Paul Chryst To WI?

[Ron Burgundy]

Is being bandied about on local sports radio today since the Wisconsin job opened up, Chryst came from Wisconsin, and AD Barry Alvarez is his bud.
I think chances are slim because of his middling record so far at Pitt. Still, despite Yinzer denial, Pitt will always be a stepping stone job (except for The Stasche).

I also think it's hilarious that four years ago Coach Pornstasche was fired for not winning enough and Pitt hasn't done as well since. I never thought they should have got rid of The Stasche, maybe just fired his assistants.

Discuss

 

[SteelerFan448]

Even as a state school in the Big 10, Wisconsin seems to have some of the same handicaps as Pitt and Barry may want a "Wisconsin guy" like Chryst who would be there for the long haul. Chryst would almost certainly be gone if offered as I'd assume it'd be a "dream job" for him. I wouldn't blame him, however, Wisconsin should be able to do better.

Pitt needs to up the coaching budget for Chryst so he can bring in a real DC (why did they never bring in Tom Bradly?). I love what he's done with the offense and if they get a coach who can recruit athletes for the defense, Pitt will be very competitive in the ACC. Heck, look at what Chryst has done to rebuild the offensive line and how he has helped mediocre QBs look very good. Not sure why any young QB wouldn't want to play in his offense.

As far as Wanny goes, loved him, just not all of the trouble his players got into. Probably would have kept him with changes to the staff as you mentioned.

 

[AggieSteel]

Shoot I'm a PSU and Aggie fan myself, but have plenty of Pitt fan friends who pretty much universally loved the Stache. Great recruiter for the most part, but I think needed better QBs and better X&O guys at the coordinator positions and then would have seen better success on the field

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Somehow Pitt manages to send a lot of players to the NFL, a lot of them pretty good, yet they don't win a lot of games. There is a disconnect somewhere.

 

[GRBman]

Chryst is gone...

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Chryst is gone...

ESPN reporting this morning that Chryst is the man. Surprising to me, given his 19-19 record at Pitt.


http://espn.go.com/college-football...adgers-hire-pittsburgh-head-coach-paul-chryst

 

[thesteelcity]

gotta say, not very impressed with Chryst. He did some good things, I guess, but PITT really needs to find someone that will build this program and not bail on them in 1-3 years. They should have hired Tom Bradley like I suggested years ago. Pittsburgh guy, good person and damn fine coach. Steve Peterson is a moron. PITT fans have been enduring under performing football for so long, it gets tiring to watch.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Agree that Bradley would have been a good hire. At this point I think Pederson has to go too. Let's start a "Bring Back The Stasche" movement.

 

[thesteelcity]

I thought about bringing back the Stache, too, but I wasn't upset he was let go. I would have kept him part of the program in some capacity, but his coaching was something to be desired. I doubt he could come back now after feeling wrongly fired. He doesn't hold back when the subject comes up. He's a scorn ex-girlfriend.

 

[hamster]

Pitt's football program is a train wreck. Who, in their right mind, would want to coach there?

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Pitt's football program is a train wreck. Who, in their right mind, would want to coach there?

About 4000 college assistant coaches who view it as a stepping stone job to work for a couple of years and leave for something better.
It's just what the Pitt job is.

Stache wasn't the greatest game day coach but he could recruit, had a great relationship with local HS coaches and boosters that Todd Graham then ruined, and sent a lot of players to the NFL. If I'm the chancellor I fire Pederson and hire Stasche back as AD and HC so he can't fire himself.

 

[GRBman]

The reason the program is in shambles right now is the lack of stability. Chryst can't be blamed for going to Wisconsin. They would have gone after him when Andersen was hired, but he was in his first year. Both He and Alvarez agreed it would be horrible PR for Wisconsin AND Chryst to hire him away after only a year. He stayed, and would have stayed longer had Andersen not bolted to Oregon State. Now though, the alma mater is calling and he can't turn it down a second time.

Wisconsin wanted him to be the head coach eventually even when he was working under Bielema...makes sense. BUT...this is a pretty important hire for Alvarez. He now has on his resume' Bielema leaving for Arkansas, Anderson's 2-years and bolting...so this is probably his last chance.

As for a replacement, Pitt needs to get a coach who sees this job as one that he can be "satisfied" with. Tom Bradley makes total sense. He's been at Penn State, he's been knocked around. A job here in his home town would be a breath of fresh air for him...

...and he gets to coach against the school that nearly ruined his career in the near future.

...and Steve Pedersen needs to go. The guy should be done at Pitt.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

The reason the program is in shambles right now is the lack of stability.

Bingo. Stasche would have been here until he retired.

As for a replacement, Pitt needs to get a coach who sees this job as one that he can be "satisfied" with. Tom Bradley makes total sense. He's been at Penn State, he's been knocked around. A job here in his home town would be a breath of fresh air for him...

...and he gets to coach against the school that nearly ruined his career in the near future.

I think Bradley wasn't considered at the time because of the, uh, taint, of the Sandusky scandal. But he's from here, he knows the local coaches (yes I know western PA is not the talent pool it used to be but it's still pretty good), and if he were here I think he'd stay. I think Tom Bradley would be an excellent choice assuming he wants the job.

...and Steve Pedersen needs to go. The guy should be done at Pitt.

True dat.

 

[thesteelcity]

The PSU thing will always "be there", but if anyone has an almost squeaky clean rep, it's Tom Bradley. He's an Assistant HC at WVU, so for him to have control over HIS team and get the D back to respectability is a great challenge I'd think he would want. Sign him for 5 years and he wouldn't be going anywhere unless they become a lot worse and I don't really see that happening. No team will be coming after him and what's his "dream job"? NFL? PSU? Doubt any of that happens. He's not an up and coming, young coach that will use PITT as his stepping stone. He provides stability, reputation and is a solid guy, but still has a lot of coaching in him left.

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

Bo Pellini is from Youngstown. Mark Whipple is currently HC at UMass. Tommy Tuberville, former Auburn coach, is currently HC at U of Cincinnati.

This is 2 coaches in a row who have left Wisconsin because their board does not fully support football. Wisconsin is a good school, but they think they're Stanford. They're not Stanford and even Stanford embraces and supports football more than Wisconsin.

Wisconsin has high admission standards and they refuse to lower them at all for football players. You don't have to admit the near illiterate thugs that some schools do, but you can accept some C+ students with good character. That's what most good academic schools do. Michigan does it, PSU , even Notre Dame used to do it with Holtz. It is hard to recruit at a high level with no allowances at all.

Their other issue is they give football a small budget. Bielema left because he was sick of his assistant coaches leaving for better paying jobs and also the recruiting. You don't have to bankrupt your school or rob from academics to support football if your school is making money at it. Wisconsin makes plenty of money on attendance before you even count their cut from the Big Ten Network. Again, there's nothing wrong with using football money to better the school. PSU has done that. But you don't suffocate the program either and ask they produce major results with minor funding.

WIscy had to hire one of their own. They know an outsider will never stay with those conditions. That's why Oregon State is actually a better coaching gig than Wisconsin right now. Oregon State won't tie one hand behind your back.

 

[GRBman]

Bo Pellini is from Youngstown. Mark Whipple is currently HC at UMass. Tommy Tuberville, former Auburn coach, is currently HC at U of Cincinnati.

This is 2 coaches in a row who have left Wisconsin because their board does not fully support football. Wisconsin is a good school, but they think they're Stanford. They're not Stanford and even Stanford embraces and supports football more than Wisconsin.

Wisconsin has high admission standards and they refuse to lower them at all for football players. You don't have to admit the near illiterate thugs that some schools do, but you can accept some C+ students with good character. That's what most good academic schools do. Michigan does it, PSU , even Notre Dame used to do it with Holtz. It is hard to recruit at a high level with no allowances at all.

Their other issue is they give football a small budget. Bielema left because he was sick of his assistant coaches leaving for better paying jobs and also the recruiting. You don't have to bankrupt your school or rob from academics to support football if your school is making money at it. Wisconsin makes plenty of money on attendance before you even count their cut from the Big Ten Network. Again, there's nothing wrong with using football money to better the school. PSU has done that. But you don't suffocate the program either and ask they produce major results with minor funding.

WIscy had to hire one of their own. They know an outsider will never stay with those conditions. That's why Oregon State is actually a better coaching gig than Wisconsin right now. Oregon State won't tie one hand behind your back.

Completely agree, Tape... you don't have to be Alabama or Florida State to be successful in football. You can have academic standards, give kids a chance and win. Frank Gore was a "let in" by Miami in the early 90's. Gore has a learning disability and barely graduated high school...BUT...Miami (who has a GREAT academic reputation) let him in, put him into a special program due to his LD and the kid did well. He stayed academically eligible and has represented Miami very well in the NFL. You don't have to do that a ton, but that's one example of a school giving some leniency.

Urban Meyer was quite upset when Florida declined to admit a few of his recruits early on in his tenure there...too bad they said "yes" to Aaron Hernandez...


...and Chris Rainey, and Riley Cooper, and....

 

[strat68]

Pitt will never regain that temporary glory it had in the late 70's and early 80's. There's just no way they are going to recruit enough talent to be competitive again. There is not enough fan support. The only time they come close to selling out the stadium is when they have a big time opponent. If they get 20-30k people that's a good day. Then throw in the competition for entertainment dollars vs. Pirates, Steeles, Pens and most folks are tapped out. Heck, even the students don't care that much.

IMHO, one of the hurdles for fan support is lack of decent parking for tailgating. Getting a ground lot (vs the garage) parking pass is virtually impossible if you don't have season tickets and those are very limited or expensive on eBay. The athletic department extorts huge sums in "donations" to get a decent spot. Most people go to college football games to catch up with friends and the game is secondary. If you can't tailgate, why go? I know I wouldn't.

The only thing that made Pitt football remotely interesting to watch this year was Tyler Boyd and James Conner.

 

[madinsomniac]

Here is my take on everything Pitt football..

1. If Chryst goes, which is likely, its hard to be mad at the guy... you cannot be mad at someone for going home again especially since he eschewed the job last time out of respect... people should remember Chryst more or less saved a really really bad situation there and stopped the bleeding after back to back catastrophes. he leaves the program with a ton of young talent.

2. Pederson isn't a good football AD, but he is pretty much great at everything else. Pitt has not really put football over everything else since the 30s so there is zero chance the guy gets the boot. He is an athletic director, not a football director... we lose sight of that. Pitt has long taken pride in the fact that when they were the best team in the country for a decade and one of the earliest dynasties, they pulled the plug on the program because football was becoming more important than academics... they have since made several choices that football fans disagree with, but tthat have helped the basketball, baseball, and track teams...

3. Pederson isn't great at making football coach hires... he really ought to outsource this one. there is little shame in delegating weaknesses.

4. I think in the long term Chryst would be better off at Pitt, btw

5. Pitts best and maybe only chance on getting back in relevant football talks is to push its pipeline to the NFL. it has a list of NFL greats and current stars that should attract people who want to get there, that is if you can get a coach who can show they can get you there. That was why I was kind of upset at them dumping DW. he could get NFL talent and get that talent a fair look at the NFL level. It was a matter of getting him coordinators that he lacked who could get him the college wins with the talent he was getting.

6. Pitt, Penn state and WV fans should really accept that the talent level in the WPA and surrounding area is a lot less than it used to be. you are not getting to be in the National championship talks just with the talent in the surrounding areas. its an uphill battle for any northeastern team to get southern talent and if you are not willing to bend the rules its even less likely you are winning big these days

7. I am all for thinking outside the box, but if I hear one more yinzer suggest a local high school coach I may snap... these days high school football is even more night and day from college as college is from the NFL...

 

[Troglodyte]

Heard on DVE this morning that Pitt is like the guy who let's the granny go ahead of him in line and she becomes the 1,000,000th shopper.

Pitt is a stepping stone program that is forced to rely on second tier recruits from the WPIAL and PIAA. Essentially a MAC school.

It's a shame. I'm a PSU guy but I miss the days of Pitt, PSU and WVU all being relevant and all playing each other.

 

[thesteelcity]

oooh, someone suggested Jim Tressel on the Mark Madden show. Interesting and he wants to get back into college football real bad. I doubt Pitt wouldn't be his last coaching stop, You want a name, who could recruit and can win, I'd look into him. Couldn't hurt!

 

[SteelerFan448]

oooh, someone suggested Jim Tressel on the Mark Madden show. Interesting and he wants to get back into college football real bad. I doubt Pitt wouldn't be his last coaching stop, You want a name, who could recruit and can win, I'd look into him. Couldn't hurt!

Tressel is under sanctions until 2016, I believe. Bradley is a guy who would actually stay at Pitt for the long haul and that is what Pitt needs right now. If they hire another young assistant with a bright mind, he'll be gone in four years. What they absolutely cannot do is bring in a spread guy. That would be a disaster with the power offense that Chryst has built. They have enough offensive weapons to compete for their division in the ACC, but now need the defense to do the same. They aren't far off, but cannot continue to cycle through coaches. This is absolutely ridiculous.

 

[thesteelcity]

Tressel is under sanctions until 2016, I believe. Bradley is a guy who would actually stay at Pitt for the long haul and that is what Pitt needs right now. If they hire another young assistant with a bright mind, he'll be gone in four years. What they absolutely cannot do is bring in a spread guy. That would be a disaster with the power offense that Chryst has built. They have enough offensive weapons to compete for their division in the ACC, but now need the defense to do the same. They aren't far off, but cannot continue to cycle through coaches. This is absolutely ridiculous.

I didn't know that about Tressel. If that's the case, then I go back to my original wish list, like you and with Bradley.

 

[SteelerFan448]

I didn't know that about Tressel. If that's the case, then I go back to my original wish list, like you and with Bradley.

Here are the details:

http://www.foxsports.com/college-fo...-docked-9-scholarships-2012-bowl-berth-122011


Not saying that Bradley is my only option, Pat Narduzzi (DC-MSU) is an interesting name. Like that he is a defensive mind as you can find a ton of good offensive coordinators. He coaches one of the better defenses in the game and MSU has developed a small pipeline from the WPIAL.

 

[hamster]

About 4000 college assistant coaches who view it as a stepping stone job to work for a couple of years and leave for something better.
It's just what the Pitt job is.

Ron Burgundy is wise beyond his years.

 

[thesteelcity]

Ron Burgundy is wise beyond his years.

he is very wise, but Pitt needs to find someone that wants to coach and stay at Pitt. The cycle will never end if they hire the next young assistant to HC that sees greener pastures in a year or two. They need Stashe 2.0.