Here is that bit from Facebook I talked about – Craig is a witty guy so I can deal with that – the reference to the movie Airplane is pretty funny. The other crack about the donations bothered me a bit though…
Last year we ran 868 rushing (542) and passing plays (324) from scrimmage. Our run:pass ratio was 62% run and 38% pass.
Funny that Narduzzi thinks we’ll pass more. Either he thinks Browne is better than I do of he worries a bit about our RBs/OLs.
I think its more that there are concerns about our running game.
Here is that article on 2017’s “Breakout Players” where Chawntez Moss is mentioned. I’m hoping Browne or Hendrix or Ziese or Clark or Watts, etc… fills that role. We have other RBs.
Also the Sporting News has a composite preseason Top 25 listing – Pitt isn’t on it as we pretty much figured (it is the post-season rankings that count) but we do make it at #24 on Sporting News’ Top 25. We play three teams on the composite list – PSU, OKSU and Miami.
Here is an ESPN piece comparing the ACC teams to stocks: Pitt is a “hold”;
Pitt. Hold. The Panthers have yet to name a starting quarterback, though most believe it will be USC transfer Max Browne. But beyond quarterback, there are reasons for hope: depth at running back, Jester Weah at receiver and a rebuilding offensive line that should hold its own. The bigger questions remain on a defense that struggled through large parts of last season. Who picks up the sack slack with Ejuan Price gone? Can Jordan Whitehead return to form? Is Damar Hamlin the superstar people thought in high school?
Speaking of donations: From The Pitt News in April 2016:
With the second-largest alumni base in the ACC, Pitt has potential for high donor engagement. But given Pitt’s 300,000 living alumni, athletic donations are meager — the University’s athletic donor engagement rate is the second lowest in the ACC, according to Pitt Athletics spokesperson E.J. Borghetti.
In 2015, 25,062 alumni donated a total of $29,260,124 to the University overall. Out of those 25,062 people, 8,000 donated to the athletic department.
The engagement rate was about 2.6 percent last year, close to half the average percentage for ACC donor engagement, Athletic Director Scott Barnes said at a town hall meeting in January. The number of alumni donors at Pitt has decreased every year since 2012, when 25,728 people donated to the University.
And from the Trib’s Jerry DiPaola:
It was one of Barnes’ first days on the job, but he prioritized a June breakfast with two Pitt donors, Dr. Mark Duca and Patrick A. Gallagher, CEO of Monaca-based PGT Trucking (no relation to Pitt chancellor Patrick D. Gallagher).
Duca, Gallagher and boosters like them are important cogs in the athletic department, providing significant financial support for multi-million dollar facilities and projects. They have the ear of chancellor Gallagher and the friendship of prominent coaches such as Pat Narduzzi and Jamie Dixon. Booster Sammie D’Agostino, for instance, spoke frequently with Dixon between the end of the season and Monday, the day Dixon resigned.
They can be found at home and away games. Some have standard courtside tickets for basketball games. One booster who wished to remain nameless offers his private jet for athletic department VIPs and coaches for recruiting purposes.
These high-rollers carry clout. But don’t think they had a say in Narduzzi’s hiring a little more than a year ago or who the next men’s basketball coach will be.
D’Agostino said boosters have no role in hiring coaches.
pittpov.com 
If you want alumni engaged, generate on campus activities that will result in positive experiences and memories. As a university, Pitt does a terrible job of connecting with students and alumni. Pitt has little school spirit. So focus some more on activities outside the classroom. And when students graduate, encourage them to come back and continue participating. The loyalty to alma mater is almost non-existent…and rightfully so.
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When Pitt hires clowns like Cornhole and Barnes, all the more reason for donations to drop.
What is Pitt’s identity? What does it want to be? What connections do students and alumni have to campus? Why do schools like Penn State have a high donation rate, school spirit and fierce loyalty?
Well…besides the brainwashng, they establish traditions, create school activities/events, and make ‘their’ way integral to the fabric of campus life. Its more than just academics…its relationships and community.
Pitt could learn much from schools like Penn State as long as we dont sell our soul and become the arrogant pricks they are.
Why doesnt the Pitt administration understand these simple building blocks to engagement?
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You’re vastly underrating Browne. A mishmash, vanilla, disjointed scrimmage should have zero bearing on the upcoming season. The spring game is for fun only.
I, for one, am really excited for Watson. I’m really curious what he can do. Indiana’s offense was amazing. If he can hybrid it with what Pitt ran last year, watch out.
Here is a good article on what Indiana ran: http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-football/film-study/2015/09/60623/film-study-scouting-the-indiana-hoosier-offense
Skip some of the spread concepts, as I’m pretty sure that Browne will mostly be operating out of a huddle … unless it’s smoke and mirrors. He almost exclusively ran a no huddle at USC so they may tailor the offense to his strengths … something Watson and Narduzzi are on record as saying they prefer to do. We’ll see though as Browne indicated it was a learning curve operating out of a huddle.
The more interesting concepts are under the section labeled “Bread and Butter” which details IU’s run game. You’ll also notice that the sweep (Buck Sweep) is a major factor. It’s all about getting to the edges.
Also, expect a lot of slants and screens to set up the vertical pass as detailed in the article.
A lot of people have focused on what Watson has done in the past. The interesting thing about him is that he’s not married to a concept. He adapts and learns and studies other offenses. If can incorporate this IU offense with the Canada offense, it really could be fun …. and explosive.
I’m really much more high on this offense than a lot of you. If you research IU’s offense though, you’ll see why … and that was Watson’s last stop. He’s an OC that’s never had real freedom to run an offense. It’s always been dictated by the HC. Narduzzi will grant him some trust and freedom he’s never had before. I expect Watson will take advantage of it.
HTP
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Toss… let’s hope so. I don’t think Browne will be bad. Just a drop off from Peterman.
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Reed – I would too, except Watson’s MO is being a QB whisperer. Admittedly, initially, I wasn’t very excited about the Watson hire. I was fairly neutral (it seemed safe to me) but the more I’ve read about him, his success with QB’s and his offensive philosophy (always adapt and modernize) the more comfortable I’ve become. He went to IU to strictly study their offense. It’s the reason he didn’t immediately jump into another OC position after TX. He had no intentions of being there longterm. Circumstances (the IU staff being fired for playing hurt kids) seemed to expedite his exit but in reality he was most likely going to be looking for an OC job regardless. He reminds me of a Chan Gailey. Someone who is always learning and who wants to stay ahead of the curve. I love creative minds and I’m legit looking forward to seeing what he has in mind this season.
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havent had time to listen yet but Mr. Heckert must be one of those trolls you all talk about.. Strikes me as an ____, Mr. Hecker you have caused me to cut a check to the POV.
HAIL TO PITT!!!!! and all of us who love them.
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OT: For some additional perspective on the QB recruiting at Pitt for next season I’d suggest you read the article posted at PSN today on this subject. It seems like 3 of the 6 QB’s Pitt offered have already committed to other schools.
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TX Panther,
While I agree we need to reinvent the marketing of Pitt Athletics, I want to copy nothing from arrogant nit nation.
From electing JayPa (who undoubtedly knew as much as Joe Pa) to the board, to other board members complaining about the ‘so-called’ victims, I’d rather see yellow seats than live in their world.
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“I’d rather see yellow seats than live in their world.”
How about filling those seats but not living in their world? How about the Pitt administration realizing if you’re going to compete then try hard to win? I read about brainwashed PSU fans from Panther fans. Well, Pitt has its share of brainwashed fans who are OK with losing because it is done with honor respective degrees won’t be soiled by bending the rules some to win.
I keep saying, Pitt shouldn’t be cashing ACC checks if it’s not all in to win. Go join the AAC as some other school with just as fine as an academic reputation as Pitt would gladly try harder to win in a strong conference. And who cares about academics on football Saturdays?
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I’ll start with jrn’s comment. I’ve said all along that PITT wants a QB recruit in this years class. This Patti kid sounds like he’s a nice player with enough athleticism to play other positions? Just don’t tell him that.
Wishful thinking?? This is glass half-full thinking. You know, looking out the front windshield type of stuff. There is a big difference between a hope and a prayer without any positive reasons to believe in. Glass half-full is just optimistic thinking with a solid foundation of information at hand.
I know Clark, Hendrix, Browne were 5 stars a few years ago but isn’t that better than not being considered a standout athlete in high school at all? Glass half-full/glass half-empty? or wishful thinking?
Reed, if you don’t think your outlook for PITT comes off as bleak I don’t know what to tell you. BTW, Galambos and Caprara’s smarts were of no help last year. Replacing them with better athlete’s is a win win.
Was ready to jump in about Rori Bair when you mentioned him. Again, he’s had a semi solid career if not spectacular. Another reason to be positive is that the kids that didn’t play a lot last year could be that they were a year younger. Isn’t it kind of a given that a player will improve from year to year?
Thinking Watson and Browne seem to be good for each other. That’s really wishful thinking. ike
We All We Got
We All We Need
H2P!
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I wanted to add to rkb’s comment. The ass who made the comment about donations here on The Pitt POV needs to back off. You don’t know what you’re talking about and sound foolish.
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Pitt football does have a yellow seat problem. Pitt as a university has a donation problem. Pitt as a brand has its work cut out for it if it wants to be perceived as more than just a regional school.
Now those yellow seats can be fixed by tarps or a smaller stadium. Pitt attendance is maxed out at 45k. We need to accept it.
Donations like I said are a longer term and historical issue. Its connections and memories that drive the money. Pitt students and alumni are not engaged. Its a cultural thing.
And our brand can be influenced by that front porch which our bureaucrat in chief talks about but fails on planning and execution.
My Pitt world doesnt consist of hero worshiping or turning a blind eye to child rape. It doesnt mean we cheat or put sports above academics. But it does admit we have a serious problem and will require true leadership and money to fix. Heather – Good Luck!
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That’s disappointing news about the donations. With the economy having picked up considerable steam between 2012 and 2016, you’d figure donations would have rebounded a bit in there somewhere. Part of it, I’d wager has to do with the large number of Pitt students who wind up moving out of the area; out of sight, out of mind.
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Transferring a comment I just wrote on the last article. I know, nothing profound but I want to encourage others to read at least he first Post article. Nothing much negative to me, in fact it tickle my competitive bones a little. I did learn some things for sure
PittPT you son of a gun. You stole my line. The only difference I was going to include psu. seriously.
Here’s another analogy: PITT was a lot like Japan. After world war two they passed laws or legislation or whatever they do, to never be the aggressor against another country.
Sounded a lot like there were lots of conflict of feelings even with the administration that made the changes. Not just with each other but within themselves. They wanted a winner even when the walls came crumbling down. Let’s Go PITT! Was the battle cry for the man in charge of making the changes.
I have always thought the concept of pay for play was an under the table endeavor and not a known sort of practice.
I don’t care what anyone tells me until proven otherwise. The PITT administration has turned 140 degrees in their thoughts of the importance of supporting a revenue generating college football team. ike
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Great minds, Ike…
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140 degrees which way ike? College sports is an arms race. You are either in it or you are not.For the past 30 years (except for a few Wanny years), Pitt football showed up to a gun fight every saturday with a water gun.
The Administration said do your best with the water pistols. Thanks Administration.Pitt better get its act together quickly. Here is why. EXPANSION is coming again in about three to four years. Most contracts are expiring by 2025. Just heard some tidbits that power 5 will reduce to power 4. That said, the new talk is 4 conferences of 20 teams. Big12 is out. Makes a 9 game football schedule in 2 divisions of a conference, 3 OOC games and a championship. If you are not in the top 80 teams, you will be division 2.
Everyone banking on ND to join big10 when their contract expires and are hoping they continue to struggle with football wins. They are getting passed up in revenue by the leagues that will only get bigger and demand more money.
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Huff, the point of the 140 degree turn was that I don’t see a complete turn around all at one time. Let’s not forget a water gun took down the National champs and the school in denial in central Pa.
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But a water gun also gets you killed 6 games a year. If you’re fine being mediocre, dont pack a real revolver. If Pitt wants to win, it needs to become a gunslinger. Pitt needs to become the aggressor. But I dont see the commitment. BOT – prove me wrong.
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I think you guys are a little down on the football program. With the way this decade has gone I certainly can’t fault you though … but, Pitt was willing to become one of 5 schools to pay a coordinator $1M with Canada. Rumors are that Chaney was going to get paid too. Narduzzi will get his raise. The University really does appear to be all in on football. They need fundraising though. The BoT is never going to emphasize athletics over academics. If the fundraising doesn’t eventually start rolling in, that’s when things get dicey. They need a self-sustainable athletic department and they don’t have it yet. That’s the next step for Pitt.
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C’mon Tx_Panther. PITT certainly didn’t get killed 6 games last year and very far from it. They didn’t even lose 6 games. As far as I can tell, it’s really easy to differentiate the glass half-full people from the “bleak” half glass-half empty people. No offense intended of course.
My best buddy complains non-stop about all PITT sports. It’s gotten to the point I don’t answer the phone on game days when I’m not at the games but that’s him. We all have different ideas and ways of dealing with an administration that hasn’t been all in. Glass half-full or wishful thinking, I believe I see more of a new found commitment.
Some think that PITT offering Canada $1,000,000 was some sort of an illusion attempt to fool or throw PITT fans off. Why? Wouldn’t that have come close to doubling his salary?
It’s ok if some need to see it to believe it, I chose to be more optimistic. I’m the type that tends to be a little more happy when I think positive.
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I don’t think pointing out the improvement opportunities is necessarily negative. I think it really means that many are trying to pull in the same direction to get better. I think it is a lot of positivism by pointing out improving. It’s all in improving from my camp anyway!
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A two season record of 16-10 with a guy that is just cutting his head coaching teeth, knocking off our arch rival and the current National Champions, and ike has to defend his glass half full attitude? 😳😳😳😳
What a joke.
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I like Huffs’s prediction. There are 64 teams in the 5 Power 5 conferences leaving 16 more to get to 80. Add the American Athletic with 12 and the FBS 4 Independents equals 80.
But then the MAC produces a lot of NFL players so who knows if they would receive NC bid when a team is undefeated especially if they beat a couple of Power 5 teams easily that year.
Ingenuity and technology drive our progress but $$$ drives college FB.
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They knew Canada was gone guys. He had 1.8M from LSU and accepted on the Tarmac in BR. Of course it makes us look like we care because they knew he was gone so Pitt was able to save face. If Pitt leadership was a bunch of p*ssy’s they would of paid the man before anyone came calling. Not after the guy had 1.8M in his pocket.
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So Upitt, you’re saying that if somehow Matt Canada turned around and said, YES, I would love to stay at PITT for less money? PITT would have choke to death and rescinded there faux offer?
Didn’t Jackie Sherrill leave PITT for just a little more money many years ago that made him the highest paid HEAD college football coach in history? Canada’s offer was the highest ever in PITT history for an assistant coach in their history I believe. What do you want them to do?
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I agree with Upitt on this one. Offering Canada 1 million knowing he had a much better offer from LSU is a Bush league move, one that I’d expect from the Pirates owner, Bob Nutting .
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Amen, upitt. Pay your people the best you can when you can. Reactive management and decisioning is decisioning for losers. Proactivity is for winners.
I think most are half full Doc T. as it pertains to football. When it comes to Administration, that is a different story. Most half empty and deservedly so in my opinion.
Not related, but my dad always told me there are two speeds in life. Fast and half-fassed.
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Huff, the joke is, I’m not fast and I’m not slow, I’m half fast! < (said quickly)
or, I may not be big but I’m slow.
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Ike – No they would of found a way to make it happen but they knew he was gone and that the offer would be declined so why not. If you are anyone but pumpkin head barnes you are proactive and sign him midway through the historic season.
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https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/lsu-football/lsu-football-dominates-athletic-revenue/
http://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/lsu-football-makes-55-million-in-profit-for-2015-16/
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Chryst gave us 6 win seasons. Narduzzi has given us two 8 win and no bowl wins. I’d like 10 win seasons plus a nice bowl. You need a real gun to do those things.
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Note that if we continue to win 8 regular season games, we sill not see Bowling Green in the bowl game. All in all in this millennium … Pitt doesn’t have an attractive bowl record at all (5 coaches)
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Reed, are you buying that Pitt’s problem is that it has not paid the piper over the years when it comes to assistant coaches? Assistant coaches typically get only one year contracts, so going in there is skepticism and no commitment as to whether or not they want to keep an assistant coach long term. And they accept the risk that goes with it, that they will jump to another situation. That’s why their contracts typically end AFTER the recruiting season is over. Coordinators jump to other programs, most often to take a head coaching job at a D2 school to get the experience. The only way to keep an assistant is to pay them more than the typical D2 head coach is getting.
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Before last season many were not too happy with the Canada hire. But now many from the same group wanted Pitt to make him the highest paid OC in the ACC. Please give me a break, if peterman goes down for the season in game one last year we would have a losing record and that same group would be telling everyone that called the hiring of Canada a failure from the beginning.
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Lol – Pitt cannot afford to pay assistants $1.8M. We’re at the bottom of the ACC in fundraising for athletics. The fact they were willing to pay $1M tells you the commitment. Additionally, you don’t know when Pitt offered the $1M, only when new reports about it came out. Pitt has to win and start getting donations in before they can start just tossing insane money around. That’s just the reality of the situation. Pitt doesn’t have that one big donor that can sustain the athletic department. As Reed pointed out, most of Pitt donations are earmarked for academics. You can’t move that money to the athletic department.
The conversation with Canada may very well have been:
Canada: Duzz, I’m going to interview with LSU.
Duzz: I think we can offer you up to $1M to stay.
Canada: Wow. Thanks, but it’s still in my best interest to interview with LSU.
The $1M could have already been on the table from before the season ended as well. It’s been publicized that a pay raise was already being worked out for Canada.
Too many assumptions without knowing the facts. It’s just conjecture at this point. No one knows how the negotiations played out.
The BoT is academics focused. In order for Athletics to excel, it will have to be a self-funded venture. It’s why Barnes was choses as the previous AD and Lykke has been chosen this time. Pitt has to find a way to start generating money from it’s alumni.
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^Thats a great comment TT. Blogs and message boards are great for sharing opinions and all but sometimes we all take liberties about what happens behind the scenes. I just can’t understand how anyone can turn an offer to an assistant coach of $1,000,000 into a negative unless that’s what they really want to do.
You know I’ve always heard that it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile. 🙂
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The fact that LSU made a 55 million dollar profit from football is incredible and tells you everything you need to know about why they would be willing to pay Canada 1.8. The good news is that Pitt Football can do better financially and on the field. The bad news is that it won’t be easy, there are many head winds.
The other amazing facts in that article were how much LSU spends on its lesser sports, enabled by football profits. The fact is that Pitt or any University has to run its athletic department like a business. The problem for Pitt is that it is in a much more competitive environment and is smaller than big schools that are the only game in town. Pitt needs to change its culture to develop future alumni into lifelong fans and contributors.
Too many Pitt grads could care less about Pitt Football, that is on all previous Pitt administrations that never instilled any school spirit or school pride in them. That is a culture that must be changed, if Pitt is to ever succeed.
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IN 11 years at LSU, Les Miles won a national title and played in another national title game … and had a record of 112 – 32. That averages 10 – 3, playing in what has been for almost all those eleven years the toughest conference in CFB.
And he got fired
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Pitt was 10-3 in 09 … only double digit win season since ’82
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^^^ 2010, Wannstedt Firing —7-5 after starting out Top-15 (TOP 15! In the National Polls!) — AFter Wannstedt had already been so established that all of his 5th year seniors — incoming Freshman were all his….
People who claim to LOVE PITT seem to forget this HUMILIATION of Wannstedt’s last season. He got DESTROYED at home 31-3 by a totally mediocre Miami team, and got HUMILIATED 35-10 at home to WVU so bad that so many Pitt students tossed their Pitt gear on the GROUND.
Wannstedt Humiliated Himselft —> And Deserved to Get FIRED.
…. It’s just that Steve Pederson showed himself to be a MORON —and even at that, PITT’S FIRE COULD NOT BE EXTINGUISHED 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Pitt returned 10 starters from 09 (the least in BE) … WVU returned 18, UConn returned 17.
Everyone knows that pre-season polls are based mostly on the previous season when Pitt when 10-3, and were ranked in Top 15.
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Dion Lewis, Jon Baldwin, Jaball Sheard, Greg Romeus………..NO THAT IS THE WEAK MIND SAYING FROM PITT HAD SO MANY STUDS RETURNING PLUS WANNY’S 6TH YEAR SO ALL HIS PLAYERS JSUT NOOOO.
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Romeus played 1/2 of one game all year … and Baldwin showed up for every game but went thru the motions on most of them. (ask KC fans what they think of Baldwin, who was sucker-punched the very 1st time he was in the Chiefs’ locker room)
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ABSURD —–
PAST saying the team is all Wanstedt’s players GOSH — GARBAGE UCONN TEAM WENT 8-4 HOW COULD PITT COMPETE???? LOL LOL
—- Wannstedt **Just needed to recruite QB’s, and he coulda let he LUNACTICS — I WAS AT PITT THEN!! LOL RUN the Asylum……*
But TINO SUNSERI WAS A GARBAGE, WORTHLESS, LOW-A$$ INTER-MURAL LEVEL QB and yet it was the only dude he could play for Pitt???
Na-Na-Na-Na, Hey-Hey-Hey……GET THE HELL OUT COACH because even a Child knows you need QB’s in D-1 Football.
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Sunseri was 8 and 5 in his first season as starter … and then all of sudden, the folloiwng year he became the worst QB in the history of mankind
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^^^ Wanstedt #PittLegacy — Driving Joe Flacco away, who wanted to start for Pitt, and instead playing Candy-Arms: Palko, Stull… 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 Fucing Tino Sunseri… —
Joe Flacco was there — — bit it is a “Learning Lesson lol” —- Pat Narduzzi KNOWS IT —– I think Max Browne plays himself into the FIRST ROUND of the NFL draft this year Pitt, becomes a PROUD PITT PANTHER, AND AT (6’5”, 225), Plays A BIG-TIME GAME and Pitt beats ps who at Erector-Set Stadium. 🙂 🙂
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you can keep blaming Wanny who was only there for 2 1/2 months if you wish for playing incumbent QB with the 1st team …. anything to make u happy
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🙂 I BELIVE IN MAX BROWNE —- 6’5”, 220 (maybe more now after Pitt Weight-Training 🙂 ) — I believe he becomes a *PROUD Pitt-Alum, and reps Pitt after this season —-> After leading Pitt to a 9-3 Regular Season (With Thomas MacVittie having 500+ rushing yards on QB runs too!!!) — I’m excited!
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I posted this about Wanny on a previous thread …
ike – it was because he coached college football like it was the NFL. They are two different sports. The college game had passed Wanny by. The best record since the 80’s was more a result of Wanny being forced to fire Cavanaugh and his hiring of Frank Cignetti. Cignetti ran a pro-style offense with a college personality. Wanny’s mentality to keep the game close and win in the 4th quarter is a product of a by-gone era. College football, even then, had already evolved to the point where you had to keep attacking on offense. It also helped that it was in a weakened Big East; several years after VT and Miami had already bolted and just a few years from Pitt and CUSE exiting.
He also didn’t help his cause with the rapid fall from that 10 win mark piggy backing the epic meltdown against Cincy. He was a better recruiter than a head coach. He represented Pitt with class and truly loved Pitt, so I’ll always respect him but he wasn’t going to take Pitt to any great heights.
To give you an example of how bad the Big East was, in Wanny’s final season, they went 7-5/5-2 and were tied for 1st. In 6 season under Wanny, they finished in the top 25 once at #15 in the 10 win season.
Wanny’s Pitt coaching record (42-31/24-18):
5-6
6-6
5-7
9-4
10-3
7-5
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Wannstedt
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Hey, I am on record as saying that Walt Harris was a better HC than Wanny. The only thing I proclaim is that despite his faults, DW provided Pitt with
(1) stability
(2) 3 of the 4 highest seasonal attendances,
(3) stability
(4) the best 3 year run (27-12) for 30 years, and
(5) stability
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Canada had no counter offer until he arrived back to Pitt with 1.8M in hand.
Believe what you want. I will believe my source who was in the interviews in Baton Rouge.
Have told Reed in confidence this before. Not posing that on here.
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You want donations???
Create a experience that ties fun/winning/pride to athletics on campus.
That is the only way. Laugh all you want but there is a huge disconnect and lack of pride playing in someone elses stadium.
I visit many programs and kids 12 months past graduation are already giving and securing season tickets becuase they want to keep that experience as they grow.
There is no expereince to want to keep at Pitt. 30k people and yellow seats playing 5 miles off campus.
Want money? Create Pride and an experience.
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Ike – If you don’t want to take what I say as fact then that is fine.
Keep believing Pitt was so Proactive in trying to keep him.
By the way LSU had 1.8M in his pocket before his Jet took off the ground.
At Pitt, In the works takes 2 months.
Say what you want LSU is proactive and aggressive and puts money where their mouth is.
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No, Tiny Suns-garbage was good Qb, I think he was….
YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS!!!!….
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The only thing I can say Upitt is, we don’t know when the money was offered by either party or which off came first. That’s all buddy.
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Tino’s stats when not coached by Todd Graham:
*2009 Pitt Big East FR QB 5 10 17 58.8 114 6.7 9.1 2 0 154.0
*2010 Pitt Big East SO QB 13 223 346 64.5 2572 7.4 7.2 16 9 137.0
*2012 Pitt Big East SR QB 13 256 393 65.1 3288 8.4 9.1 21 3 151.
That’s 39 TDs vs 11 Ints and QB Rating of about 145 and a higher YPA than anyone recently except for Peterman last year
Again, I have never stated he was great or even pretty good …. just he was by no means as bad as most makes him out to be …. he was just the fall guy in a very tenuous segment of Pitt FB history
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There was no depth on that 2010 Pitt team, just as there wasn’t much on the 2009 squad that went 10-3. Also, there were two huge injuries that season to Romeus and Mason. That’s two of the top three defensive players.
That falls solely on Wannstedt not having enough depth. But enough to fire him after going 7-5? Hell no. A lot also falls on tight-wad Nordy and him reducing the recruiting budget. So the administration wanted to win on the cheap? Then it should have been super content with Dave staying on as the head coach.
That story Dave told about the carpet in the locker room says it all. He offered to pay for it after going to Pederson a couple times about it being replaced since it was all torn up. As I say: a Mickey Mouse operation.
And Dave embarrassing the university with the off-the-field incidents? Ha! What followed was more embarrassing. The 1990s were a way, way more embarrassing.
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I was trying to articulate that buddy. Barnes even admitted his offer to Canada was when he returned from LSU. It doesn’t matter at this point but being proactive shows a lot to me you know.
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lol, I take it you’re not my buddy from the sarcasm? C’mon Upitt, who loves ya
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I don’t have anything but love for you Ike. no sarcasm bud.
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Who knows what was in Canada’s mind after seasons end. He put an exciting offense on the field for Pitt and IMO he was waiting to see how desperate some of the big programs out there just might pony up some BIB BUCKS for an offensive coordinator. If Pitt proactively offered him $2 million per year he still just might have waited for any counter offer. I would have just done that if i didn’t have any current ties to the Pittsburgh area and program.—I guess what I’m saying is that Pitt would likely have been outbid for his services no matter how proactive we were with Canada.
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How do we self fund athletics via donations when the BOT works against athletics? Case in point – they hire knuckleheads as AD’s or ones on the cheap.
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Pitt baseball team is on ESPNU vs GT
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Pitt hired Canada off the scrap heap when he was fired by NC State. I thought he would at least show sufficient appreciation and gratitude that he would discuss the LSU offer with Pitt before accepting it. I think UPitt was right, and I had the feeling as the year wound down that Canada wasn’t committed to Pitt and would jump at a better offer. He was getting way too much press. Perhaps he was so down on college football because of his firing that he adopted a “me first” attitude. At any rate, his skills were overrated or he wouldn’t have been axed by NC State. This year will prove it.
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