quote by Ben... exactly as cornell24 wrote above.
But, who said Haywood needs to check in with Ben.. Ben is not making the hiring decision.

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written by druc, December 16, 2010 - 07:03 PM

http://news.cincinnati.com/art...-s-Haywood
“He (Haywood) never reached out to me,” Roethlisberger said Wednesday. “I don’t really know him. I know what helped Miami, Ohio win this year, in my opinion, more than anything, is Brad Bates, the athletic director. What an awesome guy.”

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written by gasman, December 16, 2010 - 07:36 PM

Paul,

'The Patriot News.' Harrisburg, PA
Sports Section. Page 6.

The complete quote:

"He (Hyewood) never reached out to me," Roethlisberger said Wednesday. "I don't really know him. I know what helped Miami, Ohio win this year, in my opinion, more than anything, is Brad Bates, the athletic director. What an awesome guy."

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written by p_zeise, December 16, 2010 - 07:56 PM

Gasman - I wasn't saying that Ben didn't say that, I just hadn't seen the actual quote. I am glad I have now seen the actual quote because --- JOED are you listening -- "Consider this a teaching moment" -- once again, Ben says one thing, Haywood says something completely different.

And JoeD - This is my sixth coaching search, there are almost always mistakes made in these things because of the way they have to be sourced but the mistakes are usually a matter of degree or semantics and how something is framed. And yes, there is a carefully written statement about meeting with five coaches, which issued by the same guy who a week ago told us all that it was Dave Wasnnstedt's decision to "resign". Which, may be "legally accurate" but it certainly isn't the truth.

Go back and read my first blog entry and what I wrote at the outset about it -- I said that everybody is lying and these things are always spun in the most positive way and somewhere the actual truth - which we will never know -- gets lost.

That's the nature of it. I am very comfortable with how I covered this story and stayed with it from start to finish.

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written by gary from cleveland, December 16, 2010 - 08:17 PM

woody h.,bo s,ara p. now maybe mike h. in the same league as the previous named legends...hopefully so..i have to admit i am one who thought dw should have had another year, i wanted that flashy shelby but i guess i will settle for the new fiesta...i will renew my season tix because that is what loyal alums do...i am holding out hope that this all works out for the best... we need to support the program and support the university...i hope dw coaches the bowl game because it is the right thing to do for the team..i hope we kick some wildcat butt...HAIL TO PITT...

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written by Joe D, December 16, 2010 - 08:19 PM

Paul,
Who were the other 3 candidates...
We know Golden and Haywood...

Sumlin? Graham? ???

Holgorsen was never interviewed.

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written by Joe D, December 16, 2010 - 08:23 PM

Speaking of semantics...
Ben may not "know" him... may have met him... but doesn't mean he "knows" him.
So it's not Haywood says one thing and Ben another...
And ben is not on the hiring committee for Pitt... nor someone Hayward had as a reference.. lol
Who cares what Ben thinks!

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written by pwmcdupitt, December 16, 2010 - 08:48 PM

Ben is of the highest moral character and I believe every word he says.

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written by Ironman, December 16, 2010 - 08:51 PM

Paul - You did a great job covering the travails of the Pitt football program during this whole process. I don't believe that anybody here should (emphasis on should) question what you wrote here on these blogs and or postings.

Once again, it was fair, balanced, insightful, enlightening and a great job overall.

Your grade = A+

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written by pwmcdupitt, December 16, 2010 - 09:04 PM

Stop being so reasonable, cancel your tickets...I WANT BETTER SEATS!

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written by hailtopitt1984, December 16, 2010 - 09:19 PM

As a current Pitt student, the more I look into Haywood, the more I love this hire.

A lot of people are disappointed that Pitt didn't go out and make a splash by hiring a big-name coach. In case people already forgot, they hired a big-name coach 6 years ago and it didn't work. I agree with the assertion that Pitt football is in a worse position now than it was when Wanny was hired. Granted they got crushed by Utah in a BCS bowl, they were still in a BCS bowl. Harris also put in very respectable seasons in the few years before his departure that were done in a much better Big East than Wanny had to contend with.

People have argued that the Pitt fan base will not be energized by this hire. This is a ridiculous assertion to make. Wins will do more to energize a fanbase than a coach will. If Haywood can win, it will be a bigger morale boost than hiring a big-name coach failing to live up to expectations (remember the last 6 years?). And after seeing the video of his pre-game speech before the Temple game, it's almost impossible to not be energized. I have a very difficult time picturing Wanny giving such a speech and having his players hold on to every word the way Haywood's players were.

I am also very impressed with the talent that this guy has worked with. As a running back coach, he coached Kevin Faulk, Dominick Davis, and Cedric Benson. As an offensive coordinator, he coached Brady Quinn, Jeff Samardzija, Jimmy Clausen, Golden Tate, and Michael Floyd. (Don't judge the Notre Dame players on what they have done in the pros. They were standouts in college and that's what counts here.)

And when it comes to Pederson's track record, he may have failed in Nebraska (by trying to make a splash and hiring a big-name coach... sound familiar?) but twice he took a chance on a lesser-known coach at Pitt. Walt Harris and Ben Howland turned out pretty well, didn't they?

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written by ochotexto, December 16, 2010 - 09:26 PM

Bradley wouldve been a steal., hes been the head coach at PSU for at least 5 years. Haywood beat Temple. Pitt went cheap here. Great job of coverage PZ but enough about how hard it's been on you. The emails, the phone calls, texts, interviews. Please. There's folks digging ditches tomorrow in 10 degree weather. Spare us the drama.

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written by hailtopitt1984, December 16, 2010 - 09:30 PM

And I just have to point out:

Number of top 25 teams Pitt beat this year: 0
Number of top 25 teams Miami (OH) beat this year: 1

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written by PantherMan, December 16, 2010 - 09:48 PM

So, Paul. After those looks Mike Haywood gave you at the press conference - are you moving on to another beat?

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written by t2pyah, December 16, 2010 - 10:18 PM

David Walker is knowledgeable and has built an impressive resume. Also a heckuva guy. I'm sure he will land on his feet - but I hope it is here ( or at least close ).

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written by t2pyah, December 16, 2010 - 10:45 PM

hailtopitt1984 - Pitt was disappointing this season, but had tdo good seasons before this. Last season they were very respectable - a few plays away from beating Cincy and WVU - which would have then equaled an outstanding season and a top bowl game.

I don't recall any of the Walt Harris teams at this level - but to be honest my interest in Pitt football was relatively low when Harris was head coach.

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