Submitted by our key commenter Ike…

Can we really believe anything head coach Pat Narduzzi says considering he thinks he an espionage agent half the time? Here are a couple of Pat’s thoughts that I think are significant.

Coach says he’s going to sit back and wait for other teams to raid each other for the new tenth assistant coach that is going to be allowed come in the new year and then reevaluate where PITT stands. Here’s the quote again, I borrowed from our good friend Huff and Pat Narduzzi.

“People are going to be stealing from everybody. I’m just going to stay patient, see what happens, see who gets stolen. It’s going to happen. We’ll just kind of wait around and see what happens in that respect.”

This sounds real silly at first glance but is it and is it true? Trying to think back when something like this phenomenon of a coaching carousel ever took place before? I think it’s unprecedented. What would your approach and angle be in this case? How can the lesser of the Haves and Have Nots compete in such a money driven business and be successful out the other end?

Come this January it’s going to be a lot like the Oklahoma land rush. Teams rushing in to stake their claim on a top end assistant coach that is with another team. Is Duzzi dizzy? I really don’t know. Does he have a real choice in the matter? I have to believe Narduzzi has a few ideas in that balding head of his. Grass doesn’t grow on a busy street.

Aw, but now Pat is armed with the new contract. Ah ha. Is this going to give PITT more leverage and was this the grand plan? Don’t forget the rumor is that AD Lyke approached HCPN before last season. Is she smart enough to have seen all this happening so far out? I think she was. I think these two events are completely tied together.

Narduzzi insisting he wanted to keep his staff intact was a tactful maneuver IMO. We all have our opinions on what kind of assistant coaches we have but with the new job opening up for every team in D-1 there will be some interest from a few of PITT’s guys. Partridge for one and no I’m not trying to make Reed mad but Conklin could be another? (Edit: Reed is not mad and would be ecstatic if another team is stupid enough to try to steal Conklin.)

They both would be invaluable for a team based in the deep south for recruiting mostly) Especially in the state of Florida. Don’t poo poo this thought. They are both highly thought of down there and imagine when they knock on your door representing the big schools from the south. These are just two examples that may be stretch but the point is. There is going to be buku movement in college football beginning of the year.

Now, has Narduzzi backed himself into a corner with all his talk about loyalty toward his staff? I listened to and heard many coaches say they are happy and don’t want to go anywhere and what happens? They go somewhere. Gone with the wind… but isn’t Pat Narduzzi going a little over board with the love fest for Pittsburgh and PITT?

Can we believe Narduzzi will stay at PITT for 10 years? It would be the first time a coach stayed that long at Pitt since John Michelosen’s tenure in the 1960s. But I think he can and that it would be very hard for another team to drag him out of Pittsburgh. Remember, Narduzzi’s attachment was more to HC Dantonio then it was MSU itself. Dantonio hired Pat from Cincy I believe?
I’m thinking PITT and Pat Narduzzi have put all their eggs into one basket.

Here is another point for conversation: What changes do you think Heather will try and implement this coming season?

Disclaimer: Some of these thoughts are for an open discussion and were meant to open up dialogue for you all to share your different POV’s. .. But mostly it was to help Reed and lessen his work load and keep the POV moving forward… Ike