in Pitt Football 1,876 Words

Updating the Pittsburgh Panthers All-Time Football Team

Here is an article by reader John Baranowski, enjoy!

Back in 2011, after trying unsuccessfully to find a recent article regarding an All-Time Pitt Panthers football team, I wrote the following article that can be found here:  http://bleacherreport.com/articles/789636-announcing-the-pittsburgh-panthers-all-time-football-team.

The past six years has allowed us sufficient time to revisit the subject and to see what players may have earned their way on to Pitt’s all-time team.

Pitt’s all-time team would rank among the best that have ever played college football. Presenting the updated University of Pittsburgh’s All-Time team:

At quarterback, who else could it be but No. 13, Dan Marino? Marino will forever be the benchmark for future Pitt quarterbacks and what Sparky Anderson said about Johnny Bench can be applied to Dan Marino and to Pitt quarterbacks before and after Marino, “Don’t embarrass anyone by comparing them to Dan Marino.”

An All-American in 1981, Marino broke nearly every major passing record in school history and still holds the school record for most touchdown passes in a career with 79 and in a season with 37. Marino was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

Behind Marino in the backfield are two running backs that, like Marino, had their jersey number retired by the University of Pittsburgh.  If anyone would not select Tony Dorsett to Pitt’s all-time team, then automatically consider that list null and void. Dorsett is on the short list of the greatest running backs in college football history.

Dorsett was a four-time All-American and won the Heisman Trophy in 1976, leading Pitt to a national championship. He was one of the few running backs ever that was a threat to go the distance on every carry and Dorsett set an NCAA career rushing record with 6,081 yards, the first player ever to rush for over 6,000 yards.  Dorsett was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994 and was named to Sports Illustrated’s NCAA All-Century Team.

Some may want to list James Conner in Pitt’s all-time backfield to join Dorsett. Conner did finish with 3,733 yards rushing and 56 touchdowns in his college career.

Pitt had quite a few other outstanding running backs over the years as well: Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, Randy McMillan, Curtis Martin, Curvin Richards, LeSean McCoy, and Dion Lewis, just to name a few, and some would argue that one of them should be Dorsett’s backfield mate on Pitt’s all-time team, but the choice here is Marshall Goldberg.  None of the others has their number retired nor led their team to two national championships like Goldberg did.

For that matter, how many players finish in the top three in Heisman Trophy voting two years in a row? Goldberg, a two-time All-American, finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1937, was the Heisman runner-up in 1938, and held the Pitt career rushing mark for nearly 40 years until Dorsett came along. When you finish in the top three for the Heisman Trophy twice and your jersey number is retired, there is no doubt you were a great player.

At wide receiver, there is no debate in selecting Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald won the Biletnikoff and Walter Camp Awards in 2003 and finished second in the Heisman Trophy balloting, the highest finish for a sophomore in the history of the award. In 26 games at Pitt, he had back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons, averaged over 100 yards per game receiving, caught 34 touchdown passes and set an NCAA record with at least one touchdown catch in 18 consecutive games. Fitzgerald still holds Pitt’s single-season records for receptions, 92, and receiving yardage, 1,672. Had he stayed for his junior and senior seasons Fitzgerald would probably be considered the greatest wide receiver in college football history.

Despite being Pitt’s all-time career leader in receptions with 254 and receiving yards with 3,361, Tyler Boyd does not break into the lineup as the other Pitt’s all-time wide receiver. Joining Fitzgerald at the other wide receiver position is another Biletnikoff Award winner, Antonio Bryant. As a sophomore in 2000, Bryant was Big East Offensive Player of the Year, leading the nation in receiving yards per game, and went on to become Pitt’s all-time leader in receiving yards with 3,061 before Boyd surpassed it.

At tight end, no player before or since embodied hard-nosed smash mouth football more than Mike Ditka. Ditka, an All-American in 1960, led the Panthers in receiving for three consecutive seasons. His number 89 has been retired by Pitt and Ditka was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and he was named to Sports Illustrated’s NCAA All-Century Team.

Since 2011, Pitt’s had some fine offensive linemen earn All-American honors such as Dorian Johnson, Adam Bisnowaty and Brian O’Neill, but Pitt’s all-time offensive line is a difficult one to break into which speaks to the outstanding play of those individuals.

Some great offensive tackles have played at Pitt. Players like two-time All-American Jimbo Covert, and All-Americans Randy Dixon and Reuben Brown, but when you think about Pitt’s offensive line, particularly the tackle position, two players stand out above the rest, Bill Fralic and Mark May.

Fralic was a three-time All-American and finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1983 and sixth in 1984, which is remarkable for a modern-day offensive lineman. Fralic was one of the greatest offensive tackles in college football history, and was named to the Sports Illustrated NCAA All-Century Team and is in the College Football Hall of Fame.

May won the Outland Trophy in 1980 as the best lineman in the country, and did not give up a sack his final two years at Pitt. An All-American in 1980, May was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

Both Fralic and May have their uniform numbers retired, and when you are one of the very few to have your uniform retired by your university, you should be on your school’s all-time team.

At guard, the choices are Mark Stepnoski and Ray Montgomery. Stepnoski was an All-American in 1988 and helped open holes that allowed Curvin Richards to rush for over 1,200 yards that year.  Montgomery was All-American in 1929, and Panthers’ legendary coach Jock Sutherland called Montgomery the perfect guard. That’s good enough for me.

There have been some outstanding centers for Pitt, but how many were three-time All-Americans?  Only one. Bob Peck was Pitt’s only three-time All-American center. Peck anchored Pitt’s offensive line and earned national recognition in 1914, 1915 and 1916 and helped lead Pitt to national championships in 1915 and 1916. Peck was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954. If you make All-American three times, you have earned a spot on your school’s all-time team, period. Peck gets the nod over two-time All-American and fellow College Football Hall-of-Famer Herb Stein.

In a city that appreciates defensive football, Pitt fans in the ‘70s witnessed a player for the ages. At defensive end was one of the best in college football history, Hugh Green, a three-time All-American.  Green finished second in the Heisman Trophy balloting in 1980 and received the Maxwell Award as the top player in the nation and the Walter Camp Award for the college football player of the year. Green’s number 99 was retired by Pitt and he was named to the Sports Illustrated NCAA All-Century Team. Green is still Pitt’s all-time sack leader with 49.

Defensive ends Jabaal Sheard and Ejuan Price both had All-American seasons since 2011 but the other defensive end on Pitt’s All-Time team is Green’s teammate Rickey Jackson. Jackson and Green teamed up to give Pitt the finest set of defensive ends in the country. Jackson finished his career at Pitt as the school’s fifth all-time leading tackler.

At defensive tackle, the first choice is unquestionably Aaron Donald. In 2013, Donald became Pitt’s most decorated defensive tackle ever winning the Bednarik Award, the Lombardi Award, the Outland Trophy and the Nagurski Trophy for his outstanding play that year. Donald won just about every award he was eligible for other than the Heisman Trophy. Donald finished his career at with 29.5 sacks and 66 tackles for loss. The other choice at defensive tackle is All-American Randy Holloway.  Holloway was All-American in 1977 and his 33.5 sacks are still second all-time in Pitt history.

At linebacker for Pitt, you have a trio of All-Americans:  Jerry Olsavsky, Joe Schmidt, and H.B. Blades. You could do more than pencil in Olsavsky for 100 tackles a year; you could put it in ink and guarantee it.

Joe Schmidt was a leader and team captain for the Panthers and was named an All-American in 1952 and later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000. Schmidt’s number 65 has been retired by Pitt.

H.B. Blades was an All-American in 2006 and was Big East defensive player of the year that year. Blades was a three-time All-Big East selection and he is third all-time in career tackles at Pitt with 433.

At cornerback, one has to select Darrelle Revis. One could see while at Pitt that Revis could play alone on an island at cornerback and would do well in the NFL. Revis tied and/or led the Panthers in interceptions in 2005 and 2006 and had two interception returns for touchdowns in 2006.

At the other cornerback spot, the pick is Tim Lewis. Lewis was a two-year starter at cornerback and was selected by the Green Bay Packers as the 11th overall player selected in the first round of the 1983 NFL draft.

At one safety spot is Pitt’s all-time interception leader Bob Jury. Jury picked off 21 passes while at Pitt, and still holds the two highest interception totals for a season in Pitt history, intercepting 10 passes in 1976 and eight in 1977. Jury was named All-American in 1977.

At the other safety spot is Carlton Williamson. Williamson is best remembered for the pick-six interception against Penn State in 1980 to seal a Pitt victory over arch-rival Penn State, but his steady play drew the attention of the San Francisco 49ers, becoming a member of their Super Bowl winning teams after his playing days at Pitt.

Pitt’s all-time kicker is Conor Lee. Lee shares the school record making 12 consecutive field goals and holds Pitt’s career field goal percentage record with 83.3%.

The choice for punter on Pitt’s all-time team is Brian Greenfield. Greenfield holds both the highest season and highest career punting averages at Pitt and was named an All-American in 1990.

The choice for kick returner used to be Hank Poteat. Whereas Poteat never returned a kickoff for a touchdown in his 81 kickoff returns, Quadree Henderson returned four in 73 returns. Henderson’s career average of 26.6 is nearly three yards per return better than Poteat and Henderson averaged 30.5 yards a return in 2016.

Make room again for Henderson as Pitt’s all-time punt returner as well. Tom Flynn still is Pitt’s leader in career punt return yardage with 983 with two touchdowns in 122 returns and an 8.1 yards punt return average. Just how good was Henderson though? Henderson had three touchdowns in 37 returns and a 13.4 yards career punt return average.

There you have it, Pitt’s all-time team, which would certainly be in the upper echelon of all-time college teams.

John Baranowski is a sports historian and contributor to newspapers, sports publications and sports websites.  This and other articles written by him can be found on his blog:  https://johnbaranowski.wordpress.com/

207 thoughts on “Updating the Pittsburgh Panthers All-Time Football Team”

  1. Thanks John.

    POV’ers, check out these other excellent articles by John over on his site:

    Here is one about the Backyard Brawl:

    https://johnbaranowski.wordpress.com/2017/11/26/the-backyard-brawl-how-did-it-compare-to-other-rivalries/

    And here is his take on the upcoming 2017 season compared to the previous 8-5 2016 year:

    https://johnbaranowski.wordpress.com/2017/07/15/will-2017-be-better-than-2016-for-the-panthers-is-the-needle-really-trending-upward-for-pitt-football/

    Lots of good, solid writing over there.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you for the kind words Reed and for posting the article and links. I have a great deal of respect for your writing and coverage as you were the only one in Pitt media last year that wasn’t sold on and had doubts about Max Browne going into the season. The rest were all, “Hey he’s going to be great, he’s a five-star stud quarterback. Pitt is set at the quarterback position and it will be a position of strength….yada yada yada.”

      It’s great to get a real honest report as opposed to hearing the company line of positive p.r. that’s so often all you hear.

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  2. wow, agree that Mr Baranowski is probably the most knowledgeable writer I have read concerning Pitt football, and it is hard to argue against his all-time FB team. I had forgotten that Stepnoski played guard at Pitt as he would have been my pick at center.

    The only thing I would question is picking Bryant above Boyd at WR since Boyd has most of the Pitt records …. playing with 3 different QBs. And especially since Olsavksy was the apparent pick over Schmidt based on the >100 tackles per year.

    Nonetheless, the above article in addition to the two others that Reed attached show John to a definitie student of Pitt FB. Mr Barnowski … please don’t be a stranger.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. WWB, thank you for your comments. Schmidt definitely over Jerry O. as evidenced by Schmidt’s number being retired by Pitt. While writing the article and thinking about linebackers, Olsavsky came first to my mind only because I saw his entire career at Pitt so that’s why his name appeared first for linebackers.

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  3. Great stuff. By position over the years, it appears that Running back, followed by O-line then D-line were our strongest and deepest positions. To me linebacker has been the weakest. Funny when the team up the road has dominated at that position.

    I would also agree that Boyd vs Bryant is a toss-up, but the Biletnikoff award does give Bryant the edge.

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    1. Now that would be a challenge. Do you rate them by their excellence in reference to their position all-time?

      One would think Dorsett would be #1, the school’s only Heisman trophy winner and led them to a national championship. If you asked a knowledgeable college football fan who is the greatest running back in college football history, Dorsett should make everyone’s top 10 list. If you asked a knowledgeable college football fan who is the greatest defensive end in cfb history, Hugh Green should make everyone’s top five list.

      So was Green a better defensive end than Dorsett was at running back or Fitzgerald at wide receiver? Fitz only played two years. I’ve seen it done in the NFL and most had Jimmy Brown as the best running back ever and Jerry Rice as the best wide receiver ever. Some had either as the best player ever.

      The quick answer to me is: 1. Dorsett 2. Green 3. Fitzgerald

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      1. I guess it depends on your criteria. I have seen one list that says that Green was the best college player of all time. I personally would list Marino in front of Fitz, because of the win/loss record and what he meant to the team. Also that Fitz only played two years. I would rate them by their achievements at Pitt and not in the pros. Probably only modern era guys as well since none of us saw the old guys.

        In any case a very difficult exercise with no one right answer.

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  5. Also as a unit, the O-line from a year ago was the most productive since the great one from the 80’s, and probably the one from the teens, but you can’t compare different eras. I’m sure Goldberg’s line was pretty special too.

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  7. Great read and the reason we love our Panthers. What greatness we have seen. Hope springs eternal.

    Thanks for posting and please jump into the fray on the POV from time to time.

    I will make one comment- QH was a great return man but put the ball on the ground too many times as a player.

    Liked by 1 person

    2. AVP had real receivers. Marino had a bunch of converted RB’s and guys who were afraid to catch the ball over the middle… or who couldn’t catch. Pryor, John Brown and the RB’s were his best receivers over his Pitt career. What does that say??

      Sherrill recruits one of the greatest QB’s in football history yet fails to recruit even above-average WR talent. Foge continued the tradition and led to the biggest fail in college football history of a top program cratering in just a few years.

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  9. Tough for me to have a lot of credibility discussing players who were before my time. But I do have some awareness of Pitt history. I’ve been a fan since the mid 70s. But I was a kid and don’t remember much. Vaguely remember Dorsett, Green, Fralic, etc.. Vividly recall the following though:

    Ironhead was a beast. His combination of size, speed and athleticism was amazing. Only comparison I can make is Jerome Bettis.
    Alex Van Pelt could sling it.
    Having McCoy, Lewis and Ray Graham consecutively was quite a treat for Pitt fans.
    I knew I was watching greatness when Larry Firtgerald was at Pitt. He was the best college receiver I’ve ever seen. I laugh now when I think some said that he didn’t have the speed or quickness to have the same success in the pros.
    Aaron Donald was unblockable his final year. Just totally dominant in almost every game. Double teamed constantly and he still made plays.

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  10. Reed,
    Thx for putting the article up and thank you John for writing it. Well done!!!!!
    I have to admit it’s really hard to look back on these great players and teams of yesteryear and now see our many years of mediocrity and remain patient and positive. All I can say is “LET’S GO PITT!”

    Liked by 1 person

  11. AVP better than Marino? No way you could have seen both. That’s comparing a thoroughbred to an Amish buggy horse.

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  12. Seems to me we should have an offensive lineman who blocked for TD in those years he ran wild.

    Tom Brzoza played Guard and Center for Pitt in those years and was a consensus 1st team All-America at
    Center in 1977. Yes TD was gone but Elliot Walker (#34) ran wild as well for a 1000 yards and a 6 ypc
    avg and Freddie Jacobs tacked on another 700 yards with close to 6 ypc avg.

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  13. Had not Matt Cavanaugh (another great Pitt QB) not broken his wrist in the opener, I feel Pitt might
    have repeated in 1977.

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        1. One Mr. Wayne Adams, I believe. High Green held Montana and ND to field goals as I recall but it didn’t matter…

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  14. Pitt must lead in having Heisman Trophy runnerups. Didn’t know Biggie Goldberg was 2nd in the Heisman
    voting in 1938.

    So we were even getting the royal shaft way back then 😦

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  15. Excellent article – brings back some great memories. Any Pitt article that mentions Bob Jury is a good thing!

    Antonio Bryant was a much more dangerous WR than Tyler Boyd, IMHO. Bryant could do everything that Boyd did, but Bryant was also a deep threat. In fact, for me it would be a toss up between Bryant and Larry Fitz for the TOP Pitt WR spot – that’s how good I think Bryant was…

    Go Pitt.

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    1. MajorMajors: I don’t know why, but Bryant is not often thought of as an all time Pitt great, but he was. I agree, much better than Boyd. Lest people forget, he was a two star recruit who was the last player added to his recruiting class by Walt Harris.

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      1. But despite how good Bryant was, he couldn’t shine Fitz’ shoes. Nobody else comes close to Larry as far as I’m concerned.

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  16. John, upon re-reading, I have a few questions for you.

    Since R Jackson was a stand-up DEin a 5-man front, can’t he qualify as an OLB … especially since he normally would dro back into pass coverage where Green was the pass-rush DE?

    If so, what do you think of Chris Doleman sneaking in as DE? Last, does Gerald Hayes fit in anywhere?

    (maybe my query has to do with the fact that you seemed to gloss over the LBs while mentioned other considerations in many other positions.)

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    1. Valid questions wwb. Green and Jackson both at times were stand-up defensive ends and not always in a three-point stance. I have seen Jackson referred to as an OLB but in most cases he was referred to as the “other” defensive end opposite Green. In that he was on the front-line in those four and five-man fronts in my mind places him as a lineman.

      Pitt Football on Twitter back in 2015 proclaimed, “College football’s most destructive defensive end tandem ever: Rickey Jackson and Hugh Green. Doleman was a terrific player as was Tony Woods but I gave the edge to Jackson as DE.

      As for Hayes, it’s hard to pick someone who wasn’t first-team All-American over those that were even though I did just that with Jackson at DE but he was definitely overshadowed by Green and did finish fifth all-time in tackles.

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      1. Thanks for the responses. I did acknowledge above that Jackson was labeled as a DE … just thought he played much more as an OLB would in a 3-4 set

        Anyway, it is indeed gratifying to talk about so many talented players. The 1st and 2nd team OLs and DLs are are stellar IMO

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  17. Agree 100% Emel, Pitt repeats in “77” with Cavanaugh. Wasn’t it Willie Fry who put the hit on him for ND.

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    1. I believe it was Moe. and I was very disappointed when the Stillers drafted them. For at that time I didn’t know the animosity the Stillers held for Pitt. Drafting a guy who was a bust that had broken the local college QB’s wrist and ending Pitt’s chance to repeat.

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  19. Glad to see old timers from great Pitt teams from before WW II. They all played two ways back then, offense and defense. Easier to spot offensive linemen and defensive players, especialy from the modern era when two platoon football was allowed. Texas great Bobby Layne, for example, was drafted by the Bears and played defensive back, I remember reading, as well as QB in the 1940’s. He was also a placekicker.

    Here is something of a controversial comment. I wonder if Marshall Goldberg was passed over in the Heisman because he was Jewish. That NY club that was involved in the selecting, and still is, might have exhibited a form of antisemitic prejudice that unfortunately prevailed in Europe pre-WW II and had a similar although less deadly prejudice in this country too at that time. The America First Movement of that era had Charles Lindberg as the spokesperson not only for pacificism but also for admiration of German fascism and complaints about the influence of rich Jews. There was also the angry Father Coughlin on the radio who railed against the influence of Jews in the US. Read the novel Gentlemen’s Agreement from the 1940’s regarding antisemitism in America. It was a best seller and an acclaimed movie in 1947.

    If you don’t agree of my assessment regarding Goldberg’s treatment, the other antisemitic stuff did exist in the US. Don’t blow that off.

    I am not Jewish. Dad was very profane, but he STRONGLY taught us NEVER to use the vile words for religious or ethinic or racial groups. He had grown up with such words flung at him. BTW, I was a classmate of Goldberg’s son at Pitt in the early 1960’s. IMO he always seemed unhappy. He was on the Pitt team but mostly on the scout team.

    Sorry for the history and literature lesson. Guess you can figure out my majors at Pitt.

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    2. Davey O’Brien won the Heisman that year and and led TCU to an undefeated season and a #1 ranking and he set a bunch of records doing it. Plus this is the year Pitt turned down a Rose Bowl bid and Jock’s last as HC. So I think your off the mark.

      In 1938, O’Brien threw for 1,457 yards — a Southwest Conference passing record that stood for ten years. He had only four interceptions in 194 attempts, and his NCAA record for most rushing and passing plays in a single season still stands today.[3][dead link] That season, he led the Horned Frogs to an undefeated season, as they outscored their opponents by a 269–60 margin and held nine of their ten regular-season opponents to seven points or less, including three shutouts.[3] TCU finished the season with a 15–7 victory over Carnegie Tech in the Sugar Bowl and a national championship.[3] O’Brien was named to 13 All-America teams and became the first player to win the Heisman and Maxwell awards in the same year. He was the first Heisman winner from TCU and the Southwest Conference.[3] Off the field, he was also an honorary member Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, Texas Gamma chapter. He majored in geology and expressed little interest in pro football in January 1939.[2][4

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      1. Biggie had a better year in 1937 than 1938. I don’t think you can say…..Davey O’Brien didn’t deserve it.

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  20. Both Bryant and Boyd played 3 seasons.

    Boyd had 254 Receptions for 3, 361 yards and 21 TD’s
    Bryant had 161 Receptions for 2,805 and 26 TD’s

    Boyd was a threat on the Reverse and Jet Sweep having 63 Rushes for 520 yards and 1 TD
    Bryant had 0 Carries for 0 Yards

    They both Returned Punts
    Boyd returned 27 punts for 238 yards (8.8 avg) with 1 Return TD
    Bryant returned 44 punts for 388 yds (8.8 avg) with 0 TD’s

    Boyd also Returned Kickoffs
    Boyd returned 46 kicks for 1124 yards (24.4 avg)
    Bryant did not return kickoffs

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    1. Good stuff Emel, however, I considered them solely as WRs, so the return stuff wasn’t in consideration. Boyd a touchdown reception every one every 12 catches, Bryant one every six catches. One was a Biletnikoff Award winner as the best receiver in the country. Hard to top that one.

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      1. You know when I wrote that Pitt had so many guys finish runner up in the Heisman, I just figured Biggie got the royal shaft like Fitz and Hugh Green did. However I did not know Biggie missed 2 games in 1938 due
        to injury and there were only 10 games then. Also didn’t know O’Brien had such a big record breaking season in leading TCU to the #1 ranking. Biggie had a much better year in 1937 but finished behind Clint Frank(Yale) and Whizzer White in the ’37 Heisman.

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  22. Great write up and comments.
    Can someone give Heather a call?
    Pitt should paint a life-sized mural in the hall at heinz field showing Pitt’s All Decade Team. (Actually might be cheaper to make a digitally drawn banner.)

    It would depict the top player of each position for the past 10 years.
    Might help some with recruiting and provide even more motivation for the players.

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    1. Heather will be making a call to the same person who paints that Pitt script at the 50. She’s always looking for the cheapest option.

      But you assume Heather will pick up the phone. At least Cornhole did when the ACC called.

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    1. How many times did he know he was concussed but still played. Plenty is on him if he truly cared about health over winning and stats.

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    1. correct – but the concussion protocol has only been around a few years.
      My point is that players know when they are concussed
      For them to blame the system or the league, is BS
      I also blame the league for not having protocols in place 20 years ago
      Both are complicit
      But I understand that culture. Heck if Favre would have said his head ached, he would have been ridiculed by coaches, players, fans and media for not being tough enough
      Thank goodness, the culture is slowly changing.

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      1. But all many players were improperly diagnosed, or the team doctor would release to hi to play when he wasn’t ready yet, and or a player was treated with numbing spray and sent back in when he really shouldn’t have.

        Nowadays, it takes Mike Ditka 5 minutes to get out of a car. And he made the statement that he wouldn’t want his grandkids playing FB.

        Iron Mike!

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  26. My Dad, born on 12/12/12, an easy birthday to remember, was in his prime when he watched Pitt win multiple national championships. He’d tell me about, as he described him, this little Jewish kid who ran like the wind. He said he never saw a more perfect true runner, that just happened to be in a football game while doing it, than that Marshall Goldberg guy.

    Dad changed his mind after witnessing a couple live games when TD was plying his trade, and I concur. I have never seen another Dorsett Tony, & Dad said Tony was even better.

    Liked by 1 person

  28. John B, nice synopsis, thank you. This article is a perfect example of why so many are disenfranchised with the Pitt Administration. It should be a requirement of all Pitt BoT members to know and understand where the institution came from, not just in sports, but in all things Pitt. The Dairy College representatives aren’t tied into the sports greatness, nor the research and academic greatness that defined Pitt for so long.

    With academic institutions, it’s the total package, with one, no greater than the other.

    I like Randy Holloway a lot and would recommend that the writer consider going to a 5-2-4 defensive alignment. LOL! We had some great DL and our LB crew just doesn’t measure up.

    Fred Cox was our best inventor. The nerfball.

    Liked by 1 person

  29. A Special place has to go to QB Fred Mazurek of the 1963…. 9-1 ….Number 4 No Bowl team.

    Fred led the team in both passing and rushing with almost 1600 Total Yards and 12 TD’s. 646 on the ground.
    Fred is from Republic, PA. And has a birthday coming up, an early Happy Birthday Fred

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  30. I loved Fred…have his jersey and his autograph. I was 13 and a Boy Scout usher at Pitt Stadium when I fell in love with the 63 Team. They were truly magnificent ! I actually went to a lecture by Johnny Mike in 64 who talked about how important it was to get at least 3.5 yards on first down.
    Loss to Staubach and Navy plus the assasination of JFK killed that Pitt team.

    How many Navy losses have we had since!

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    1. Agree. We are about the same age.

      Do you recall why that team declined an offer to a bowl. Recall it dealing with the fact that they had a black player and could not secure hotel accommodations for entire team together.

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      1. From the Pittsburgh Sports Report:

        Pitt’s game with Penn State, scheduled for Nov. 23, was postponed until Dec. 7 because of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination on Nov. 22. Kennedy’s death and the game’s subsequent postponement wound up hurting Pitt’s bowl chances.

        The Panthers had wanted to play in the Cotton or Orange Bowl, but ended up with a Sun Bowl bid because of the Penn State postponement. Pitt officials, hoping for something more attractive, turned down the Sun Bowl and got shutout completely.

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        1. I was at that PSU game. The team voted to turn down the Sun. Navy got to play TX and got pounded. A classmate of mine was drafted and played for the NFL Giants. Good memories.

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  32. Pat Forde@YahooForde
    Delaware State, 0-12 in the MEAC, is going to win tonight. That leaves Pittsburgh, San Jose State, Incarnate Word, Northwestern State and Chicago State as the last teams winless in league play. Nice company, Pitt.

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    1. what this shows is that offensive players, especially RBs, are the ones that quickly come to mind. They are the easiest recognized, their stats are gauged and remembered, and the long TD run provides the most thrilling moments.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. WWB, if you had to choose four players in Pitt football history for Pitt’s Mt. Rushmore or for a statue to the four gate entrances at the UPMC David Tepper Stadium, who would they be?

      Dorsett’s a given, the school’s only Heisman Trophy winner as is Hugh Green, Pitt’s greatest defensive player. After that the top three to come to mind are Fitz, Goldberg and Ditka. Who embodies Pitt and Western PA football more than Iron Mike? Does one let Marino’s outstanding NFL career influence that decision? Should it? Fralic’s a three-time All-American and on the SI College Football’s All-Century team.

      I’m curious as to who Reed and others would choose?

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      1. How about a Rushmore of running backs? Dorsett, Conner, Goldberg, Shady? McMillan, Walker, Martin, Heyward? Two Rushmore’s are better than one.

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        1. I would like to amend that to

          Green, Dorsett, Goldberg, Sutherland

          Jock Sutherland played on 2 national title teams, and as a coach was responsible for 5 national titles and a 111-20-12 record

          Like

          1. Saturday .. I see you said players so I go back to my 8:23 post

            Fitz played here for 2 years. He may belong on the all-time team but not on the mountain IMO.

            Like

    1. the above picture accompanied the following tweet

      Charlie Partridge@CoachPartridge 10h

      I LOVE THIS CITY, PROGRAM, AND UNIVERSITY!! HAIL TO PITT #H2P

      Like

    1. Boy, what a kick in the pants if he goes to the U. On the other hand, he is a South Florida native and Miami kills to 2 birds with one stone … gets a good, experienced assistant and rids itself of a rival recruiter

      Like

      1. here’s an excerpt from the article Reed posted immediately above

        Kuligowski, who made $362,500 at Mizzou in 2015 and received a significant raise to come to UM — Miami, a private school, is not required to disclose salaries — has been open about his desire to climb the coaching ladder. ………………

        This is the guy who Bama just hired as DL coach so he probably will get >$500k

        Like

  36. I LOVE THIS CITY, PROGRAM, AND UNIVERSITY!! HAIL TO PITT #H2P

    So he posts this as he is looking at other jobs. That is comical.

    That line is the biggest load of crap ever! He should be honest and say…

    I LOVE THIS CITY, PROGRAM, AND UNIVERSITY…IF THEY WILL PAY ME A BUTT LOAD OF MONEY TO STAY! HAIL TO MY BANK ACCOUNT. OH…AND SORRY I DIDN’T GET ANY 4 STAR RECRUITS FROM FLORIDA EVEN THOUGH I AM SUPPOSED TO BE THE MAN DOWN THERE.

    Like

      1. I agree but there were places that I really liked working at but if I had an offer that provided a significant raise and was closer to my native area, I would really have to consider.

        Like

  37. Fred Mazurek was a year behind me at Pitt. He was not a big guy, but he was a big time recruit out of Republic HS. Great runner and decent passer and led that Pitt team as an offensive sparkplug. I remember him dating Coach Michelolsen’s daughter at Pitt and I just read that he is still married to her. I still remember seeing him sitting at and playing a grand piano in the Pitt Student Union by himself, no audience, just playing well. Drafted by the Redskins as a flanker, played 2 years. Got his Masters Degree at Catholic Unversity in DC. Involved in tax work and is a licensed attorney in California where he lives with his wife and family. All American baseball CF at Pitt. Three sport all star at Republic, just like Goldberg was in Elkins. WV. Don’t forget the older stars from Pitt’s past.

    Like

    1. Can’t thank you enough for this! Freddie was my first athletic idol and was ever the gentleman when I met him. I forgot he dated Johnny Mike’s daughter. Glad to hear he’s done well with his life. By the way , we beat Penn State in that delayed last game in 63.

      Still remember the smells of boiling hot dogs and hot chocolat at old Pitt Stadium from those days.

      Like

        1. His resume is a joke.

          Give Dad a job get son.

          Just go buy him a car Narduzzi.

          All you purists where is the outrage we are becoming SMU

          Liked by 1 person

    2. When Pitt does it no one says anything. If Bama did this or PSU or WVU we would vilify them.

      I think it is disgusting no matter who does it. Reaks of I can’t close good kids on my own. You don’t hire this guy to run recruiting. Get a winner without a kid. Nepotism U!

      Liked by 1 person

  40. MajorMajors just sent this info to me please use it if necessary and as always get in touch with me if I can help in any way…

    “Reed,

    Maybe you’re aware of this, but if not, there’s an organization called “Operation Veteran Benefits,” whose office is located up I-79 in Mars, PA. They call themselves “A Community Service of Brian Catale and Associates.” They assisted me in applying for “aid and attendance” benefits for my mother. (The person who assisted me was Kimberly Brielle Catale.)

    Now, “Brian Catale and Associates” are financial planners, so in going thru the process of applying, they may try to steer you to some of the financial products they have available to assist in making the application as favorable as possible. But their assistance if free, and you don’t have to use any of their investment products.

    Here’s a link to their website:

    Operation Veteran Benefits

    http://operationveteranbenefits.com/index.html

    Like

  41. New WR transfer to Pitt

    https://pittnews.com/article/128021/sports/taysir-mack-transfers-becomes-panther/

    “While at Indiana, Mack played in 10 of the Hoosiers’ 12 games last season, recording 23 receptions for 310 yards and three touchdowns. His numbers were good enough to place him at fifth in receiving on the team”

    Any wonder why I think Narduzzi’s recruiting has been sub-par?

    Instead of having a stable of real talent at Pitt we keep looking in the bottom of other team’s barrels.

    Liked by 1 person

    2. I felt the same way when we got offensive lineman Stefano Millin to transfer from Kent State. He wasn’t even third-team All-MAC last year. So when a player, not even a star from Kent State, can boost your OL, that tells me you have no confidence in what offensive linemen you have on the roster now and/or they’re not good enough and you’re not bringing in by recruiting enough good offensive linemen.

      Like

  42. Narduzzi’s recruiting and retention of coaches is very weak. As a boss or CEO you must be likeable in a candidate driven market. He comes off as a arrogant ahole.

    Like

    1. Is is that or Pitt being cheap ? These coaching mercenaries are much more interested in loot than likability imo.

      Like

    2. Of course you must be kidding. He comes off as a head coach, much less arrogant than most head coaches. You throw crap out there all the time, call people names and you barely know the dam program. By they way, yes Heather is my wife. Lol.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I know he can’t recruit and or retain coaches and went 5-7 last year. Hlad that passes your standards in year 3.

        Like

        1. Yup, all on him you’re a genius. Changed my mind in two sentences. Lol.

          Why do you provide absolutely no content and take up so much room.

          Like

  43. This is from 2017 so they are a year older… Not exactly murders row.

    Michael Vardzel FR WR

    Tre Tripton SO WR

    Darian Street. FR WR

    Ruben Flowers FR WR

    Dontavius Butler-Jenkins FR WR

    Kellen McAlone JR WR

    Aaron Mathews SO WR 16 Rec, 189 Yds, 11.8 Avg

    Rafael Araujo-Lopes JR WR 43 Rec, 531 Yds, 12.3 Avg

    Added:

    Cameron O’Neill. 3*

    Shocky Jacques-Louis. ATH. 3*

    Not a lot of targets for Pickett…hopefully Watson remembers we have TEs but they will be OL for the most part for protection.

    Like

    1. Reed, you forgot my potential dark horse break out candidate at WR Michael Smith FR. Pickett IMO will make those that take the field look a lot better than advertised.

      Like

    2. Where’s Frenchy ? Kid had over 20 catches in limited playing time.
      I
      Should be pitch and catch with Pickett and several of these kids…as long as the O-Line blocking
      isn’t a total bust.

      Like

    3. Ironic that you (Reed) were the only optimistic one here two years ago about our WRs after Boyd left and our most productive returnee was Dontez Ford. You may remember that J Weah had shown absolutely nothing up to that point (aside from a penchant to drop passes)

      Like

    1. Yep, let’s hope he follows his dad to Pitt after his senior season. If nothing else it would appear his dad has job security at Pitt for the next couple of years at least.

      Like

      1. Dixon, Pitino, Boeheim, and Calhoun were all in Big East between 2005-06 to 2011-12. Number of conference wins in that time:

        Syracuse 81 (MAJOR PROBATION)
        Louisville 81 (MAJOR PROBATION)
        Pittsburgh 80
        UConn 72 (MAJOR PROBATION)

        Source: Dokish

        Like

  48. Happens all the time. A couple of my buddies were HS coaches and offered jobs to get their players. Guess who offered twice? Michigan St, in the late 80s. Been going on for years. Ho,hum.

    Like

    1. Dixon should have put Mustafa Heron’s father on the staff, would have kept him here and Otis
      could have just been fired at Vandy.

      Like

  49. I think M. Ffrench is going to be very good this season. While he’s had a few drops, he also made a few Tyler-Boyd-type catches that showed of his skill and potential.

    And I still think that all A. Mathews needs is some more opportunities to catch the ball…

    We shall see.

    Go Pitt!

    Like

  50. How about our Mt. Rushmore of coaches? Pop Warner, Jock Sutherland, John Majors and Jackie Sherrill. Not too shabby.

    Like

    1. How about Wanny ? He might be the last Pitt HC to ever win 10 games.

      Plus as an added bonus he got them to ditch the Dinothing and “Pittsburgh”.
      Deserves a spot !

      Like

  51. I like the experience the new hire brings of having been a police officer.

    Parents of recruits may like that. Nice asset to have on the staff…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  52. If Pitino really cared about Ware, he would have called timeout with 5 seconds to play and checked him into the lineup so that he could always be in the books as playing in that final. Would have been a moment for the ages that noone could EVER dispute. Very easy to place an orthopedic support inside a larger shoe and have him stand near the sideline on one leg for 5 flippin seconds. Instead, Pitino only cared about himself.

    Noone ever heard that slant until now.

    Like

    1. In fairness these are 2019 prospects. The defensive end currently appears to be a 4* on 24/7. He’s a tall and thin one! The 3* linebacker has good size.

      Like

  54. MajorMajor…the Matthews kid puzzles me… tallest receiver on the team but rarely targeted.. if memory serves me correctly I think he caught most of his balls from Brown while Nucci rarely if ever tossed one his way- Lopes was his go to guy… I never focused on him.. wondered if he had problems getting open???? If that was the case he could get passed this year by new blood.

    Like

  55. Bernie, I’m hoping Mathews has been waiting his turn, with Weah being the featured big receiver to this point, with this year being his opportunity to shine!

    Like

  56. IMO Mathews is more of a possession receiver a la Shanahan, as opposed to a HR threat like Weah. Lopes is also more of a possession type. The French Connection …. Ffrench and Jacques-Louis can hopefully provide the deep threat .. they seem to be the fastest.

    I really like what I saw so far from Tipton … just haven’t seen that much from him. It would be nice to see him healthy.

    Like

    1. I’m with you on Tipton. I think he’s going to bust out big this year with KP slinging the ball to him.

      Like

  58. Tre is a good ball player but to date has been a bit fragile. Good kid and hopefully stays off the basketball court this off-season..oops I meant bicycle.

    Like

  59. Tre is either going to be E Price or Cam Saddler. I’m hoping he put his hour in the weight room.

    He has the skill set, just needs the durability.

    Like

  60. Tipton will be lost to the team before game 4. History has a way of repeating itself when injury prone players are involved.

    Like

  62. I have found a bright spot when it comes to Pitt BB. (probably the only one) PSU is allegedly one of the teams that are on the NCAA bubble according to the experts. Thus, the quality of their OOC will be under the scope.

    You may remember that they thrashed us in December, however, a win over Pitt this year is about the same as their wins over Binghamton and Farleigh-Dickerson. They have no quality OOC wins and needed us to be good.

    Thus, if they are left out, it will be the second time in two years where we helped deny them from the playoffs .. FB in 16 and this

    Like

    1. Hadn’t thought of it that way… Interesting.

      I would think that if they beat a ranked Michigan, and win one game in the big ten tourney then they are in.

      More importantly, tonight is probably our only chance to get an ACC conference win this season. Not that it really matters.

      Like

  63. Big night gentlemen, last real chance to get a conference win and break the Cleveland Brown like streak that our beloved basketball team is on. Could this game determine the future of the Kevin Stallings era?

    Like

  64. Tonights game, IMHO, is a dilemma for us solid PITT FANS. Why you ask? Well, as a fan do you want them, for the short term, to win a conference game because they haven’t yet OR do you as a fan, for the long term, believe it would be better for us to lose at this point with the hope that it puts more pressure on Heather to blow it all up at the end of the season and start fresh with a new HC????

    Like

    1. not sure one win would make a big difference overall …. but I would like to see a W for the players sake. I’m sure they are feeling pretty down and embarrassed. And despite what a few here thinks, I think the players are really trying.

      Like

  65. Back to football, Ruben Flowers III needs to get his act together. At 6’3″ 205 lbs, he’s got the physical attributes to be a contributor at WR.

    Like

  66. wwb,
    I agree. The players are still playing hard and for their sake it would be nice for them to win an ACC game. I was thinking more about what is best for the program’s future.

    Like

  67. Don’t get too wound up about the Nitters. When the FBI investigation is done do not be surprised if they are on the list. Chambers is as sleepy as they come.

    Like

  70. Will the Pitt Zoo orchestrate a Bball National Championship parade across the Pitt campus if we finish without a victory? That would be fun and fun to cover for the media.

    I don’t think many believe that the players aren’t trying. The issue is talent level. Is there an indication that the current roster with new recruits added, will improve next year?

    Like

  71. My guess is the BB decision has been made. Based on the style of play, the lack of a high-level recruit in 3 tries, and the total lack of enthusiasm for the coach – to me it will all come down to whether they can make the money work…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

    1. Stallings has at least one and probably two more years before Pitt even thinks of firing him. Pitt will not eat that contract and will be content to play before a 60% empty basketball arena for as long as Stallings is here.

      Like

  72. 9pm snoozer at The Pete. The over/under on Attendance is 2000

    Should be comical if nothing else with Wake at 3-12(10-17) in the conf and Pitt at 0-15 (8-20).

    Like

  73. This basketball season has pained me more than any in my lifetime. And for a lot of reasons, I have been convinced that Kevin Stallings should be shown the door. But in the past week, I have spoken with a number of people who are far more knowledgable than I am, who say that you cannot fire him after only two years, given what he inherited. If it happens, Pitt will become a place where nobody will want to come and coach. Whether she’s here or elsewhere, nobody will trust Heather Lyke or the Pitt administration in any subsequent coaching hire. The only way you even consider doing it is if you literally back the Brinks truck up and unload about 6 million a year on someone like Sean Miller. Nobody else worthwhile is going to want to come for 2-3 million. We will overpay for a mid-major up and comer, and whoever that is will have no chance to win for at least another 2-3 years, if at all.

    Like

    1. And to respond to MajorMajors, the money can easily work. Based on lost attendance, concessions, damage to the brand, etc., 10 million is a pittance. And I’ll bet it can be negotiated to 7 mil or so.

      Like

    3. There are more than several good coaches that would come to Pitt for $2-3 million. How do we know, with the shady hiring of Otis, what really happened the last time around.

      Like

  74. Fire Stallings or not, Pitt goes through yet another bad season next year and maybe the year after.

    It is going to be a looooooong ride out of this hole.

    Like

    1. You hire a guy that can recruit and you can become competitive again very shortly. All you need is 2-3 very good players and the rest role players.

      Like

  75. The BB situation at Pitt is worse than just the current coach. A proven coach (Dixon) with NCAA tournament experience including a #1 seed once, and then a seasoned coach from another conference have not shown they could recruit when in the ACC. How is another coach supposed to come in and do it? What is the natural BB recruiting base where Pitt should recruit from? Western PA BB is not any good with rare exceptions. I think it is important that KS keeps his job for 2 more years to develop the current players while Pitt figures this recruiting business out..

    Like

        1. Well they reached the Elite 8 with John Beilein, not exactly filled with personality. And they were good when Gale Catlett was their coach.

          Pittsburgh and Western Pa, has produced tons more D1 bball than the entire state of W Virginia.

          So I don’t buy this excuse, Pitt can’t be good because of this and that. It’s all nonsense.

          Like

  76. We’re down to only 5 schools in D1 total (of 351 schools) without a Conference win, as Delaware State(3-25) got off the schneid, in their last game, winning their 1st conf game over Coppin State. You might remember Pitt squeaked by Delaware State in the non-con, 74-68. In early indicator how bad this Pitt team was.

    So the last 5 standing are:

    Pitt 0-15 (8-20)
    San Jose St. 0-14 (3-22)
    Northwestern State 0-14 (3-22)
    Chicago State 0-11 (2-26)
    Incarnate Word 0-14 (5-19)

    Incarnate & Northwestern State are in the same conf and play tonight. Tickets are going fast for this one.

    And if Otis stays I would be calling all these schools to schedule them in the non-con next year.

    Like

  77. Team Stats you won’t find in the PG or Trib:

    Offensive guru’s team is #343 of 351 in scoring offense.

    So just about the lowest scoring team in all of NCAAB.

    #314 of 351 in FG % (almost into the high 30% range at 41%)

    Indicates the overall lack of talent on this team

    #308 of 351 in Turnovers per game

    Indicates lack of talent & coaching

    #332 of 351 in Rebound Margin

    Indicates that this coaching staff can’t even teach a basic skill of basketball

    Like

  78. The Rebounding Margin also suggests a lack of work ethic. Rebounding is all about who wants the ball more, who fights for it. We should all be experts at that having witnessed 2 great rebounders who
    were only 6’6″ tall. Jerome Lane and DeJuan Blair.

    So this contradicts this notion that this team plays hard. Yea they run up and down the court. Big deal.

    Like

    1. How about:

      #338 in scoring margin

      #196 in scoring defense

      #193 in FG Pct defense

      #265 in defensive rebounds per game.

      #335 in steals per game

      #335 in turnovers forced per game

      Like

      1. Yep Barvo….. by all possible measurements this is a horrendous team, devoid of either talent
        and coaching. There is not one thing they are good at…even 3 point shooting is at #265 at 33%.

        You’d think since they take so many 3’s they would be better than 33%.

        Like

  79. Do you watch them play Emel? If you do, you know that they don’t rebound because they DON’T TRY TO REBOUND!!! On the offensive end, when a shot goes up, EVERYONE drops back to play defense to prevent fast break points. It is really painful to watch, and goes against everything I’ve ever known about rebounding. Crash the boards, box out, etc. This team does none of that. And you are correct about Lane and Blair. I’ll throw Brian Shorter in there too. To me, it is more about the way they are coached than it is a lack of effort or “playing hard”. I do think this team has limited talent, which combined with lack of experience has killed them this year. But the coaching I have seen has me wondering if Otis had ever coached Grade School basketball, let alone Division I NCAA basketball.

    Like

    1. Well when you’re shooting at 41% FG (#314 worse of 351 schools), there are more than plenty of opportunities to rebound. Even if you just followed your own shot.

      And yes unfortunately I’ve seen most of the games, ever comical that they are.

      Agree about Otis, I wrote before, it’s either 1 of 2 possibilities.

      1) He doesn’t know how to coach
      2) Or he doesn’t care.

      EITHER WAY…..HE’S GOT TO GO !

      Like

  80. Current Top 25 teams, that have NO Hotbed of Talent within their geographic area.

    Virginia
    Xavier
    Texas Tech
    Gonzaga
    Auburn
    Wichita State
    Rhode Island
    Nevada
    Cincinnati
    Purdue
    West Virginia
    Middle Tennessee

    You could add Kansas too, as that state produces little bball talent, but they have a brand.

    Like

  81. If you look at Virginia’s Roster….you will note **ONLY 3 players on their 15 man roster from the
    state of Virginia **

    Of those 3 only 1 plays an instrumental role on their team.

    Again non-sense that’s it harder at Pitt because Pittsburgh/Western Pa isn’t a hotbed of bball talent.

    Like

  82. Seems the new guy at Duquesne is doing OK at recruiting, Not ACC level, but better than what KS is bringing in.

    Like

    1. No decent rated recruit will want to come to Pitt to play basketball for a coach that’s unlikely to be around for the recruits entire stay at Pitt. Thus the recruiting dumpster will go round and round for Pitt as long as KS is the one doing the recruiting. A vicious circle that’s not likely to end anytime soon.

      Like

  83. and whos to say Pitt will find a guy to come in here after another 2 years. whos to say Pitt will be any better in 2 years. i think it sends a bad message – come to Pitt and you get a guaranteed 4 years no matter how bad you are.
    the pitt basketball program will be completely destroyed in another 2 years

    Like

  84. Emel, I get it that WVU, Kansas, Oklahoma and some other schools do a good job of recruiting in states with a very minimal population base. But these programs have made a commitment to basketball and have been good for a long time. I have the most respect for WVU, actually, where Huggins has done a really good job of recruiting outside of West Virginia while moving over to a new conference. He is a superb coach. Pitt just seems lost in the recruiting wars, and will be not good for the next two years no matter who coaches unless the current crop can develop. So we should keep KS while our dear AD figures things out.

    Like

    1. I disagree Voice. In 2 more years of being the ACC’s worst team, a rebuild will be that much harder.

      Pitt made quite a commitment to bball, to the tune of over $150 million and we are losing over $10 million per season with Otis as coach.

      In a purely business sense if you have a program losing $10 million per year…..you must make changes.

      And if you look at those team stats I posted @2:30, this current crop can be replaced quite easily.

      Like

    2. Heather doesnt have time to figure things out

      If you like the Pete at 20% capacity
      If you like the Pitt brand destroyed
      If you like the frosh and think they can be very good in 2 years
      If you like the incoming recruits
      If you like losing millions each year
      If you think no new coach will walk into this mess now
      If you trust Heather
      If you think KS deserves a chance

      Then you will want to keep KS

      Like

  85. The Pete is a losing money place. Maybe we make enough at Heinz to pay our rent and for buses. Soon the ACC will say “What are you good for/ We like your academics but …”

    Like

  86. I keep listening to talking heads say how bad of a job Pitt is/was when KS was hired.
    1) Plays in one of the top 5 on campus stadiums
    2) History, NCAA team 11/13 years.
    3) One of the best student section in college basketball.
    4) Playing in the best conference in college hoops.
    5) BiG time city with small time feel, safe and lots to do.
    6) Very good academic institution.

    Now, add all these up and you really have a crappy job in a crappy place. I can see why no one wanted to come here. Ya, right.
    What you have is a criminal case against Barnes for the hiring sham he pulled off.
    Also, please don’t tell me Jamie’s style doesn’t work in the ACC. Look no further than UVA to see how successful that style and that type of players can be. Jamie’s fault was he got talked into the philosophy that you needed super athletics to compete in that league. But the kids he got, although more athletic, weren’t athletic enough, they also weren’t tough enough, so he had the worst of both worlds. You can be very successful in the ACC with big east style ball.
    In summary, Pitt’s problem is what it has always been, They have no clue on how to market and sell. Sell your strengths, don’t be afraid to pound your chest over what you have. Almost any school, even the blue bloods would take those six points ?I listed. Now GO OUT and SELL IT TO A COACH!!!

    Like

    1. Exactly JoeKnew……Pitt is a great job now.

      It wasn’t a great job way back in 1999…..but they still managed to get Ben Howland. Fancy that.
      There are other Ben Howland’s out there. AD’s job is to identify them. I found one myself
      in just a few minutes at New Mexico State….where they are 22-5 under 1st year coach Chris Jans.
      A disciple of the very successful Greg Marshall of Wichita State.

      Again either mis-truths about Pitt by those that harbor ill will towards Pitt or just
      really uninformed peeps.

      Pitt bball HC is a great job !

      Like

  87. I could have a list of 10-15 up and coming coaches in a very short period of time, that would *jump**
    at the opportunity to coach at Pitt and in the ACC.

    This is not Rocket Science. Btw haven’t heard from notrocketscience for awhile…hope he’s alright 🙂

    Like

  89. I think we all want the same thing, which is to see Pitt BB return to the previous heights, and then maybe take advantage of the conference and increased benefits that go with it to build a top notch program. But we are where we are, and there are some factors we just don’t know about that go on behind the closed doors of the AD and Chanceller’s offices. With BB, I wonder if the slow build or the big splash is the answer. Dixon had the slow build approach with his recruiting but he hit the wall. We had the Pete then, which didn’t help recruiting, but everyone was still saying that Pitt was becoming a basketball school. The big splash is to throw money at it from the rich alums and go buy a top notch coach. There is a big risk with that, including the possibility of rules violations from some high profile coach.

    Like

  90. You know, the other thing that really jars me is saying what an awful situation KS came into.
    1) Please ignore the fact he had 7 of the top 8 scorers back from an NCAA team.
    2) Please ignore that he was the coach and if he couldn’t control a bunch of college kids it was on the coach
    3) Please ignore he had 20months to recruit the players he wanted to coach and run his style. I mean, he was recruiting kids while at Vandy,no?
    4) Please ignore he brought in 11new kids, none of which are future stars. I mean, these 11 kids were forced on him, right?
    5) Please ignore the fact he brought in a kid who averaged 3.4ppg in JC.
    6) Please ignore that he has went out of his way to ingratiate himself to the students and fans(ya, right).
    7) And most of all, please ignore his style of coaching, which if it hasn’t changed in 20 years why would you think it would change now?

    Like

    1. I’m not a BB guy…

      I agree completely JoeKnew. Seems to me that he shoulda/coulda won a bunch of games with the talent he inherited in his first year (last year). It’s up to him to control the kids and make them buy-in and play hard. Instead, they lose a lot of games last year, some of the talent graduates and the remainder is basically run off by KS. That’s on KS.

      This year, he brings in 11 new guys – some freshman and some transfers. He knows that the ACC has talent, and to win 15 games (which, IMO should be the minimum expectation) he’s going to have to coach fundamentals and have his kids out rebound, out hustle, out press, out scrap, out think, and out coach the other teams and come away with 15 wins. Our schedule wasn’t all that difficult… 15 was doable. And, that’s on KS.

      Again, I’m not a BB guy, but KS is not the right guy for our program. Time to move on and hire a new coach. And, recruits know that KS is on the hot seat, so his future recruiting just got more difficult.

      Like

  91. It is clear that he botched the first year, JoeKnew. If he is fired, it should be for his first year performance. Something really bad must have been going on last year, and Cam Johnson referred slightly to it in an interview before the Pitt/NC game- about NC playing for each other and being close. There were just too many transfers and disciplinary problems. But KS did bring in enough kids for three recruiting years, so he tried to recover from it. But this year, the poor win/loss record will again hamper recruiting- the endless cycle we have seen at Pitt for 30 years!

    Like

    1. “the endless cycle”

      Not as much in BB. A few good players and a good coach can turn the tide rather quickly. I was at Pitt when Smith and Gore came to town in 1984 (along with a new coach, I believe) and Lane in 1986. These three plus the coach helped turn the tide quickly and Pitt was ranked high in both 1987 and 1988, if I remember correctly. Pitt fell off some a few years later then seemed to quickly get things going when Howland came to town.

      A good coach and three good players…

      Can take longer in football for sure.

      Like

    2. Huh…the last 30 years ? For half of those years Pitt was in the NCAA’s every year.

      Dixon had some very good recruiting classes when he had good recruiters, like Slice and Antigua.

      When he lost Slice the 2nd go round, he lost Mustafa Heron and in turn the other good recruits that
      were coming along with Heron…bailed too ! It’s that simple, it’s not an endless cycle at all.

      Like

  92. Auburn’s good team this year is partly because Mustafa Heron went there. Good recruits want to play with
    other highly rated players.

    NOBODY IS gonna want to play with Otis or his recruits, but 2nd rate players.

    Like

  93. basketball can be so quickly turned around
    2-3 legit ACC frosh can win you 15 games and a trip to the NIT

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  94. And there are lots of teams around who start two and even three freshmen. Barnes should be sued, I’m serious. Collusion.

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  96. By endless cycle, I was thinking more about football. Yes, BB can be turned around more quickly. That is why Pitt went for a “seasoned” coach in KS, thinking that they could have a smooth transition rather than breaking in a young coach. That is why the temptation is always there to pay the bucks under the table to get the top recruits. When the whole NCAA recruiting scandal comes out, I predict we will be surprised at how many coaches are dirty.

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