You got your wish and he’s gone…  discuss.

For IMMEDIATE Release

March 8, 2018                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Pitt Director of Athletics Heather Lyke Announces Men’s Basketball Leadership Change


PITTSBURGH—University of Pittsburgh Director of Athletics Heather Lyke announced today that Kevin Stallings will no longer be the Panthers’ head men’s basketball coach.

“I want to express my appreciation to Coach Stallings for his commitment to our program,” Lyke said. “In moving forward, we have tremendous expectations for our men’s basketball program at Pitt and I believe we can achieve great things within the Atlantic Coast Conference and nationally. A national search for the next Pitt head coach will begin immediately.”

Michaelangelo holds a degree in Travel Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. He was a former staff writer for InPittsburgh Newsweekly, and currently resides near Atlanta, Georgia. He has been a Pitt fan since 1997 after he witnessed Pitt upset #22 Miami on Thursday night at Pitt Stadium.

233 thoughts on “Pitt Fires BB Head Coach Kevin Stallings”

  1. Saw thus quote in the Pitt News, “ The End of an Error”
    Nothing more beeds to be said.

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  4. Well, she did what she’s paid to do…but let’s see if she worked down that huge buy out figure. If not I’d say she did a mediocre job so far with this.

    It’s easy to fire someone, harder to 1) negotiate good paying terms and 2) hire a successful replacement.

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    1. Not sure I agree with your assertion about her doing a mediocre job if the buyout ends up at full contract value. The devil is in the details of the contract. If, as reported today in a number of places, Pitt’s true position is the Louisville incident (and that’s their best argument), then ADHL would not be operating from a position of strength at all.

      If its a really bad contract, I’d want to know: what did Pitt’s legal counsel do in helping the administration come to terms with it when it was first negotiated? And in light of the size of it, its hard for me to believe that both the Chancellor and at lease a subcommittee of the BOT were apprised of the terms before anyone signed at Pitt signed the deal. It would be very weak internal control to give that authority to Barnes alone.

      Its also important to consider what kind of representation KS hires and his own mindset on what is a “fair” outcome should this proceed through civil action (which I would expect if the Louisville incident if Pitt’s strongest argument). If they take it to court, a judge won’t be sympathetic to Pitt for making a bad agreement.

      Now, if there are indeed other factors that are not publicly reported (your insight yesterday could be one depending on how blatant), then we could reasonably expect some sort of reduced amount.

      IMO, judging her performance in the contract settlement phase of this really isn’t whether she could negotiate terms on a bad contract she inherited; its what kind of contract she is willing to sign off on going forward.

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  5. It seemed like Stallings quit his job long before he was fired.

    Time to return Pitt to the Beast of the East.

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    1. He and just about everyone else not related to Barnes and the search firm. And just about everyone in the media … national and local. Even Stallings’ wife never moved from Nashville.

      But I agree UPitt, as is his nature, was the most vocal (or whatever the proper term for a blog poster)

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Hate to use the cliche but it was a “perfect storm” for failure when Stallings was hired. Seniors who didn’t seem to care for his first season followed by massive defections and having to start over like after a plane crash or NCAA death penalty. The players he had this season were good kids and never quite and need time to determine if they’ll ever be ACC competitive. My complaint about Stallings is that despite his reputation as an offensive coach, Pitt seldom tried anything beyond passing it around the perimeter until 5 seconds left on the shot clock before taking a bad 3-point shot and starting the other way before even knowing if it went through that basket. He clearly did not teach or stress rebounding or make any attempt to include an inside game of any sort. I join the majority of you who are happy to see him gone but the next guy up will have it hard too. I don’t like the empty zoo seats though, regardless of so few wins. Maybe the regular season ticket holders can be slightly excused for not showing up but the players deserved better. None of this was their fault and may transfer out to have decent college careers elsewhere.

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  7. Let me get the rumor mill started. Here is an excerpt from an article in today’s Trib:

    “Adding intrigue to the Matta/Pitt rumors was that on the day after Pitt’s season ended — and the day before Pitt announced Stallings’ firing — news broke that Matta was “no longer a candidate” at Ole Miss .”

    Note that Heather was assistant AD at OSU when Matta was there. Also note that Matta averaged 26.7 wins. He had recent health issues and I have not read any updates. He is 50

    If healthy, Pitt can do a lot worse

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    1. The Matta timeline and his previous association with Lyke is compelling.

      I’d say that Pitt probably couldn’t hope for better than Matta if he is healthy. Aside from no NCAA tourney championships, his record at every stop is strong. He made a football school a basketball power, something Penn State has never come close to doing. He’s put capable players into the NBA. I’d think that Matta’s reputation could influence whatever current players he wants to retain to remain.

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  9. How can Lyke lower the buyout of a signed contract? If Stalings says no, well, then what? Are the power Pitt attorneys I keep reading about going to find a loophole to have the buyout lowered? Hopefully, but I highly doubt it.

    She now has to make the right hire. Pitt isn’t paying Stallings off, then paying the buyout of another coach and his assistants from another university. No way would Gallagher allow that. Matta has to be the hire since he is still getting paid by tOSU. That and he is the best coach on the market, but his health issues in the past scare me.

    If UConn wants Hurley, they’ll get him. Even if the school is cash strapped it will find a way.

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    1. She is allegedly trying to lower the buyout by bringing up “for cause” issues .. like Stallings’ behavior to Louisville fans and using recruiting trips for personal reasons. There are usually settlements in these cases (Rich Rod at WVU) where an agreement is reach before going to court.

      The buyout is reported at $9.4M, Pitt’s offer was reported at $4.8M … wouldn’t be surprised if it ended at $7.5M

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    1. It seems like Matta could be the guy because of Heather’s time at OSU but if they chose someone else, like Tom Crean or the Grant guy from Charleston or Musselman I wouldn’t be upset. There are a lot of good head coaches out there who would love to coach in the ACC at Pitt.

      Not going to let the Main Stream Media set me up again for a disappointment. Like they did with Miller the last go round.

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  12. Pitt does need to negotiate a lower buyout
    But even at $10M the math shows Pitt could justify it by lost revenues alone without calculating decreased donations or further damage to the brand
    So overall Pitt probably breaks even with his buyout and having to pay for a new coach
    Thats far better than losing millions per year if KS continued

    So yes the easy part was firing him
    The hard part is negotiating the severance package
    The hard part is finding a new coach who is a better fit and wont cost $300k per win

    I’m sure some very prominent boosters are involved, but their money comes at a price

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    1. Or someone can please tell me who these ‘prominent boosters’ are?

      I asked around and the only guy I know about is Corky Cost and he’s backed off a lot…

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  13. wbb – agree 100%, UPitt was the most vocal (as he is about everything, hey, that’s Upitt!), but the sad thing about the Stalling debacle was that almost the entire fan base was in an uproar about the Stallings hire from day one due to what was perceived as an awful choice. I still remember, 2 Easters ago, the feeling of dread when I heard we had formally announced the Stallings hire, initially refusing to believe the rumors. Then after it was official I told myself, ‘what do I know’ about picking a coach (usually a good tact). Well, fast-forward 2 years, and it turns out EVERYONE except for Barnes was right. It’s not on Stallings, he has a long history of mediocrity and it was painfully obvious that he’d be a bad fit here as well, all he did was accept money. I suppose he’s a good salesman.

    I like this morning’s Trib list of candiates. I love that Miller is not on the list for a number of reasons. But the list actually contains names I find intriguing this time around. I suppose a younger head coach from a smaller school would be my preference, but Matta (ONLY if his health situation was well under control) or even Sanchez sound intriguing as well. I seem to recall that the last time around the list seemed disheartening.

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    1. unless get more info, I am OK with Matta, Hurley, or Grant … and I agree that Sanchez sounds intriguing

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  14. Normally you would feel sorry for someone who got fired. But in this case…with the cronyism involved in the hiring process. And the excess salary of over $2 Million Per year…for someone who only had 5 winning SEC seasons in 15 years. All I can say is :

    ARE YOU KIDDING ME !

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    1. KS made $300k per win this season
      I’m sure we can get a new coach that would only make $200k per win
      And we’d actually win a few ACC games and could even go to the NIT
      He was a bad fit with a low ceiling
      I’d really like the next coach to stick around for 10 years and become so good that Pitt names an arena after him

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    2. If the guy took the $4.8 million, combine it with what he made at Vandy, the guy is set financially. I have zero sympathy for anyone in that situation. Its a high stakes game – win or get fired.

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  15. If you’re a person who believes all things happen for a reason. There HAD TO BE A REASON WHY PITT HIRED HEATHER…….RIGHT !

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  17. Check out these Snowfall amounts in the Garden State, btw.

    New Jersey
    KINNELON — 31.0
    FRANKLIN LAKES — 24.0
    NORTH CALDWELL — 23.0
    MORRISVILLE – 13.6
    BASKING RIDGE – 13.5
    NEWARK AIRPORT — 4.6
    ATLANTIC CITY INTL ARPT — 2.5

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  19. I kinda like the PG’s Craig Meyer’s inclusion of Micah Shrewsberry as a candidate. Though it probably will never happen.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. No, but having a branch off the Brad Stevens coaching tree can’t be worse than Stallings.

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    2. I agree….he may be training for an NBA HC job at Boston. Big bucks there if hired. If he comes to Pitt he may never get back in the NBA.

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  20. Reed,
    My guess is that OSU would make up the difference in salary, should Matta get hired. That would be cost savings for Pitt, as they could backload the contract…after the OSU commitment expires. That would allow us to eat, to some extent, the buyout of KS.
    Ain’t no businessman, despite running mine, but that is my guess as to how these coaching contracts work.
    As for Matta’s Pain issues, those can be somewhat controlled; his footdrop, however, will stay what it is.
    Finally, I don’t see Pitt offering any assistants the HC position. That would be an unmitigated disaster in the eyes of the fans -going cheap again -when we can’t afford it.

    And, has UPitt passed on? If so, where should flowers be sent? Texas or Estonia? I warned him too much life insurance and an Estonian bride was a deadly combination.

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  21. In all honesty, I’m not sure we can get anyone on that list. We actually have to sell ourselves to these guys, damn, what a change! What makes it so hard is each and every one of these guys has some flaw, minor or major. I guess that’s the way it always is. I’m encouraged by the list, both who is included and who is not. Take your time, interview and really check these guys out, that is crucial, as all the crap going on can come back and bite you. I’d love to know who is doing the search.
    For those who love football and could care less about bb, Sorry. Pitt bb is the gift that keeps on giving nowadays. Hopefully some positive news from spring ball can ease the pain.
    Would it shock me if Matta was hired today,not really. Would it shock me if it took 2 more weeks, nope. I would offer a suggestion. If Grant turns out to be the guy you want, tie in the local community church groups, family and faith are really important to this guy. Family will need to feel welcome. Other coaches have their own needs, what I’m saying is if you ID who you want you will have to sell them this time, not just throw money at them, because I’m not sure how much of that we have now.

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    1. This is true. Mainly, these early lists are not more than wish lists. I have serious doubts that Hurley would be interested even though Pitt can probably double his current salary. But I do think Matta (if healthy) and Grant would be interested since the Pitt position is much better than what they currently are in.

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  22. Pitt never hires the guys the newspaper or TV media mention as initial targets. Those media guys pick the obvious candidates.

    Pitt picks the not so obvious, scratch your head then bang it off the wall coach.

    If Heather falls into the Pederson, Barnes mold…

    This drags on until the tournament is over or about over.
    We hear ridiculous rumors of top coaches.
    Richie Walsh claims Pitt is hiring John Calipari.
    Pitt holds a news conference and announces they hired the career assistant from the MAC or A10.
    POVers lose their sh-t.

    I hope I am sooooo wrong but I am jumping over Ike to the negative side of the POV.

    Pitt isn’t getting Matta or any other coach that will make Heather a fan favorite. That would require Pitt putting up big boy money. That is NOT happening.

    I think Lyke fired Stallings, then went to Gallagher and the BOT for her new coach budget and after hearing their response, she cried her way home yelling “What the F did I get myself into!”

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    2. Wouldn’t surprise me at all if:

      she told the BOT the contract is one-sided and Pitt’s position for cause is weak
      BOT said, “We understand. See if you can shake him down a bit though. Settle before it goes to trial as we don’t want that publicity.”

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  23. Though they rarely turn out well for Pitt – a coaching search is always an interesting time.

    Great anticipation — fingers crossed!

    Welcome to the big leagues, Heather!

    Go Pitt!

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  25. PSN, Headder,KS retiring from bb. Well, that really fulfills Upitt take. A lot of us felt he did that 2yrs ago. If I had 8-9 mill coming to me I just might kick back also!

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    1. I suspected this was some sort of retirement swan song for Otis as well. As it seemed to be Pitt was almost obligated somehow to take the over the hill turd, in order to get something in return.

      All maybe part of Pitt’s entry into something. Hopefully something good ! Only time will tell.

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    2. That weakens his position in negotiations on a settlement. He can’t claim he’s not able to get another job because of the Pitt firing.

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  26. Pitt has an investment to protect now. They can’t afford to lose over $10 million per year on the bball program.

    They might have thought the yocals would keep on coming to The Pete regardless.

    Now they know that isn’t true. So…… like in times of crisis in Pitt’s past sports history….they have to do
    something they don’t like doing. Cough up some loot .

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  27. No matter who they hire, as long as the players stay, their record will be better next year. I’d be very surprised if it was anyone on the list in the paper.

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    1. You’re kidding right. We only need Luther, the St John’s transfer and the bearded juco kid to come back. A new coach shouldn’t have to be saddled with a bunch of Division 3 players.

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      1. Emel, you and me can coach them and they will improve … they cannot possibly be any worse that 0-19.

        I do hope that Luther, Ellison and a core of current players (not all) return .. but they will eventually be supplemental players hopefully as soon as the 2019-20 season.

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        1. Well one thing they would be doing, they would be pressing, trapping and playing lots of multiple defenses and we would teach them to box out and put in the necessary effort to rebound.

          Basically the exact opposite of what Otis was doing….which was basically nothing.

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      2. If some of Pitt’s current roster was mixed in with veteran players people would be singing a different tune about some of the kids. They all got exposed with zero support around them. I’d like to see what they will do under a better coach. Okay, not all of them.

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  28. Reed @ 9:23am (above) … The morning The Fan 93.7 radio host, Colin Dunlap is telling everyone that according to his sources, boosters have stepped up enabling Pitt to offer $7.5M buyout, and has talked about that all morning. He also keeps saying the Louisville incident when Stallings confronted some of their fans as a reason to fire him, without mentioning the alleged recruiting trips KS took which he used for personal reasons.

    Now the trouble with that is that it is all speculation. The last thing any media member should reporting as fact is anything about Pitt ….. Marino on drugs, Pitt to become B10’s 12th member, Bradley hired as FB coach, etc. Yet, everyone will run with this and at this point it may or maynot be true.

    “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend”

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  29. If you recall, the top names to replace JD when he left for TCU were:
    Archie Miller
    Andy Enfield
    Dan Hurley
    Ed Cooley
    Bryce Drew
    Kevin Williard
    Mike Lonergan

    Some similar names again on the list. I tend to believe that when the dust settles, we will have a coach in place that none of us ever heard of. ADHL will promote this guy at her press conference like he is the second coming. Past history is the best predictor of the future. We will never pay a top coach big money to come here. It’s just not in our DNA. Let alone when the top coach asks for big bucks for his staff.

    I’ll bet JD is laughing his ass off….

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    1. I don’t think Jamie is that type of a person. I’m sure he didn’t like seeing what he built, evaporate.

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      3. Agree – Jamie was a class act – yes, he had flaws, but we all do.

        I’m inspired by HL’s action yesterday, enough to pay attention to March Madness again.

        Rooting for TCU and Arizona (why not?)

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    2. Just remember ROC .. there was no real search in 2016, and I’m sure none of those names were even contacted. While I agree Pitt won’t pay top money, I do think they will pay competitive money.

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  30. I am leaning towards these two: Musselman as he has a great basketball mind and is a well-known player developer. Nevada has been his first foray into college basketball and he had 24-14, 28-7 and 27-6 seasons there. Matta speaks for himself with his successes in wins and recruiting. But then again who knows if either wants to come here and have to revive/rebuild the Pitt basketball machine.

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  32. If Pitt wants to be serious, they go out and steal a coach from a winning program. Mack from Xavier or similar.

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  33. Some real good thoughts above:

    Heather did her job, nothing more or less than any other AD should have done.

    I don’t think it’s all on Heather to negotiate the buyout down. What she gonna do, arm wrestle Stallings? A noggie is no good, that only works on people with hair.

    PITT does rarely hire coaches on the media’s list.

    I get the feeling that PITT will hire a name coach. They went this far in, why stop short right now? They won’t, I see a satisfying hire coming PITTs way.

    As far as the players on the roster goes, that’s between them and the new coach. Like to see Carr, Stewert, Stevenson, Brown, Davis, JJF and Peace return as the core along with Luther and Ellison. << That group needs a lot of help though.

    I hope whomever it is PITT hires, the new coach is given a half of a chance.

    PITT really has to stop screwing the pooch. They tried to ruin the football program (almost did) and now they are a gnats eyelash away from completely ruining the BB program. The not so funny thing is that PITT keeps trying to save money and it ends up costing them more in the long run.

    If PITT doesn’t hire someone in the next week, is it safe to say the top candidate is busy dancing?

    We still don’t know who was offered and subsequently turned PITT down two years ago. Kept hearing this guy and then that guy to become the next PITT coach and when it was KS, oh well, we know the rest.

    Still think Heather came through with this. Yes it was an obvious decision but the way she handle it was professional. Before you poo poo that just remember the way other hiring and firings have been handled lately at PITT. << This was an extremely terrible hole heather found herself in. kudos to her… ike

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  34. I imagine that the boosters that ponied up the money to buyout Stallings will likely be peripherally involved (at a minimum) and wlll not allow another stretch hire. They didn’t invest millions of dollars to bail Pitt out, only to see them put themselves back in the same position. I’m thinking their donations came with a requirement that they have some level of signoff on the new coach.

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  35. Lipping off the the Ville’s students was the highlight of this miserable season, folks.

    And if Luther’s stress fracture involves the same foot as before, all of yinz thinking he’s going to come back next year as a productive player are delusional.

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  36. Kudos to UPitt for nailing this hire from the beginning. It was not like Stallings didn’t have a history (both winning and temperament) in a mediocre basketball conference? Upon the announcement, UPitt and I bantered about how quickly Stallings would take them to the bottom – and boy did UPitt win that prediction. I thought the fall would be gradual over a 5-year period, akin to the Ralph Willard era. When I watched that November Penn St. game and saw how amazingly bad the team defense concepts were, I didn’t watch another game outside of highlights. I was shocked they won 8 to be honest.

    Scott Barnes should be the one getting his compensation clawed back for setting Pitt basketball back a decade with this fraudulent hire. Totally erased 15 years of competitive hoops and cost the school tens of millions when it’s all negotiated and done. That pep rally press conference put together by Barnes was a joke until Kovacevic dropped the lead balloon. How either arrogant or stupid was Barnes to try to shovel this pile of sh*t on Pitt fans? Stallings was freaking getting fired from his Vandy job and needed a lifeline for one final retirement contract. Living in a hotel? C’mon. Nothing more than Barnes and his academia cronies exploiting the system to grease each others coffers. He does the deed and disappears to the West Coast without ever being held accountable. The fact that Scott Barnes was hired says all you need to know about Pitt athletics.

    Kudos to the fans for not showing up to support this sham. It led to direct action. I have no tolerance for the people that say go to the games and support the kids. When you give money and support the team under these circumstances, you wind up like the Pirates – perpetual losers driven to do nothing but keep the status quo. Demand accountability and you will ultimately get it. Heather Lyke was forced to act when there were bags on heads and 1,000 bodies in the Pete for conference games. Not to mention articles that appear in Deadspin about the antiseptic environment and the death of Pitt basketball. This season was a total embarrassment and I’m glad Lyke took action. Now let’s see them go get the right person for the job. You can’t half-ass your way around the ACC. You are not competing with the academic budgets of St. John’s, Seton Hall, and Providence.

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  37. Gasman, if the PITT doctors think he can come back I’ll trust in their word. Ryan is a good player but not a big-time game changer type. He’s kind of what many of the current PITT players will be like when they are juniors and seniors. The positive slant there is the future of PITT basketball should be ok if they can develop as they grow more experience.

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    1. The Pitt docs think he will be back, so u trust their words.
      Are u nuts?
      Nobody said he will be back.
      My impression is he has a stress fracture, presumably in the same foot as before.
      So, if u think year three is the magic year for him (and I hope it is), then go ahead.
      Otherwise, cite me evidence an orthopedic surgeon stated unequivocally he will be back.

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  38. Word from Stallings to. L vile friend…Pittsaid take a 5$ million buyout or we will fire you for cause.
    Hardly hardball but I’m thrilled Pitt is willing to go court to end this horrible hire.

    Stallings has been a prick since day one. A “ look at me I’m a great coach and I don’t have to be nice to anyone” guy. Heather probably has a long list of firing for cause items.

    I want this jerk to go away and I never want to hear from him or his son again.

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  40. Has anyone considered that the Louisville comment being cited as “cause” is a plant from team Stallings in an effort to apply pressure on Pitt? I mean that act alone would seem to be very shaky standing as cause. If it was part of a pattern of personal conduct (e.g. recruiting trips to watch his son play baseball, publicly berating players, reprimanding players, dismissing players etc…) it becomes more far more compelling.

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    1. Note that Dunlap speaks very highly of Stallings who met him and showed compassion for his sick kid. While Dunlap isn’t like Vukocvan at PSN who thinks KS should stay, he does defend him more than the others. It wouldn’t surprise me that he thinks Pitt should pony up to KS, whether it be $7.5 or all $9.4M, not does it surprise me that all he talks about is the Louisville incident … with no mention of other possbile incidents

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      1. What do think the deal is over at PSN, particularly Vukovcan? They appear to really be strident supporters of Stallings and serious detractors of Dixon. I understand Dixon was not endearing to the media in any way really. Stallings seemed to play better toward the media but certainly not the fans. Perhaps that’s why PSN blames the fans for his demise.

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        1. Vukovcan is right that Stallings was never accepted here, and the opening press conference proves it. However, he has to open his eyes that it was not only the fans and alumni … it was pretty much the entire basketball world that not only thought Stallings was hired under shady circumstance, but he was in no way the right person for the job, and Pitt could have done much better.

          He also has to realize that if last year’s wins 20 or more games like it should have, and this year’s team doesn’t go 0-19, then Stallings would have earned support. But he did nothing to earn the support

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  41. Dallas Mike – Like I said above, it wasn’t only Upitt, 95% of Pitt faithful were stunned and upset with the Stallings hire from day one, it was that obvious. That’s the crime of it.

    Smack – Yes, I made that point a few weeks ago, that if I were a big donor, I wouldn’t put money on the table unless I had input into the hiring process. I don’t know how realistic that is, that’s just me. I think your larger point, which makes a ton of sense to me, is that the hiring should be influenced by Big Donors that care that much about the program, and that we learn our lesson from the last debacle.

    Lyke – And lastly, kudos to Lyke for having a plan and carrying it out aggressively; I was half-expecting for the ultimate outcome to take weeks, I suspect many of us were. And frankly, I know this is an odd take, but she was in charge of the wrestling hire, and that’s not looking good, which led me to be concerned about how the hoops process would go. Again, so far, encouraging….

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  42. I think we are all stretching this firing for cause thing. Is seems to me that it’s another ploy that can be used more of a threat than reality. The question for KS, is another million or two dollars worth being referred to as some sort of a bad coach or even worse a bad person? The points brought up here are not easy to prove and it could also end putting PITT in a bad light. It’s just simply reaching an agreement and I couldn’t care less what the final terms are.

    You guys know that firing a coach after only two years can be construed by everyone outside the world of PITT as bad business and not giving the man a fare chance. I know this will cause a stir with some of you but you need to look past the tree and see the forest.

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  43. 1618, let’s revisit the wrestling coach hire next year. I think you may change your mind on the hire.

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  44. Pitt wouldn’t fire Stallings if the 9.4 million buyout was carved in stone. Many coaches are fired and settle for lesser amounts. These contracts are two way contracts that leave open both parties to negotiate settlement terms. Pitt can win with a fired for cause on any violation for the contract period. Stalling will go with a nice check. It is over as to Stallings. The most important concern is the hire and reversing the financial drag of the BB program.

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  45. We should all get into the coaching profession. It is amazing how many millions a mediocre coach can make! One reason for the big salaries, though, is that in the end when the many requirements are sifted through, and the coach’s wife and kids have been satisfied, the only remaining variable is money. At that point, most schools will pay about anything to close the deal. There are very few schools where coaches would actually take less money to coach there.

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  46. ike is correct, by the way. firing for cause is a difficult thing to accomplish. Consider the Louisville incident, for example. Was Stallings disciplined at the time? Was he suspended for a game or two? Judges will see this for the negotiating ploy it is. Most coaches will take less because they want to coach the next year and need a clean separation to show they are not still under contract. Stallings I think has said he will retire, so he can wait Pitt out indefinitely.

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    1. Very good read – I recommend we all read this article.

      Regarding the new hire – the more time passes, the more Pitt moves away from Matta or any HC that doesn’t make the tournament.

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  48. I can state for a fact that Colin Dunlop often goes off half cocked without all the information. He is lazy, and shoots his mouth off before he verifies multiple sources. Happened to a very close friend of mine. He was dead wrong, and when proven wrong didn’t even have the decency to call and apologize after his hatchet job. So, my take is there is a lot more to the story.
    Chances of landing Grant will depend on what UGA and South Carolina do with there coaches.

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  49. SC shouldn’t be in the market for a new coach – unless their fanbase is worse than ours.

    UGA, yes, they will grab Grant if they don’t keep winning into the tournament.

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  51. Gasman, that’s a question that I have been asked before, although it was more of a statement like, ike you are crazy, same thing I suppose. The answer to your question is yes, yes I do. From everything that has been said if Luther is granted his medical red-shirt he should be ready to go next year. He may have been ready to play the remaining portion of this year if the season hadn’t already become the nightmare it turned out to be. Am I nuts? . …. just for sharing my thoughts?

    Speaking of thoughts. It’s true. Upitt was one of the first on the I hate Kevin soap box and he was most certainly spot on.. about Stallings. As far as I was concerned, I did not like the hire one bit. I thought it best to see for myself. Well I did. bad as Upitt said it would be.

    I alluded above. If an announcement isn’t forth coming soon…. Matta and Crean are not on the short list.

    Like

  52. Even I — a staunch Pitt optimist, or at least a fan overflowing with high hopes — was highly disappointed in the Stallings hire. Wanted a hungry, young guy.

    This time around, I’m rooting for Matta or Grant, and leaning toward Grant, but what the heck do I know….

    We could tell Grant we already named a street after him…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  54. SC finished 17-16, and not on a strong note. There have been rumblings down there for awhile. UGA May have also run its course. If they want Grant, and they do, they may jump a year early to get him. No matter who we choose, it will be a fight to get a top flight coach. Wow, I just hope they don’t screw the pooch again.

    Like

  55. Pitt wouldn’t pay top dollar for Ulisseys Grant! I know it worked with Ben Howland, but is it really a good idea to select someone with no real ties to the area? At least Matta knows and has probably recruited this area. I also wonder if taking a younger up-and-coming coach, who may take 4-5 years to show results, is the best idea. Pitt will not be an easy turn-around job.

    Like

  56. VoR, Recriut who in the area. Unless the area goes all the way to Philly it’s not worth worrying about. Trust me, it won’t take that long to be competitive if the right coach is hired.

    Like

  57. Grant coaches at a low level college. I don’t’ get the attraction. I will be pissed if Pitt hires him.

    Go big or go home.

    Liked by 1 person

  58. NRS, you should really take a much closer look before you dismiss him. Saying that just shows you haven’t closely looked at him, or his background, or his scheduling. He’s played a lot of big time teams, and competed quite nicely. He should have beat ?Hurley this year at RI, check the way that game went. Expeiance at Witchita and primary recruiter at Clemson. If you look at everything and would still be unhappy, well that’s your right, but check him out prior to dismissing.

    Like

    1. I read his bio. I want Pitt to hire a head coach that has been a successful head coach at the same level. A major conference.

      Like

    1. this grant guy would bolt at first chance. i’m sick of Pitt being a coaching proven ground…a stepping stone
      No to grant. Let him cut his teeth somewhere else or prove to me that he wont leave after 3-4 successful years…and he cant do that
      so I say, he’s eliminated from the short list

      Like

  60. JoeKnew, do you think Grant would stay if hired at Pitt, or would he jump at the first big time Southern opportunity that comes up? Many big name schools would pay just about any amount of buy out to get the person they want. I like the idea of a quick turnaround, say with Matta. If he stays for 4-5 years and then retires it would be worth it if Pitt is competing again and filling up the Pete.

    Like

  61. Chris Jent is the type of coach Pitt will hire.

    Former OSU assistant under Matta. Moved to the NBA as an assistant. I believe he was considered for the Ohio State job after Matta left.

    Pitt fans think Matta….Pitt thinks his assistant, LOL.

    Like

  62. I think if we would be lucky enough to hire him,from what I know of him, he is a man of faith, family, and commitment. That said, does any coach turn down that type of bucks? I like Matta also, but only if he’s healthy. What I know about Grant is he can flat out coach and recruit. He’s maybe what Matta was 10 yrs ago.

    Like

    1. I like Grant. He appears to be a good coach. I hadn’t heard of him before you brought his name forward.

      Fraud Graham used almost those exact words – “a man of faith, family and commitment”. Fraud was committed to himself as it turned out. If Grant can coach, recruit, win and is a decent man with good character, then I’m good. Don’t really care about the other stuff.

      Like

      1. those who wear religion on their sleeve and usually not the most religious people
        people say what other people want to hear
        talk is cheap

        Like

  63. Read an article about what Ohio State paid just the assistant coaches. $1 million combined salary for the three with big performance bonuses. Plus $600 a month car stipend, football and basketball tickets.

    You want a top coach, you have to pay him 3 million a year plus at least $1 million per year to the assistants.

    That is not in Pitt’s wheel house for basketball.

    Like

  64. does pitt want to be mediocre in basketball?

    if so hire some young guy on the cheap that was an assistant or coached a piddly team in a piddly conference against piddly competition
    that young guy will leave in 3-4 years if successful

    or hire someone proven
    pay him and assistants top dollar
    and make sure after 5-6 years, he has groomed his replacement

    That to me is the logical choice

    Like

    2. Hey tx how about you coughing up about $5 million for Pitt basketball and then we will let you hire anyone your heart desires. You seem to have no problem spending other peoples money when you don’t have to worry about where its going to come from.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. go ahead and hire your $1.5M coach and pay 500k for assistants
        we’ll see how we compete in the ACC
        Its booster money
        Not mine
        Its fans money who attend games
        And only 4k on average showed up this year…worst since 1982
        so if you want to be cheap, expect cheap results
        Pitt can find the money and justify the expenditure with the right coach and results
        Its our AD’s job unless its too big for Miss Heather and then we should have hired Tressel

        Like

      2. and we are losing well over $10M per year
        Finding $5M to offset $10M should be a walk in the park

        Like

  65. Right about that, but they will have to go 2mil min. To get anyone decent, just the going rate.

    Like

  66. Becky Hammon. NBA experience. D league head coach for Spurs. Reenergize Pitt program. Kids would love it. Her Alma mater, Colorado State, may be looking at her. Pitt is a much better option for her. Major conference.

    Like

  67. Listen, college coaching isn’t a lifelong commitment. It’s more like a bottle of Excedrin with an expiration date. One or both parties usually split. Older guys like Jimmy B. or Coach K at blue blood programs maybe, but even Roy Williams, Cal, and little Ricky P left very good gigs. Your worried if he’s super successful he might leave? Really? We had 2 coaches for life, and weren’t happy with either and basically forced them out. So no, not worried in the least. Give me the man who can coach, whoever that might be.

    Like

  68. and if Pitt truly cared about sports, they would reach out to boosters and get that money
    or they can hire someone cheap without experience or is not a good fit and blow through another $10 Million each year
    But booster influence and money comes at a price
    and Pitt thinks they are a holier than thou institution
    the mere sight of a blood drop or a speck of dirt, makes Gallagher faint
    Pitt’s BoT and Gallagher have no business being involved on the athletics side after this mess
    what more proof do you need
    I can go back to Mike Haymaker Haywood
    Todd the Fraud Graham
    and the fact that Pitt sports sucks in the ACC across most programs because the right people are not in charge, leading, and making the calls
    Pitt needs a powerful AD for powerful sports
    Our AD needs to report to a 9 member athletic committee and not a atom measurering Chancellor who reports to 36 people, 1/2 comprised of Nitters and the other 1/3 being political hacks

    Like

  69. Joe, I think everyone of those coaches you mentioned have been linked to some kind of cheating or improprieties. There is no point, jus saying.

    Like

  70. Pretty much the point was there are very few guys who stay at a place forever. Never even thought about the cheating. All coaches figure they will move on or get fired I’d guess. We had two guys who were mostly if not always clean and ran them both off. Hire the guy who can coach, whoever they are will have assistants who may or may not be next man up.

    Like

  71. I haven’t posted in a while because frankly my negativity of Pitt athletics was getting to me…

    I am going to reflect on what Stallings did right when he decided to walk away from basketball (Article on Pittsburgh Sports Now says he is retiring).

    *The 2018 Pitt basketball team had the highest team GPA in program history two out of three semesters.
    *Led the athletic department in student athlete community service hours.
    *No drug test issues or residential life issues.

    I know it’s not winning, and I know that in retrospect it was the wrong hire. But I am going to defend Coach Stallings just a bit here…

    He took the job he was offered…even if he wasn’t qualified to do it. Many people out there do the same thing day in and day out. It sounds like he wanted to make one more run at success with a big program. Perhaps the game passed him by (not in an X’s and O’s perhaps, but in the dynamics of building a culture of success)

    We tend to not think about the student part of “Student Athlete”. But by the looks of things I posted above KS did a terrific job as a leader/mentor off the court.

    I know it matters little in today’s athletics but I will absolutely tip my cap in honor of what he did do in his short tenure at University of Pittsburgh for his off the court leadership.

    Good Luck to you Coach Stallings in your retirement and future endeavors throughout life.

    Dave D

    Liked by 2 people

    1. THANK YOU!!

      I ain’t crying over this firing but it is important to give credit due to a head coach who recognizes these kids are indeed student/athletes and leads them accordingly.

      Like

    2. David D, good stuff but there needs to be a balance. When Dixon was HC,, Pitt was always near the top in academic achievement in the conference, and I believe when Wanny was FB coach, something like 34 of 35 4-year players received their degrees.

      Like

  72. Dave, You are right, that’s all very admirable and something we should always strive for,but, let’s try to find kids(and coaches) who can do the same things and manage to go a little better than 0-19.

    Like

  73. I agree with what you said David to some extent
    But
    KS is not deserving of a $9.4M buyout
    In college athletics, its about balancing both the academics and the athletics side
    And its very important to rally people behind you and not alienate boosters and fans
    Yes – he’s not perfect and no coach is
    But to demand and not settle on a lower figure, just shows me what kind of man he really is.
    KS was 0 for 25 in his last 25 ACC games
    Coaches are paid primarily to win games.
    So how the man exited is what bothers me
    I’m glad Pitt fired him
    He could have chosen resignation
    Thats all on him

    Like

    1. You know I won’t argue any of those points…however it was stupid to offer the contract in the first place. The real jerk in all of this is barnes IMO.

      I just have less animus on Stallings than I do at the incompetent leadership that created this perfect storm in the first place.

      DaveD

      Liked by 1 person

  74. Oh, as far as the wife’s letter on PSN which was unsigned, I know one assistant it wasn’t, because he didn’t move his family here either. Limints the field.

    Like

  75. Anybody here even given a thought about what kind of recruiting class Pitt BB will have for next season with no coach in place and little time to recruit left. Stallings had two committed I believe and who knows if they will also bolt to another program given the current situation.

    Like

  76. Depends on the hire. Next coach will call kids and figure if he wants them or not, and they have same option. Coach may have kids at last school who may want to come. Pretty much, all I can figure is that there will be a lot of kids the new guy will not want, but may not be able to ask to move on for another year.
    This is more than I’ve posted in a year. Wife sick, can’t leave, payback for golf trip? lol

    Like

  77. I am getting more than a little pissed at those faulting Pitt for trying to fire Stallings for cause.
    MMadden, Poni and many people who never have a nice thing or anything to say about Pitt make this a “cause Celebre”. What a joke.

    Stallings was a mean spirited, arrogant prick who mailed in his coaching job the last year. Never once did he try to assimilate or promote Pitt while on the job. He missed numerous internal meetings and refused on a number of occasions to meet w Alums. Documented instances of his Misuse of expense accounts exist. Don’t even care about the L vile incident which was in direct violation of his contract. To me he was just an extension off his fraudulent hiring. He has robbed Pitt of several million dollars in salary already not to mention the dignity of the program. Pitt Basketball is the laughingstock of NCAA and the brand is ruined for a long while. How much is that damage worth! He is directly responsible! F him.

    Like

    1. Dan, have to say I’m in your camp. Stallings really didn’t want to be here and by the end, his ties we’re his way of saying F U to Pitt. I can’t muster up much sympathy. Just hoping HL nails part 2 of the coaching change. If they bring in a splash hire I plan to get a partial season ticket plan. But I won’t if they hire Stallings v 2.

      Like

      1. PT, it’s not a matter of sympathy, I don’t like the man much more than anyone else. It’s what he is owed. If he gets or not is not relevant to me. just can’t see why anyone cares one way or another. but continuing to worry about this? The just cause stuff is just that stuff and crap… It is what goes on when we move on to the football season. PITT is way more guilty than KS in this. … and he has a contract to prove it.

        Like

  78. The anonymous letter nailed the atmosphere on half of the POV that’s for sure. Stallings is worth what the contract states that he signed. All the whining since he was brought to PITT is and continues to be misdirected. I’ve been around long enough in life to know how each and everyone of you would react if in the same position as Stallings with a contract that guaranteed you 9 million dollars . … and boy I can’t wait until that name is banned and forgotten on the POV.

    Last week it was,,, I don’t care who they hire as long as you know who if gone. Now? Just as long as they hire my guy that I have hand picked out because, you know, I’m smart.

    Hey Tx, are you one and the same as the nice reasonable round-table guy?

    Like

    1. I don’t feel sorry for stallings. I support pitt for firing with cause. I support pitt for even counter suing for damages. There’s no way I would hand him his full nine million. I trust Pitts lawyers to negotiate a settlement. I don’t understand the love for this man now he’s been shown the door. Don’t care that his division three players stayed out of trouble. Don’t care they made good grades. I care about wins. And having hope for the future. And having a basketball program. This man nearly destroyed it. That’s damn tough to do unless intentional.

      Like

      2. That wasn’t my point. I’m glad he’s gone and I hope PITT can avoid paying him as much as possible. I was also saying you would want your full amount owed much like Kevin. That’s if they would know who to send the check to.

        Like

        1. I would argue for full amount but I would be man enough to say I don’t deserve it. I would take resignation over firing. Stallings is now fired. That’s on his record. So pitt offers 4.5. Stallings wants his full 9.5. Why couldn’t both sides settle around 7. Why? Cause stallings didn’t budge and pitt held the cards. Now it’s going to take Rockports years and millions to get what he thinks he deserves.

          Like

  79. Martin at USC is safe. Will defiantly not be fired. UGA still possible but things looking better. For once, I actually think it will be one of the guys in the paper.

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  81. Ike,
    Contracts can be broken and renegotiated. If you think stallings is worth a nine million dollar buyout and if you would gladly give what that man asks or what his lawyers ask, you don’t know how the game is played. If I was Heather, I would have fired him. Which she did. I would then counter sue him and Barnes. Stallings will never collect a cent. He had his chance to settle and blew it. That man is just as bad as the AD who hired him. I have no remorse for him. I actually wish he never coaches basketball again. I’m glad Pitt didn’t play nice because what bad shoe guy wanted was unreasonable. I’d be suing his arse right now for lost donations, brand damage, lost attendance. The list goes on. I would make his life more miserable than trump under mueller. He’s a shat burger in my book.

    Like

  82. The bottom line with the next basketball hire is going to be that the fans are going to automatically like him no matter what because of who we just got rid of.

    The tables were reversed exactly two years ago because most fans did like Jamie Dixon and knew what he did for the program and anyone who was going to follow him was going to be behind the eight-ball automatically.

    Like

    1. I agree with the first paragraph but necessarily with the 2nd. Dixon was no doubt well-respected and regarded as best ever …. but like Knight at Indiana, Hayes,at OSU and JoePa at PSU, etc … most of the fanbase thought it was time. (this may be an unfair analogy to Dixon as he certainly didn’t disgrace himself). Maybe Chuck Noll?

      Like

  83. Pretty much my take also. If all the other stuff on KS is documented Pitt has a slightly, and ?I say slightly, better case. They will pay the man Shirley, closer to his figure than ours. Radiohead’s need something to fill their airways, and in Pittsburgh the sport is bashing Pitt.

    Like

  84. The FAN talking heads were hammering Pitt today about trying to avoid or reduce the buyout. Said Pitt looks petty.

    They act like they know the whole story… Hard to listen to these guys.

    Also reported that the Juco point guard recruit has already asked for his release to re-open his recruiting… Good luck to him…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  85. All 3 guys did the same when KS was hired, all still signed. For our flagship station these guys are brutal. I guarantee you, in no other college market would this be tolerated. Just get all your info right and be fair. They do do a great job of pissing us off.

    Like

  86. Don’t forget Major that jagoffs like Dunlap on the FAN “are all about controversy”… He says that frequently. I often turn them off after a few minutes and I love good sports talk. That’s why I’m on the POV.

    Like

    1. fwiw, Dunlap is a WVU alum

      BTW, the Bills just traded Tyrod Taylor to the Browns for a mid-round draft pick. Either Nate P will be the QB or they are going to draft one in 1st round (not sure what pick they have)

      Like

  87. I’m fine paying the man a reduced buyout. I think $7.5 is more than fair. Stallings is the one that brought this on himself. Not pitt. Dokish is making it sound like it’s all Pitts fault right now. He’s an ignoramous. I would tell Rockports to take our money or we will counter sue for damages to future revenues and the brand. A strong case can be made there. It’s nearly impossible for a coach to lose 25 straight acc games unless it’s intentional. Or he’s just a plain incompetent coach. Vandy warned us. UPitt warned us. I would seriously go after Barnes. And if I was Gallagher, I’d stay away from sports going forward. He has plenty of blame for this hot mess.

    Like

  88. We were also warned that Heaher is a puppet and would never fire Stallings. The broken clock rule applies.

    Like

  89. Heather made an easy call. The math and boosters back her up. What’s interesting is that Gallagher is out of this. He was involved last time. It’s really his mess. He could have stepped in to save face but didn’t. So there’s politics going on behind the scenes that we aren’t privy to. I think Gallagher lost the power struggle. BoT told Gallagher to lay off. It’s heathers call to make. Gallagher is damn lucky that he isn’t fired for cause. This mess pretty much ate away at the entire acc check pitt gets each year. But Heather now is on the hot seat for settlement and finding a new coach. I’m confident she will come through. Crap. I saw her tweeting Matta during the Notre dame game. She was smiling and giddy.

    Like

  91. The Fan has Hoopies, Nitters, Oranges, but no Panthers. You think for all that money we give them they could at least be unbiased?

    Like

  92. I don’t know who Pitt will hire. I do know that South Carolina made the Final Four last year. If they fire their coach, in the absence of a major scandal, they’re crazy.

    Like

  93. Here’s what I don’t get. For all of you out there saying Pitt should sue/counter-sue/whatever and battle Stallings in court – what does that say to all the guys sitting out there looking at maybe being a candidate for this job? Moving your family and changing your life to come in to this situation right now?? It shows me that 1. You may not get a fair chance to build a program and win 2. Fans better like you or they’ll get you fired 3. Pitt is cheap and will do anything to save a dime and keep you from receiving your contractual obligations

    Like

    1. first off i tell him
      our idiot former AD is no longer here
      i am in charge now
      second – our chancellor is no longer involved in these decisions
      its my call alone…you report to me
      third – our contract is very clear unlike the last one
      fourth – this process is different than the last time…the last time it was done under cronyism and very shady practices
      fifth – i say that stallings never moved his family but you sure the hell will…its written in the contract
      sixth – i say you must win acc games; we pay for performance and thats wins
      seventh – i say you must engage yourself and make the Zoo your friend and not enemy
      eighth – i say you and your assistants are being paid top dollar; there are high expectations and written contractual results that you must achieve
      ninth – i say you control your destiny here and have my full support
      tenth – i say if these terms arent agreeable youre not pitt material

      Like

    2. It happens all the time in athletics and business. It will have absolutely O effect on a new hire. Don’t get your panties in a wad!

      Like

  94. Ya, not happening. Their fans are slightly more nuts than ours. They were going crazy over way they finished. Very,very short memory.

    Like

  95. You know, I used to like reading PSN, but for quite some time they have been nothing more than a shill. Now, as Vic was so anti firing KS their reporting is so slanted I believe they have lost all objectivity.

    Like

  97. I hate that Pitt is challenging the buyout. It does make them look petty and small time and it absolutely will affect the hiring of a new coach. It also hints they will not be making a big time hiring splash because despite everyone’s assertions that they would take less, unless Pitt has some smoking gun we don’t know about (and that thought is laughable) they will lose in court plus legal fees and clearly they don’t have the budget to absorb that. I have very tempered expectations for our athletic teams, I believe we are what we are, but I was pleasantly surprised they fired Stallings. For a few hours I thought for once winning was a priority and they cared about the brand, but then the circus came to town a few hours later. I would rather have kept him and not embarrassed ourselves further (on court results literally could not be worse anyway) and now I believe this upcoming search will be a debacle. Hope I am wrong.

    Like

    1. i dont see how this makes Pitt look petty
      if anything, it makes them look smart
      Stallings came across as an arse. You treat an arse like an arse
      he is the one that refused to budge one damn bit
      i dont see how this has become a circus
      stallings was fired
      if he wants to collect, see Pitt in court
      Pitt has moved on
      Stallings now back in Tennessee with his wife who never moved here
      you guys listen to too much Pittsburgh radio

      Like

      1. I live in California, I assure you there is zero coverage of Pitt on the radio here. Stallings would/will win in court no matter what your feelings are about him. Pitt knows this, makes them look petty and turns this into a circus. I don’t blame them for asking for a reduced buyout quietly before the firing but once it was rebuffed, you either fire him and pay or keep him. Firing him and trying not to pay (with no good reason for cause, and yours are not good reason) is amateur hour. This is not a Stallings defense. Pitt did the right/smart thing for once but then mucked up right after.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Seriously, I don’t know why anybody cares unless it truly has a bearing on their ability to hire a replacement. If they’ve been considering this action for anything longer than a week and hopefully learned something from the last go around, they should already have somebody lined up. If that isn’t true then that’s why they deserve the ridicule and scorn from EVERYBODY.

        I caught a bit of The Fan on the way home. It really felt like they were deliberately FANning a controversy to fill air time. Anybody who listens to The Fan aside from Pitt games can tell you that they need things like this to fill air time in between seemingly interminable commercial breaks. It amazes me that they have regular listeners.

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        1. First of all I agree sports radio (in all cities is the worst). My point from the beginning up top is that I do think contesting this could turn off candidates but even worse than that, to me it shows they did not really have the money to do this, which means their eggs to hire a big time coach were in the Kevin Stallings will agree to take less cause he is so noble basket. That was misguided and if they ahd somebody lines up now they can’t pay them… as I also said above, hope I am wrong.

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    2. BS…it does not make them look petty and small. This is a case of fraud. Pitt should not ante one more penny to this jackass!

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      1. This is never going to court. Pitt will pay him the full amount (probably in annual installments over 5 years or so).

        Like

  98. I have the perfect fix for this situation.

    First, Pitt agrees to pay KS the full buyout.

    Second, KS agrees to donate 4 million bucks to Pitt.

    Everybody – even KS – looks good.

    Go Pitt.

    Like

      1. With his feet non-the-less.

        I’ll send that photo to Heather to add to her file in case she is not aware of that one.

        Like

  100. The coaching fraternity stick up for each other when it comes to this stuff. This isn’t going to go the way we all want it to. My guess is plan A was fire him and he’ll agree to a reduced buyout. He didn’t and we didn’t have a plan B.

    Like

  102. What irks me more than the losing (almost) is the way he treated the alums, boosters and fans. What was the problem with being more of a Pitt guy, make a personal as well as contractual commitment to the City, university and fans. It wouldn’t have cost him anything to engage with the boosters and fans. Not moving the family was another insult. How long was that supposed to go on? Was he going to fulfill the entire length of contract without bringing them to Pittsburgh? This guy made no emotional as well as contractual commitment to Pitt, and the results are not surprising.

    Like

  103. Uh….
    In the eyes of any prospective coach:
    Jamie shown the door, despite being the winningest coach in hoops history.

    KS booted after two short years.

    KS vilified for those two years.

    Pitt refusing to pay the buyout, to a brethren coach who is well respected.

    Now, tell me how this is shaping up?

    Like

    1. Shaping up for a hire that nobody here knows or likes, an even more depleted roster and another 0-18 ACC season.

      Like

    2. And yet none of the national town cryers like Bilas, Dukie V, Goodman, Davis, Katz, DeCourcy, Gottlieb or Parrish have tweeted any position about Pitt not paying the full buyout. I’ve been watching Bilas for an hour and he hasn’t said a word about it. Perhaps KS isn’t as well respected as you believe.

      KS was booted and vilified because he went 5-35 against ACC competition over those two seasons. He tanked a former tournament team that returned 4 senior starters and another guy who now starts for North Carolina. He kept a recruiting class intact (including a point guard) and left a scholarship open despite later claiming he had no point guard. He followed that up by purging the roster and bringing in 9 first year D1 players. He didn’t and still hasn’t recruited any players that are certain starters on any other ACC team despite supposedly benefiting from Pitt’s relatively relaxed academic standards. We heard all season that Ryan Luther was Pitt’s best player (and stats bore that out) and yet Ryan was never a starter before this year.

      Let’s see if they make a good hire and stop the bitching. I now understand how Ike must feel.

      Like

    3. Seemingly, it is not shaping up too well. However, the fact that Jamie was let go, though not a well-thought out move, could speak to the fact that the Pitt community and the school was impatient for a champion. Jamie was at Pitt for a pretty long time and it is human nature to want more. In other words, it speaks to a fan base that is not apathetic to a winning culture. I think any up-and-coming coach that is seeking a winning culture, and is serious about it , might, just might appreciate that. My God 0-19 and 0-24 to justify KS’s exit are numbers that any in-coming coach, who is confident can rationalize to himself. If I were an in-coming coach brimming with confidence I would question the seriousness of any program that did not fire a coach after such a performance. No, Pitt has shown itself to be a wonderful institution and there are a good number of coaches, I believe, who would love the opportunity to prove themselves there!

      Like

  104. Barnes isnt around anymore
    new sheriff in town
    and dixon had plateaued at Pitt
    it was a good decision for both sides
    look at dixon’s record over his past 5 years
    He wasnt worth what Pitt was paying him
    KS deserved his boot after 2 years
    last 25 acc games produced zero wins
    a coach that is respected by his peers (oh the ones in the coaching fraternity that wont say ill of anyone) but failed to develop players and win games and engage fans
    Pitt being smart chose not to pay him an undeserved full buyout when its common practice to negotiate buyouts
    shaping up just fine with Matta as the new coach
    thank you

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  105. In the PG tonight. Heather has spent 5 months making a case to fire KS. If she’s been doing it right and documenting it with HR, Stallings will get very little payout. I’d fine him 2 million for the Penn State tie alone!

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  107. I wonder how John and Gertrude are feeling about their white elephant…think they want to get their name removed?
    Unless there is a great hire, Pitt hoops is going to be crap for 5 more years….maybe longer. What can the building be re-purposed for when they are invited to leave the ACC.

    HCPN had better figure out a way to protect Pickett….and maybe attendance at Heinz bumps up 5K to 8K per game. Otherwise another lost decade to add to the last 3.

    Daughter moved Pitt to the bottom of her list and frankly, I’m glad for a couple of reasons and this mess is one more.

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    1. If your daughter is choosing her higher education and future livelihood based on a schools’ how the schools athletic department handles issues that is truly sad.

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  108. Yes TxPanther, now lets all sit back and watch how long it takes for Pitt BB to get back to JD’s plateau…you know, like we are all still waiting to get back to the number of wins in a season that crappy “game day coach” DW led us to in FB!

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    1. with basketball, and the right coach, it wont take long
      Dixon is a good fit for TCU and that conference much like he was at Pitt during the Big East days
      Dixon hated the move the the ACC for a reason
      with football, I liked Wanny but I think we all knew if he couldnt win a weak Big East, there was problem with his coaching
      I think the Dog could get Pitt back to that 10 win season and actually win a conference championship in a much tougher conference
      Lets see how it plays out
      I’m thinking it wont be SOP
      Look Pitt played hard ball and fired KS
      Thats a good start

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  109. have faith in Heather
    Shes our only hope right now
    When you see the smoke and smell of meatballs from high atop the Cathedral, Pitt has made their decision

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  110. Dan, it was 2 months, and they better have a whole lot more than that comment or they are toast. More I hear, more I wonder what they are thinking. They truely would screw up a one car funeral. Probably thought they could keep it quiet, leaked, KS is such a class act. Pitt, KS, and Toddy seem like they are all soulmates.

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  111. Joe knew….I know for a fact that Heather and Pitt have a LOT more on KS than a few comments. When it becomes public, remember you heard it from me. I really don’t know what he was thinking? If I had 10 mill riding on my behavior, I would have become a priest!

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    1. I have it from a good source too that there is a nice sized file for cause in Heather’s possession.

      She is doing right by Pitt and we may never know the details. There is a good chance KS get nothing for a buyout. I’m thinking he pockets a few million and we never hear from him again.

      The lawyers for KS threw out a blurb yesterday that he did nothing wrong – we’ve heard that many times in the past (Arizona twice this year, little Ricky in Louisville, psux, etc.). One last positive statement before the silence.

      If it was my choice, the “noise” would be loud and trumpeted often for all to know.

      But Pitt will remain private, and I’m ok with that. I’m focused on the hire…

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  112. Dan, don’t really know a thing about you other than you are not a priest…. and you don’t have $10,000,000 riding on your behavior. 🙂 << it’s a joke Dan…

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    1. LOL…im not a priest. I’m a minister. KS is toast and it’s his own behavior that’s going to toast him.
      Heather is one tough bitch. And that is my highest compliment.

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  114. Thought seriously about putting a D-Line article up but I can’t find an updated depth chart to forward reliable information. One has Dintino at DL? One thing I will say that the depth at defensive tackle looks thin. I expect Herndon to play on that side of the ball more.

    My sleeper. Deslin Alexandre… and Hendrix will finally prove his worth….

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  115. What is your take on the odds that UPitt will like the new hire when it happens?

    Lykes it Very much
    Likes it a little
    Absolutely hates it

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  117. “Daughter moved Pitt to the bottom of her list and frankly, I’m glad for a couple of reasons and this mess is one more.”
    Curious what other reasons are? Pitt has only improved academically in recent years and since I graduated. Was your daughter considering a degree in sports management?

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    1. Actually considering nursing but I was kidding a bit in that the other reasons include mostly the out of state $$$$ tuition. I think she will likely stay in state at Maryland even though I personally won’t be able to get behind football or basketball, she will, and they also have great lax and other national caliber sports.

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  118. Can’t wait to see FB filling these pages next week. Hate to think of the whole Peterson/ Barnes/ Stalling fiasco, as has been said on here it set Pitt back yrs. H2P Football!!

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  119. OK, long day almost over. What did I learn. IThat I spent way too much time online today( wife better get better soon). I learned that whatever happens with this mess, it’s just sports, it’s not life and death. So what, they probably got the firing right but screwed the dismissal. So what! Happens all the time, embarrassing, yup, end of civilization,nope. Long term effect on the school, not much. Still going to educate bright young kids, still a better than average university. They’ll hire someone, and I hope he( or she) will be very successful, but again, it’s just sports. So with all that I’ll turn in and kinda know the sun will rise tomorrow and good lord willing I’ll see it. Nite

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  120. I hope you are right TxPanther, but I am just concerned that our beloved University has a recent demonstrated history of firing coaches only to downgrade with their replacements. I remember reading that Pitt was getting about $5M per year from the BE and we now get $20M+ from the ACC. When will we see that windfall invested in our FB and B.B. HC salaries and their staffs?

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    1. All Pitt sports are collectively losing money, so the ACC $$’s help the athletic department to breakeven.

      Unfortunately, that is ALL the BoT and Pitt administration care about when it comes to sports.

      The burning bag of …. was removed from our front porch Thursday morning. It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood again. Spring FB practice is back.

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  121. I would be worried about the new hire with Pitt’s past hiring history but I truly believe that they couldn’t do worse with the next hire, and Barnes never really tried to get the last hire right.

    Liked by 1 person

  123. OK folks lets move on to Pitt Football with the Spring practices beginning on Monday. We can deal with any thoughts on Stallings replacement when its announced.

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  124. jrnpitt – I’d have to agree with you – let’s turn the page on BB. If a hire hasn’t been made yet, it must not be Matta as everyone else is probably going to the dance or NIT 😳 so it could be a long wait.

    The problem we will now face with FB is information. It will be full of holes and lacking severally, cause (there’s that word again) no one from the media gets to see anything until the Spring Game.

    Ike – send in your DLine article – Reed will fill in the 2-deep images. Trust the process…😂

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    1. EE did you read the DiPaulo interview with Narduzzi earlier this week in the TribReview? I think it was quite informative and a very honest testament to what Narduzzi believes about Pitt Football at this point in time. He gave himself a C grade(I agree), spoke glowingly about Pickett(I also agree) and thought we can contend for the Coastal Division championship if we stay healthy and get a little lucky(I most certainly agree).

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      1. Yes sir. And being the optimist I am, I too was glad to hear Duzz speak the way he did and I agree with all.

        But that is it until the Spring Game I’m afraid my friend.

        Double secret security, lock the gates, it’s practice time.

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  125. JoeKnew, hope your wife gets well. Texas, love the line about smoke and meatball smells coming from atop the Cathedral. If Meatball Matta is the hire the spring game tailgate menu is set. Haha. Hope to see some of you POVerts there. Golf time is closing in Erie. Add in spring football and I’m a happy camper.

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  126. “Meatball Matta” .. “Shaping up for a hire that nobody here knows or likes….” and my favorite …“Daughter moved Pitt to the bottom of her list and frankly, I’m glad for a couple of reasons and this mess is one more.”
    tvaxi, all due respect, with that mentality, she belongs at the Dairy School.(which by the way, is a pretty good school academically but apparently that means little if the FB team isn’t doing well)

    The amount of negativity on this site about something that hasn’t even happened yet is astounding.

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    1. BTW, “ToMatta” may be a better one because his face gets as red as tomato when he is mad at a ref or a player

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  127. wwb – take it is small doses. What Heather did on Thursday morning was extremely positive in my book and I’ll spew that til the cows come home.

    What Barnes did to Pitt was hellacious – sorry for the negativity – but really, he set Pitt BB back in 2 short years to what the Browns worked decades to achieve.

    The next hire will be welcomed by my “noise”. There needs to be a good, sound reason for the hire, with a clear explanation as to why, so the fans can embrace the decision.

    Simple…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I don’t disagree. My point is that this process is not even half-over and I am beginning to read nothing but negative comments. I guess we are conditioned to expect the worst … but at least, wait for it to happen.

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  128. wbb – it could be over if Matta was the choice. I don’t think he is, unless Pitt is requiring he pass a physical.

    “Wats a matta, ya gotta a prablum wit Pitt’s decision makin here? It a be ah-right. Don’t ya worry.”

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  129. The trouble is that the list of choices published over the pats two days are more “wish” lists. None of the guys who listed them have no knowledge if any of them are interested, or what other offers may come their way. Thus, we get primed up for a Matta or Hurley … and it could be that they were never serious considerations in the first place. As a result, whoever Pitt hires will probably be a disappointment to most

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  130. Very interesting so far 3 have commented on my daughter moving Pitt down on list of college choices.

    All other things being equal with considering a nursing or neuroscience degree as she is, the front porch of Pitt football and basketball actually matter a little more to me than to her, but she definitely had Pitt on her radar due to the many games we have traveled to see over the years and would probably not necessarily have even considered Pitt.

    Reality is, the cost/benefit of a BSN or neuroscience degree from Pitt does not justify the choice over her other options…and this front porch factor matters very little and I am glad she gets that.

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  131. And, as for the Dairy School, she wouldn’t ever have even considered applying there.

    I am not sure how I would have felt if she were in store for 4 great years of football and basketball to attend while at Pitt. Would it have justified the additional expense over a Maryland school for us/me?

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  132. @tvax. I was just curious. Good for your daughter for considering cost early in the process. A big +1 in my book. My wife has a bsn from RMU and was very happy with their “up and coming” nursing school. She is now an RN making the same as the Pitt RN’s and spent significantly less getting to this point. If your daughter takes the neuroscience route, that’s a different story. Good luck to her!

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    1. Thanks Steely, good to know your wife’s experience as just a couple of weeks ago my daughter told me she learned from a friend of hers currently in the Pitt nursing program that they expect higher starting salaries coming out of Pitt nursing. I told her, that isn’t likely. A BSN out of most every solid program is going to get you the same opportunity based on your success in the program but I would expect a 2.0 out of any program won’t have the same opportunities as a 3.9 out of the same. Maybe the contacts you make in a program should be considered or if the program has a sub-specialty that is unique, it would matter.

      I am sure Reed appreciates me derailing this Pitt sports blog thread. Apologies @Reed.

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