My fellow Pitt fans – time to start the Sunday morning podcasts again.  I hope you like this one – I’m a bit all over the place with basketball and football issues, some predictions and some strong opinions…

It’s a longer one at 60+ minutes but so what? It’s a lazy Sunday…

On a side note: I’m going to visit our local Potomac Curling Club this afternoon to see a sport I’ve never watched live. I’ll let you know if it should be a scholarship sport at Pitt or not.

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.

404 thoughts on “View From the End Zone Podcast: 3/25/18”

  1. Good morning Reed. Will listen later when I have more time but wanted to thank you for bringing the podcasts back. I really missed them. Your minion, Fran. Haha.

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  2. Reed. Is this the curling club in laurel? If so my wife has curled there. It is a PG parks facility.

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  4. Ah no Sean… How you been buddy… Why not comment more on the POV? Heard Reed fired you as his golf coach. 🙂

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  5. Oh Reed, just kind of wondering when you will publish that piece about Ricky Town? We are anxious to get your take on his capabilities and potential to unseat Pickett. And an added benefit is that it just might get everyone to refocus on football!

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    1. He’s not going to be given a chance to unseat Pickett. Narduzzi goes with his first guy all the time… Peterman, then Browne now Pickett.

      Town isn’t as good as Pickett so he’ll be QB2. But – there won’t be competition for those two deep spots from anyone else.

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      1. If Town has matured through his travels as did Savage, Peterman, and Browne would you start a 20 year old MAC 3* rather than a 23 year old Town 5* QB out of H.S. who like his predecessors above made bad decisions out of H.S. recruited but had the skills to be recruited by USC and Alabama so obviously he has significantly more physical tools than Pickett
        To win more than 5 or 6 games I seriously think this is what Narduzzi is counting on.
        Narduzzi like Chryst before him is playing coach speech not to demoralize Pickett in case he has to rely on a 20 year old MAC recruit QB who in 2017 beat a demoralized and overrated Miami team.

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  6. I’m saying Darrin Hall imo has a chance to have a break out year. He’s got size, speed and good hands. Biggest complaint is his vision. Which I can agree to some degree. Although with the two long runs the big man wants to gloss over there were a couple cutbacks involved. The fact he was tackled in the backfield for losses is more on the lack of running room than anything else.

    The offensive line has a chance to be a bit better than we think. Fact is we don’t know much about that group right now, other than the fine article from EE.

    Throw out all the offensive stats from last year. When you don’t have a downfield passing threat you won’t run the ball effectively either. Henderson was a liability for the passing game. The short passing game will be much improved this coming season and that will open up all other aspects of the offense. It takes a village to move the football, I think that’s how the saying goes?

    The defense will flat out be better this coming season and I hope it shows up in winning games. Two four star safeties is a good start. LBers a big upgrade and the defensive line will surprise. Hendrix had a better season last year than the commander thinks. He put a lot of pressure albeit not on a regular basis on the QB last year for the limited number of snaps he played.

    Which brings me to another point. Why all the substitutions during a 6 play drive last year. I understand situational stuff but the shuffling seemed a little much? If they want to give the players a blow alright but I’ve always believed that players need to get into some kind of groove with repetitions during a game.

    I really like the way the schedule worked out even considering the toughness of it. Keeping Pickett healthy is definitely a key but I still feel better about the backups this year over last year. Although we won”t see another QB aside form KP unless the young man just can’t go in a game.That said, I’ll go with Town sight unseen over last years backups.

    Maybe Reeds podcast will hit home over at the PITT headquarters? It makes perfect sense to generate news about the football team. News can be like a deadly virus it spreads so fast. It should be used in PITT’s favor. Anyways Commander, great job today and looking forward to many more with my morning cup of joe. Like Fran, I did miss them.ike

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    1. I’ll take DiNucci over a kid who previously failed at all turns and never threw a D1 pass in his life.

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      1. Well, he hasn’t failed at PITT yet… Point being, we know what PITT had in BD, is that good enough? I’ll take an unknown commodity and hope for a bigger upside.

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        1. I’d take DiNucci as a back up if he could accept being a good team-mate as the back-up QB.

          I sensed that was not going to happen once he got a taste of starting…

          Go Pitt.

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  7. I poke fun at Curling … yet I find myself watching it every 4 years when it’s on TV. Take it over skating anytime

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  8. Ike – Made that avatar to give a representation of the Pitt Basketball Coaching search.

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  10. Haha!! Stay Warm! Dad said they got more snow on the mountain. Let’s hope the search gets completed this week.

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      1. Maybe they will hire Micky Mouse since Heather is at Disney. Our luck we sign “Goofy” to a 6 year deal.

        How is Barnes not in Jail?

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        1. Barnes is on a work release program from prison, working as “Goofy” at Disney World. Oh oh, no that couldn’t be possible,,,,

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  11. It looks like the length of Heather’s Search may eclipse the time it took Lewis & Clark to map the Americas.

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  12. Now Pitt lost out on Tubby Smith!!! Heather and Co. lost out to High Point College?!?!?! When will this misery end?!?!?! Lets just go down to D3. Just wanted to be a trendsetter

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  13. I get the feeling that Heather has flown off to do an interview for the head AD job at Katmandu University and she won’t be back for a month. I can’t believe it!

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    1. I actually like that Tubby is finishing his career at his alma mater. He may not be ranked with the Dean Smiths, John Woodens and Coach Ks .. but he has had a pretty impressive career, and has always comported himself very well

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  16. I, for one, am truly disappointed that in the midst of her first really big decision as the Athletic Director of the University of Pittsburgh, Heather Lyke goes on vacation. She obviously doesn’t care who we end up with as the B.B. coach.

    Such a total disregard for her responsibilities should not be tolerated.

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    1. People on this blog are more concerned with the next Pitt bball hire than she is. She’s just a paid mercenary who will put on the school’s colors, whoever pays her.

      They should have hired someone who actually cares….you know ….like a Pitt person. You know like somebody that actually lives in Pittsburgh….maybe even on campus.

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  17. Heather will be gone in 2 years. It dosen’t Matter to her…… This is a stepping stone otherwise she would have moved her family here.

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    1. Maybe narduzzi is the man to elevate the fb program maybe not, but I think he tuly wants to be in pgh. We are fortunate for that.

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  19. Heather made the case for Hurley and went after him. Pitt made the offer and while behind the curve, made a good presentation and made up a lot of room. In the end U Conn was it due to more than BB reasons. But I suspect she is now part of the process and not the sole decision maker. Heather was given some latitude in Hurley including money that was a one shot deal. Pitt isn’t paying the next coach 3.25 million the first year unless it is a establish name not named Matta or Miller. .

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  20. She had a LONG time to think about this hire, much more time than the actual fire date. We get it, she went after Hurley, who had no interest in coming here and she lost.

    Good AD’s make up a plan. With several if then scenarios. If plan A doesn’t work, then go on to plan B.

    Pitt is facing two issues right now.
    1. Pitt themselves don’t know who they want
    2. Pitt themselves don’t know who they realistically can get

    Heather will be gone in a few years. If she is going on vacation while a coaching search is going on….that is pathetic. Maybe she will go on vacation and not come back. Pitt would be the ONLY acc school where an AD could go on vacation while they have a football/basketball vacancy and NOT be fired. Any other school that AD would be fired.

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    1. Agreed but that is why she was hired in first place. Because no one cares about sports at Pitt. So hire a compliance person who still lives in Michigan. Laughable.

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  21. I posted a lengthy post on the last thread, which highlights some of the things, specifically the rise of schools in our recruiting footprint, that the next Pitt HC is going to have to overcome if he wants to succeed.

    Something that did not exist in 2003.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks EE….yea you know it’s amazing all these other programs that share Pitt’s recruiting footprint have really upped their programs in the last decade. And at the same time Pitt’s was on the decline(after 2011), as we would get those 2nd tier players that are now going to places like Providence, Seton Hall, Virginia, VT and even Creepy Valley State. All those programs were middling or stunk in 2003.

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  22. We have zero proof what Heather is doing, it’s fake news… at this point. If you have proof, then we would all be very happy to point us in that direction. Why must documents and records need produced to prove there was 3 million dollar offer on the table but just throwing something out there is totally believable?

    BTW Huff, your explanation of the possible scenario of the Hurley offer sounds credible to me. Makes sense.

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  23. Keep in mind the boosters were behind her in Hurley as to commitment. They are not keen on others including some head coaches who are using Pitt for leverage. Miller had boosters as well but no way PItt hires him so Hurley was the next best offer. Reportedly she is going to San Antonio for final four. I thought Oats would be the guy but he wants Hurley money or close to it and Pitt isn’t paying that without booster money. Things are still fluid behind the scenes so see how it plays out. But Pitt did put a lot of eggs in the Hurley basket. Quite frankly they were surprised Hurley turned down that jing..He isn’t worth that so maybe Pitt dodged a bullet here.

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    1. She has been on vacation since she took the job. Except when posing with people giving them certificates.

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      1. Maybe she’s a Bigjoke mole. Michigan grad, OSU job….Fanta’s, Sleeping fans at Ketchup Bottle were probably Pedo State employees/boosters, incredibly bad PR on the Otis dismissal and resulting zip lipped no stmts gave the media space to say whatever they wanted. Whole thing is like some really bad B Sci fi movie from the 1950’s.

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  25. We have a lot of proof of this Admins track record….its not pretty. Questioning their process is fair game. Nitters on our board is a complete joke. They don’t care about sports. This is the number one obstacle were facing now that we are trying to hire a coach.

    Pitt admin and BoT get exactly out of it what they put into it, very little.

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  26. Herman & Otis should be sharing a Bunk Bed in some Federal Pen, for the con they pulled on Pitt.

    So far…..how much loot has it cost Pitt ? Where’s my buddy Tex

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  27. Heather and Barnes are in New York per my sources.

    Here is a photo from a friend of them together!

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  28. My sources tell me that Heather is currently working on her next Valentine day youtube video right now. Full costumes and everything.

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    1. Disregard I was multitasking and thought I was texting my wife.

      Baseball is 2-7 in ACC. How long will Heather let them be the worst team in ACC?

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  34. Better possibly than a meh old coach. Unless you hire Pitino or Miller we will suck for 2 more years.

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  38. I am disappointed in my fellow POVerts for riding Heather’s ass about going on vacation.. she is a wife and mother then the AD… come on men.. get your priorities straight !!!

    Hire an assistant from Duke , Carolina or Kansas … go cheap and get an up and comer.. get someone who knows the Region…. this ain’t the big east.

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    2. True big b, but there is a time and place for all three. Right now she needs to do her job, so that she can provide her family with the fruits of her labor. (Salary).

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    3. I can’t count the number of times I’ve had vacations cancelled because of work issues.
      Her commitment is to Pitt Athletics, especially until a coach can be found and, hopefully, some players are retained.
      If she wants a job with regular hours and a pre-set schedule, go work for the state….apparently, the state of Michigan.

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  39. I too am hearing this Scheyer guy is under strong consideration. What has he done other than an assistant at Duke and for a very short time. Is he up for the challenge.

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  40. GC … at the Duke PITT FB game this year … you could have taken a tour of Cameron Indoor Stadium..lots of history ..

    I have a grandson.. would love to see him go to Duke…

    Duke is hated down here in NC by everyone who doesn’t go there .. I kinda like them…

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    1. I don’t hate them, had an uncle that played there. Just can’t root for any team that gets all these one and dones.

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  41. All the AD’s go to the final four. The AD’s use the final 4 to meet up and comers, current coaches and unemployed coaches looking for work. They develop relationships with them so that when there is a coaching vacancy, they have an idea of who to pursue. This has been my point all along. Our AD has not cultivated any relationships in the coaching ranks and got caught short when she needed it. That is why you pay your AD. Noone does the ground work for you….maybe eddie fogler, good grief!

    Same with Chancellors and Presidents. A great chancellor and president attends the NCAA National Conference each year. This year it was in Indianapolis. I was there. I spoke to many AD’s, not ours. I spoke to several President’s, not ours. Several spoke about Pitt. It wasn’t flattering. Work and life is about contacts. Not the contacts in Ike’s avatar however.

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  42. The Duke guy can recruit the guys Duke passed on.
    That would be the best class we have had since the eighties.
    Heather must have been sexing a lot from Pittsburgh to some sleepy town in Michigan since she got here.
    I wonder if a can of grape Fanta got caught in one of her selfies.

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  43. Coaching Changes
    @CoachingChanges

    We are hearing that Coach K is pushing Jon Scheyer for Pitt

    Make no mistake, Coach K can buffalo AD’s, search firms, Presidents and trustees

    At the same time

    My guess is that Scheyer is a real candidate at this point

    Scheyer is shockingly unentitled, I wouldn’t oppose this

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  44. I believe the Scheyer thing is total BS. He’s been a assistant for a short period of time. He’s currently a 3rd assistant if I’m not mistaken. This job is a major under taking. Now is not the time to take on this risk.

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    1. What do we have to lose?? Not winning a game in the Acc? Wait we’ve done that. IMO it’s time for a rebuild with a fresh minded, hungry coach.

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      1. @Justin – Jamie Dixon was an assistant within the program, was pushed by Howland for the position to give the program continuity, which can be a good thing. It turned out that it was. The two situations are not comparable, unless you are thinking someone from stallings staff should get the position…….uggggh!

        The leaks in the athletic department are getting bigger………shows a lack of respect for the AD and a problem for years within the department.

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        1. Dixon’s greatest fault as a coach was when he did recruit a top 50 player making him play in a position he never played and destroyed the players opportunity to further develop his skills in the position he excelled.
          In two years Dixon recruited one of the best Strong forwards, in MacDonald game scored 26, 12 rebounds hit 3-3 from outside the arc. Read about Dante Taylor before he was ruined at Pitt. him before he came Kheem Birch 6-10 small forward top 10 player was a phenomenon at small forward Recruited the next year also made played center. He dominated at Pitt in his short career but transferred because he new he could never play center in NBA. Adams locked in for the next year at center as well as quality guard.
          Consider if he would have played from November on Birch at 3, Taylor at 4, Adams at 5, and Smith at 1.
          He would of had to allow these players more freedom all the way to final four.

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  46. Of course Coach Alphabets, wanted Otis to stay at Pitt too ! Who wouldn’t if you got to play his team
    twice a year.

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  48. No ACC team in the Final 4. Kind of hard to believe, but it’s the 9th time since 2000….No ACC teams in Final 4. Can you say overrated.

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  49. But we got us 2 small Catholic schools…. we need Immaculata.. remember those girls in their basketball skirts ???

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    1. You know… I use to like Villanova back in the late 1960’s, early ’70’s. Howard Porter, Hank Siemiontkowski & Chris Ford.

      Despise them since we started playing them in the old Eastern 8 and then even moreso in the BigEast.

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  51. Pitt needs to put in his contract, should they hire him. He can’t wear those little suits they have for Twinks now

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      1. Yea I know he’s tall. I was talking about those little narrow shouldered cut suits they have for young men 🙂

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        1. Smart, young, good FT shooter, played tough D and scored 21 points in 75 seconds to end a game in HS –

          Knows how to box out and rebound.

          Seems much better than what we had in KS.

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  53. I remember him playing for Duke. What have we got to lose? We are at the bottom. Can it get worse?

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  54. I fon’t Know a lot but I know when they make the announcement many of us will say what a freaking joke. I guess we will hear once Heather gets back from Universal Studios.

    Again, if Pumpkin Head Barnes was at any other place than Pitt he is in Jail or tarred and feathered. At pitt you know what they do???? They pay him for 30 days after he moved to Oregon. Does anyone have nuts in our athletic dept?? Hire a athlete that was a winner. Not a Sam Clancy yes person. Get someone who demands this PennDot Show gets serious.

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  55. What Pitt really needs is an ace recruiter. Dixon went south when his two best recruiters left. So who ever is the hire, he better have a top recruiter. Especially there are three really good gets in the area the next two years. In two years, Pitt can have a decent team with strong recruiting.

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  56. EE, I can’t say I would like BK to be the next head coach but a couple good points about him: He should be able to bring in some good assistants and recruiters. It would behoove him to bring along a former coach with head coaching experience. The guy would be biting his fingernails on the sideline as an assistant coach. That freaked me out but I’m sure he’s settled down since then.

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  57. It would be completely stupid to pay a guy 10 million to walk away and then turn around and hire a guy with no HC experience and only 3-4 years as a assistant. Pitt cannot be that dumb.

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    1. They hired Haywood, Pushed Dixon Out, Hired a pumpkin head from Pacific Northwest who anyone with a brain knew wouldn’t last. Then hired stallings. Tore down an on campus football stadium. I can go on.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. and please don’t Mark. Do you teach ancient history? If so, you need to spruce up your syllabus, your old one is stale. 🙂

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        2. Iek: Mark is spot on with this one…. And Brandin Knight is not the answer. He was a big part of the reason that our recruiting sucked when we moved to the ACC.

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      2. You forgot to mention the other 20 sports team successes. Oh, you did mention them. There haven’t been any.

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    2. Pitt is
      The ideal coach is one with experience, has rebuilt other programs, and has the energy to recruit. And of course no character issues or even the taint of scandal
      That coach is still out there but Heather doesn’t have him on her list
      So I see her hiring some young assistant coach, paying cheap and using the extra money to hire some older assistants to help with the coaching
      It’s easy to read Heather
      I don’t blame her for taking a vacation to spend time with family during spring break
      I do hope she moves her family to Pittsburgh though within the year.
      That should be written in all Pitt contracts
      Regardless who she picks, she will own it
      I’m sure we won’t like the pick but anyone I would think is better than Stallings

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  58. This Scheyer talk has to be pure nonsense since Heather is off to BFE or somewhere south of there as reported on the POV. ikr

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  59. I hope her vacation is to Charleston. Even though he signed a 5 yr extension. Experience, rebuilt program, energy to recruit, no whiff of scandal. All checks. Always was could we, not should we.

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  61. Jack responded to a comment of mine saying we don’t know what Heather is doing with:

    “Actually we have 100% proof she’s done nothing so far, then went on vacation”
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Actually Jack, I think she fired Stallings after everyone said she didn’t have the guts to do that. It is cool how you go way back and read all the comments and keep up with the conversation though.

    and to Jay, I swear I read that on the POV that as long as Stallings was fired it didn’t matter who was hired. Well, that was short lived. ike

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  63. Heather doesn’t fire Stallings on her own Ike. Glad she did but don’t botch part 2 in filling the job. The money folks were sick of him and were holding money unless she complied.

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  65. Ike.

    “..and to Jay, I swear I read that on the POV that as long as Stallings was fired it didn’t matter who was hired. Well, that was short lived.”

    A. That’s wrong. That wasn’t said by more than MAYBE one poster;
    B. Anyone hired can’t win less than ZERO ACC games next year.

    Dont give Lyke to much credit- my brand new puppy is smart enough to fire Stallings. For those of you who think the firing made Pitt look bad, how bad does this coaching search make us look?

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  66. My point Jay was, it was said and two, many said that Heather wouldn’t fire Stallings. Well he was fired but it now said that it wasn’t Heather who fired him. Now do you see how that all was set up where Heather couldn’t win? << That’s just not a fair conversation.

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    1. Ike just say I was saying it. No need for hypotheticals. Heather was urged by Big Money. Yes she did it but it appears to be a sh$t show now. I’m glad “they” stuffed him for the money. He should be in jail with Herman for stealing money from Pitt. If I went 0-14 in ACC I’d give back my salary.

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  68. Ugghhh… Look, Ike, maybe upitt is unreasonably negative (I don’t necessarily feel that way) but you are often unrealistically positive.

    An AD is hired to run the athletics department. This BB coaching situation is a local and national embarrassment. Do you disagree? Save the whole Gallagher and BOT argument. While I agree they are a mess, if one chooses to take the AD job they are FULLY responsible for the success of the program. And here’s where we stand..

    Football- mediocre so far and she didn’t hire Narduzzi.

    Volleyball- our best sport and she didn’t hire the coach.

    Men’s soccer- rapidly improving. She didn’t hire him, either.

    Pretty much every other team is garbage, although the jury’s out on wrestling- let’s give Gavin a chance.

    That’s the REALITY. You disagree?

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    1. We really need all our hires to be like men’s soccer.

      I am one of the best around and really don’t like the pro level. Hey, PITT is in the ACC. Let me go work for them.

      Maybe the bad publicity will lead to someone accomplished willing to coach PITT basketball.

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  69. I’m more concerned with RICHMAN being on sabbatical while Heather is seemingly “on vacation”…during spring break…HMMMM. Coincidence? I think not.

    Liked by 1 person

  70. There are numerous sitting HC’s that qualify as viable candidates for the Pitt job. An assistant doesn’t fit – IMO. The Scheyer “news” may have come from twitter and is a speculative rumor.

    The Duke and Pitt sites ran with it though –

    The BK conversations last night were only related to the Scheyer rumors – he deserves at least an interview if Scheyer was offered – that is all I’m saying. No mention of hiring, only interviewing.

    I penned an e-mail to HL and found it very interesting that she did not have a personal e-mail address with her name in it –

    athleticdirector@athletics.pitt.edu

    This is where reading between the lines gets interesting.

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      1. She actually has an email with her name on it, but the one you have noted above is used for screen by her Admin Asst. I have had an email conversation with her a couple months ago.

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  72. Some pedo fans are trying to make light of this “search” for a BB head coach. I had one psu “friend” on Friday try to tear down our University because of what looks Lyke a massive player exit from the program with swing & misses for the would be candidates.

    I firmly and confidently asked, “does this actually look worse than the Sandusky cover-up that is still going on at your school?”

    I may lose friends over that line, so I’m trying to tone that down a bit, maybe not use it all the time, pick and choose who I throw it at, but really, this is a sports hire folks. Nothing more, nothing less.

    The front porch has noticeable bird droppings on it and it sure does need sprucing up – a lot!

    H2P!

    Liked by 2 people

  73. What was the attitude when Dixon was hired? A second choice. Assistant to successful head coach. Only became most successful Pitt BB coach in how many years. Scheyer second choice. Assistant to a spectacularly successful head coach. ACC recruiting contacts. Knows how to win at the highest level. Same talk about successful head coach being needed occurred then as now. Be honest. Is Pitt really a plum job? Especially now? Be honest. And I love Pitt, I have two degrees from there, and a PITT all weather flagstone is at the entrance to my front door. I bleed blue and gold or mustard gold and royal blue or Navy blue and metalic gold or whatever Pitt colors wind up being.

    Liked by 1 person

  75. First Upitt, No I wasn’t aiming anything directly at you, there are plenty of posters that haven’t given heather half a chance. While Heather is on my mine I think by in large my comments are misread. Upon reading closer, just like the eye, you won’t read me singing the praises of Lyke all that often if ever. Just like I never said many good things about him

    My song was to give them a chance before the name calling and jokes. I guess I’m just a stick in the mud when it comes to tearing down someones work for no actual reason.That’s all I’m saying. ike

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    1. I think Heather has done a lot to deserve criticism Ike.

      Cons

      Fanta Promo – Nationally Media made fun of Pitt, even ESPN.

      Wrestling Coach Hire

      Certificates and over the top “look at me moments”

      Tarpgate

      Vacationing while Pitt is underwater on this search

      80% of our teams are “Well” below .500 in Conf. Play.

      “Hands Off” with Narduzzi – She should have him open up more to create excitement or to just let know people we still play football.

      Pros

      Fired Loafer Larry

      Said screw you on his buyout

      Pro-active on Narduzzi extension (Not sure yet if right move but points for pro-activeness)

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      1. and wasting 10 days on Hurley….. Everyone knew he wouldn’t come to Pitt with Uconn open. It was never even a possibility. She got played and wasting valuable time. Not to mention set an expectation 3M – I think bogus so new coaches interviewing will expect that money. ie – Oats.

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  76. PSN is making news out of Tweets. Where the hell has real journalism gone?

    Most of the Twitter news has turned out to be complete BS. It isn’t worth discussing the candidates PSN mentions.

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  77. Reed – I enjoyed your podcast – the commentary flowed well and your insight is fun to listen to.

    Keep up the great work – we can disagree at times, but that is what makes our country awesome in that we have that freedom to debate, articulate and disagree at times.

    H2P!

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  79. The fact that we are looking at the Duke assistant coach is exactly what I had in mind earlier.

    This is a perfect time to do that as we save money on a salary, plus we give the program 2 to 3 years to get back on track because we are certainly not going to be good for the next two years anyway… no matter who’s coaching.

    At this point we have zero recruits and we probably will lose about half the team we already have, so you give a young coach a chance. You’re then paying for two years at a lower salary and then at year 3 if it looks like we’re on the upswing and he’s a good coach, then you put his salary up commiserate with the bigger coaches that you would have hired in the first place.

    It’s a no-brainer to me. What you’re going to do otherwise is hire a big-name expensive coach who is going to lose a lot of games for the first two years anyway and it’s going to piss everybody off…. And cost way too much money.

    Hell, going the assistant coach route is a bolder move than trying to get one of these big-name coaches, especially someone with baggage like Miller.This is a perfect time to take a risk as the BB program has nothing to lose at this point.

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    1. If you step back – you have to like the choice – he’s played for Duke, coached at Duke, recruited for Duke – knows what it takes to play and win in the ACC…given time – he’ll build a winner/

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  80. Pitt made the BB mess. Looks like they are taking the cheap coach money way out in the hope that some people show up at the Pete.. If the games cost $1 maybe.

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  81. I agree with that assessment, but what makes Scheyer more attractive to Pitt than BK? I’m not pushing for BK, but just for comparison’s sake, I’d like to know. Is it because Coach K is pushing for him?

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  83. Can you imagine what a young coach could do if he came here for 2 years then turned the program around to above 500 ball? He could write his own ticket after that and it would be a national success story.

    I think any good, young assistant coach would jump at the chance to do that.

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  84. Emel did a post yesterday and it was so detailed I just had to reprint it here:

    There are several factors that are much different now than in 2003, when Pitt hired an asst coach.

    1) We are in the ACC and we are getting over $20 mil per year as opposed to the pittance we got from
    the BigEast

    2) We are now competing against several Blue Bloods and the best known college bball programs in the country. Not a bunch of schools striving like we were…. to get there

    3) In 2003, Virginia was in the middle of a 14 year period where they only made the NCAA’s twice, wherethey only won 20 games, twice. They are now a Powerhouse, regardless of the Retrievers. In 2003 Villanova was not the Powerhouse they are today. They were in the last year of a 5 year run of not making the NCAA’s. And were not even a factor in the BigEast. Today like Virginia they are a Powerhouse. Pitt is competing with Virginia in the conference and for players and with Villanova for. players thruout the Northeast and specifically Philadelphia, NYC and NJ,

    4) Lesser programs like Seton Hall & Providence in 2003, who also recruit in Pitt’s northeast, middle Atlantic footprint were not anywhere close to what they are now. The Hall only made the NCAA’s twice in the 10 year period leading up to 2003. And would only make the Dance 2 more times in the next 12 years after 2003. They have made the NCAA’s almost as many times in the last 3 years, as in the
    previous 22 years. So they are now a formidable force in 2018, where in 2003 they weren’t. Providence like Seton Hall in 2003 was not a force to be reckoned with. From 1997 to 2013, Providence only made the NCAA’s twice. Since 2013 they have made The Dance, 5 years in a row.
    Both Seton Hall & Providence have very capable HC’s, that can recruit and coach. That was not the case AT ALL in 2003.

    5) Another lesser program, Pitt is directly competing with is Virginia Tech, again in Pitt’s middle Atlantic footprint for recruiting. In 2003, there was no Buzz Williams there, it was Rickey Stokes. ikr. Va Tech was in the NCAA’s exactly ONCE from 1996 to 2016. ONCE Seth Greenburg’s 9 tenure netted 1 NCAA year. They have been to the Dance…..twice in the last 2 years. Virginia Tech is now a formidable school
    for Pitt to recruit against with Buzz Williams there, in 2003 it was not.

    6) West Virginia was also at the tail end of a down period in 2003. They were one of the worst teams in the BigEast from 1998 to 2004. Missing the NCAA’s in that 6 year period every year Not the case now, as since Thuggy Bear came back, where he played they have reached the NCAA’s 9 of his 11 years. With one Final 4, and 4 Sweet 16’s. West Virginia is a powerhouse now, in 2003, not so much.

    7) Another school, close by who Pitt competes with in Ohio for bball recuits is Ohio State. In 2003, was the start of a 3 year period they missed the NCAA’s every year and ushered out the Jim O’Brien era and ushered in the Thad Matta era in 2005. Ohio State therefore is much more formidable now then when Pitt promoted Jamie Dixon.

    8) Even Pedo State is a threat now, having won more games (24), this year, which is their 2nd highest win total since 1990.

    You could almost say it was a Perfect situation for Jaimie Dixon to succeed in 2003, based upon what was going on around Pitt and it’s recruiting footprint in 2003

    So whoever Pitt hires now, has many schools in Pitt’s natural recruiting footprint, that are far superior now, being led by far superior coaches, than was the case in 2003 with these same schools.

    You can certainly see why some of the major booster are calling for Miller Time !

    Liked by 1 person

  85. Reed: I calculate my statistics slightly different than you. Instead of taking away Halls two longest runs, I take away his 10 shortest runs. Therefor Hall had a 8 YPC last year. You know rounding up. You see how that works there? 🙂

    Like

  86. Or could you imagine if we hire an assistant and we have a coach with training wheels for 5 years. I would be shocked if a assistant is hired. Unless of course Heather gets turned down double digit times.

    Again, paying a guy 10 million to walk away then going cheap and hire a guy with zero experience as a HC makes no sense. This is going to be a difficult job, zero experience makes it that much harder.

    Like

  87. Schreyer for Ball Boy or Coach? He is the 4th Assitant on Duke. He gets coffee and makes sure kids are in before curfew. Hell he could be hired for 400k.

    Like

      1. And you want to hire Duke’s 4th assistant after firing a guy and giving him 7.5M to leave.

        Are you in 4th grade calling people names?

        If no one truly wants to win then just leave Stallings and keep the money.

        Like

        1. Really – I spoke the truth (Dr. Tom asked me to go easy on you about 4 years ago when I continually called you out and you haven’t changed) – you have a crude idiotic name for everyone – you criticize everything about Pitt (you’re still angry that you were benched – you were probably below the Mendoza line), the guy isn’t the #4 coach – he played the game at Duke, was a winner, knows how to recruit … and before you once again criticize the baseball team, 6 of the ACC teams are in the top 25, and #15 Louisville is last in it’s division…and you can start complaining about HCPN now as the football team will go either 6-6 or 7-5 mainly due to how tough the schedule is.

          Liked by 1 person

  88. I can hear the spin already when they finally do hire someone. They will explain how deliberate and methodical their search was just to get the right guy. They will say the process was above board and all qualified candidates were looked at. Then when the Duke assistant bolts for Duke after Coach K retires, they will again have egg on their face.

    Like

    1. If anyone thinks that John Scheyer is going to get a sniff of the Duke HC job when K retires over Woj, Chris Collins, Tommy Amaker, Johnny Dawkins , Quin Snyder or Jeff Capel, they are completely nuts. Plenty to criticize, but Scheyer getting the Duke job is LAUGHABLE.

      Like

  89. Hey Upitt from above. << mostly fake news.

    The pop give away wasn’t her idea. That was around when Narduzzi first started.

    The wrestling hire, I like the direction of the program.

    Don’t understand why the certificates bother you so much. That’s parts of her job.

    Tarpgate? See how you stretch things. Fabrication

    Vacation? Where can she go where she can’t make phone calls and we don’t have any idea what she’s doing. Hell, you seem to be quite available 24/7

    Football closed practices. I think Reed made it clear yesterday that it’s Narduzzi’s decision and we don’t know what is being discussed behind closed doors. Your screen name should be Kreskin who also thought he could see things not visible and he too was wrong all the time. ike

    Like

  90. She turned Fanta into a National Media Joke. Why didn’t we hear about it before on ESPN? Happened on her watch.

    Wrestling? 4-11 and you like the direction? You must love the direction of Baseball, Jordano has been there 20 years and is 2-7 and if we looked at his record in ACC I’m guessing he loses 70% of the games he plays but no one apparently cares including Lyke.

    I forgot the part where EMU Athletic Dept is on fire. She got out and the picture isn’t pretty.

    Tarpgate was a thing

    No real leader takes a vacation when you are needed and are the face of the search. It sends a VERY bad message. I bet you agree here or should. Where I come from Leaders are first there and last to leave.

    Certificates are not about the people. They are about her posing and getting the attention.

    Like

  91. Heather is a puppet of Pitt’s budget. Guess what, so is every other AD. You can’t blame her because Pitt won’t open the purse strings. Of course she would want to hire a coach on Crean, Miller and Matta level. She worked at Ohio State. She has seen how the big boys play.

    I am telling you, she fired KS and probably was shocked when they gave her the budget for the new coach.

    By the way, stop with the EMU references. The ENTIRE university has financial issues. EMU problems are not central to athletics. That’s like blaming Bill Peduto for the national deficit.

    That being said, this hire will define her career moving forward. Just like PN has to produce this year, she is on the clock.

    Liked by 2 people

  92. Where do you think Pitt is going to get he money to pay both the buyout and the extra salary for an already established HC?

    We just lost millions on an empty Pete last year and now we up the ante by at least $10M over a five year contract (plus the $9-10M buyout)?

    And please don’t say donations from boosters because we haven’t seen them in the last 10 years so what makes us think that all of a sudden we’re going to see millions of dollars from them now?

    I think that’s wishful thinking in a pipe dream.

    My point all along has been if you’re going to have a crap two years and you pay someone a lot of money to be the head coach during that time then fans are going to be totally pissed off the whole time.

    If you hire an assistant and he doesn’t do that well, well then at least we can understand that… but I’m telling you if Pitt sets up unreal expectations and it fails and then fans get really angry and disenchanted…

    Like

  94. We truly know so little yet so many are entrenched in their opinions and convinced they know otherwise. I personally am enjoying the hell out of this search. With no NCAA tournament AGAIN
    this year to look forward to, it gives me something sports wise to be interested in until NHL playoffs. I’d still love for it to be Miller. Even if it’s not Miller, ANYONE will is better than Stallings.

    Like

  95. “I am telling you, she fired KS and probably was shocked when they gave her the budget for the new coach.”

    ..That’s a pretty bold statement. What are your sources?

    Like

  97. USC hired Eric Mobley….oh, shocking, he has two kids that are big recruits. I can’t believe a school would do that. Man, Heather missed the boat on this one.

    USC has hired Eric Mobley, the father of two high-profile recruits, as an assistant basketball coach.

    Mobley, an AAU coach for the past 11 years, will fill the void left by Tony Bland, who was fired in January in the wake of his September arrest in connection to the FBI investigation centered on bribery within college basketball.

    Like

    1. I’m not sure this is the Pitt Eric Mobley.

      The article I read last night said he attended college at Portland.

      I’ll try to dig deeper when I’m not at work…

      Like

  98. I nominate Upitt’s comment calling Markp a 4th grader for calling people names as post of the entire history of the POV. Priceless, you can’t make stuff like that. ike

    Like

  99. Throw up somewhere in there. lol. No, I mean throw in the word “up” in front of stuff. Huh, I made myself chuckle. ike

    Like

  100. The O lineman is from the same school as Brown and Davis. Nothing wrong with trying to bring in depth.

    Like

  101. Here’s an eye opener check this out:

    https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/candid-coaches-which-assistant-is-most-likely-to-be-a-very-successful-head-coach/

    Quotes that stood out
    On Duke’s Jon Scheyer …

    “Played at Duke. Coaches at Duke. That formula normally works!”
    “Jon has always been able to relate as a teammate: Winning a national championship, leading his team as a senior, then coming back and coaching. He’s recruited great guys. He’s been doing this now for five years. The experience he’s had, winning a national championship at Duke, playing professionally, coming back — that’s something most guys don’t have.”
    “The best way to be a successful head coach is to get a good job. And he’ll get a good job. All the Duke guys get good jobs.”

    Like

    1. He is often listed as a top assistant.

      It is very unusual for a power 5 school to hire an assistant from ANOTHER university. They usually go with an experienced HC unless they are promoting from within. I have to find the stat.

      Like

  102. Some posters are on board hiring a 30 year old with 4 yrs coaching experience as a assistant. He might be a good HC one day but now is not the time hire him at Pitt with our current situation.

    When Scheyer played at Duke, he could whine with the best of them.

    Like

  104. Paul Zeise at 6:32 p.m. last night:
    “OK here is what I can confirm. Any reports suggesting Jon Scheyer has been offered the Pitt head coaching job are emphatically and absolutely not true. Could Pitt potentially talk to him at some point? Who knows but this stuff about him being offered the job is just not true.”

    Like

    1. Check out the last 10 or 12 tweets from Dokish.

      No one outside of Pitt has a clue as to what is going on with the search.

      Like

  105. That is nothing new PetePitt. They have been that way for a long time. Pitt doesn’t want you to know anything. Who they are talking to and they don’t want you to know salary info either. The question is, how has that worked for them?

    Like

  106. This is both frustrating and compelling. Well otherwise we can just. digest all of the good information coming out of spring ball…

    Like

    1. I disagree. Pitt may not be telling Zeise who they are going to hire. However, I think somone there is telling him who they are NOT going to hire. Zeise seems to be a pretty straight shooter. He went after that coaching changes twitter guy pretty emphatically. I don’t think he would have done that unless he really does know what he is talking (tweeting) about.

      Like

  108. Whoever gets the Pitt job will need to have a high energy level. Their work will be be cut out for them. Need an up and comer who has great social skills… somebody who is successful with lots to prove…someone who knows the game and the recruiting game … come hungry !!!… we don’t need a re- tread who has a padded bank account

    Liked by 1 person

  110. I’m going to go out on a limb here saying I think if Duke hired me tomorrow as their full time basketball recruiter I’d be quite successful. I guess I’m saying recruiting BB players to Duke can be done quite nicely by any of our POV posters as long as Coach K is still the head man at Duke.

    Liked by 1 person

  111. The only way anyone knows if Pitt is talking with someone is if the candidate or his agent leaks info.

    Like

  112. The only comment I’ve heard from PITT’s athletic department was EJ’s rebuttal about the canceled meeting last Friday. Other that that one comment, today is no different than when the search began for a new head BB coach.

    Meanwhile Kenny Pickett threw for 5 touchdowns at the scrimmage on Saturday. << I have no/zero proof of that, I just felt like saying it. Next I’ll report how great Dewayne Hendrix did off the top of my head. ike

    Like

    1. There was a post on MSN’s homepage (for all of 3 minutes) indicating that before it was pulled.

      Like

  115. Well, my oldest son got his BS and Masters degrees at Texas Tech. Yeah, you know, the new coach who just took them to the Elite 8.
    My point, Texas Tech is in the middle of NOWHERE, but they paid big $$$ for a top notch coach who immediately was able to bring in top freshmen
    talent and immediacy make it to the Elite 8. That’s how a REAL AD must think. Not bring in a nobody to save money for 2 or 3 years. We Are Pathetic!

    Like

    1. Note to Pitt BoT idiots: No one outside of Lubbock would know Texas Tech even exists if not for their good nationwide sports footprint.

      Like

  117. Gentlemen, seriously? Let’s look at the Duke assistant coach. He played at Duke, check. He coached at Duke, check. He recruited at Duke, UH OHHH!! The program and the head coach recruits. 4 and 5 star guys go to Duke because of the program success and coach k success, not some young coach. Get to reality folks.

    Duke is only recruiting against Ky and Kansas for the most part and there are plenty of 4 and 5 stars to fill that roster. It is a sham to think any assistant coach is responsible for bringing in a 4 or 5 star for Coach K. Good grief!

    If you want to go cheap and get an up and comer as some propose, find me a guy at a middle of the road program that brings in 4 and 5 star kids? I’ll wait for the research.

    Drum roll please….if you want the best, most local support of my previous point, please look at Orlando Antigua, ace recruiter for Kentucky. He was not an ace recruiter folks. If he was, he would have landed a bunch of 4 and 5 stars at his new gig! He didn’t, because he couldn’t. He got fired. Couldn’t recruit! You all need to understand the mechanics of sport. The program and Calipari recruited the kids by their reputation. Antigua was the baby sitter. Same issue with Duke and UNC. Those programs don’t recruit as much as they are recruited by the athlete.

    Same with Ohio State in football. Everyone thinks Hurban is an ace recruiter and Larry Johnson too. To an extent they are good, but the program recruits these kids. Pitt doesn’t have a program. That is another reason why tressel would have been so important. He LEGITIMIZES the program. Our current AD does not. Our Administration does not. Our BoT does not. If you don’t have that, you better higher a coach that legitimizes the program, or you are left with Pitt.

    Be mad at upitt all you want. He speaks truths, albeit in an interesting way. Peal back the onion and the name calling (which is usually funny) just a bit and the comments are spot on. You don’t get rid of stallings if you are going to chicken out on the next hire. We are chickens. A Leopard (panther) can’t change its spots. That is Pitt in a nutshell.

    Boom – i just dropped the mike and walked off………

    Liked by 1 person

  118. When it comes to sports, Pitt doesn’t care. They just don’t want to be embarrassed. Having Nitwits on the Pitt board…again they don’t care

    When a coaching search takes nearly a month, the AD is hearing a lot of clicks and thanks but no thanks. If the search was going well, the coach would already be in place.

    Nobody really wants this job. They know the PItt Admin/BoT is a complete train wreck.

    Like

  119. A coach texted Doke this. Its the same thing I’ve been saying.

    A coach texted me today about the possibility of Pitt hiring Scheyer: “That would be absurd!!!”

    Like

  120. Chris Peak just reporting Lyke is in Durham today interviewing Scheyer today. Maybe maybe not but my guess is he’ll be happy to work for Pitt cheaply if offered.

    Like

  122. Peak is also questioning what is going on in this search. Here is the answer……..Ms Compliance is in over her head

    Like

  123. The problem is Pitt is conflicted. I went to a school that really did not care about sports.
    1aa football dropped
    Amercan East conference, Patriot now
    You can not be in the ACC and act like you are in the Patriot league.

    Like

  124. I have to admit I’m a bit angry about Heather taking a vacation right now while we don’t have a coach. My wife had our first child a week ago and I”m teaching right now because the school I work at is one of the worst in PA and no one will sub/I don’t want my classroom to be destroyed. It’s a pride in your work thing.

    Show some leadership Heather and come back to the Burgh. By the way, the PItt basketball job seems as attractive as getting a job where I work…no matter the salary, not many are interested haha. Take the dude from Duke…we could do worse.

    Like

  125. Tell me the best they could do is a 30 yr old assistant coach!?! I couldn’t agree more with whoever said Duke sells itself. If anyone thinks it’s a good idea to turn over a power 5 wanna be good program to basically a kid who has not HC experience with 4 yrs total coaching and never been in charge of anything, well……….. Kids will be flocking here to play for the Duke assistant. Heck, if were going to stink and want to save moneyIm sure one of the McConnels would do it cheaper, and I think one actually has HC experience.
    If it’s come to this close the doors, turn the Pete into a bingo parlor and make some real money!

    Like

  126. Listen, all of you guys are getting very upset over nothing but speculation so far. I agree that Pitt’s recent hiring history has been disappointing so expectations are low. But no use getting worked up until the hire is made.

    Like

  127. Just the fact she’s interviewing him is a problem. Three weeks and this is where she is at. Ouch.
    No other p5 school would hire him right now. 30 years old and 4 years being a 3rd assistant at Duke. C’mon.

    Like

    1. And she went to him!!! Like he is Roy Williams or something. 😂

      This is what happens when you hire unqualified people.

      Like

    2. and the problem could be is that nobody else is interested. Schmidt and Oates are only making $1.1 or thereabouts … Pitt can easily offer them a min $2M yet they are not biting. That’s how toxic this program has become maybe.

      Or, maybe Scheyer is not being interviewed as many are reporting. Again, wait until the hire until you get all worked up

      Like

  128. FWIW I believe it’s a done deal and Schemer will gladly take the job at a salary around the $1 million level with incentives built in. We’re rolling the dice cheaply on this hire. My problem is if he’s successful here how long can Pitt keep him before others come a calling.

    Like

  129. Where did this “Heather is on vacation” stuff come from??? Really. Someone’s tweet? Rumor? Made up? Fact?

    Forget the “she’s been on vacation since she got here” wisecracks.

    Like

  131. We are a training ground/minor league/stepping stone for other school’s sports coaches. It is what it is.

    Like

  132. We could have had Oats, Pitt didn’t want to pay him. They could be hiring an young assistant. This gives the built in excuse to pay a low salary.

    Heather got a lot of NO’s.

    Like

  133. Fake news Pete. Did I mention I thought Darrin Hall ran for 5 TD’s and 350 yards at the scrimmage last Saturday? or was that something I dreamed up or made up?

    Like

  134. So, I’m “geting very upset over nothing”??? Hmm..

    I’m upset that it’s taken this long and has been this embarrassing. We couldn’t have hired Duke’s ball boy or a MAC coach the day after firing Stallings? That’s a three week process. Maybe it’s just me.

    I know some of you are thinking, “It’s gonna be fine. We all just need to be patient.” But to be fair, your the same ones that have predicted 9-10 win seasons and ACC Coastal championships each of the last 5 years.

    In fact, for some of you I really believe if your neighbor took a dump in your yard you’d thank him and simply note how well your flowers are gonna grow next season. Hey! Glass half full!

    Like

    1. Now that is sick…

      I never said it is going to be fine, but I did say we need to be patient. Not for an assistant though…

      Like

      1. Wasn’t referencing you there, Rick.

        And after this much time, I feel it’s “ok” to do a little hand-wringing. I’ll be patient for a great hire. But, to end up with an assistant or a MAC coach- that’s a coaching search that should last days not weeks.

        And I agree– if our AD really is on vacation, that’s unacceptable. Has anyone actually confirmed that?

        Like

  135. How does one change the composition of the BoT?

    Pitt will not care about that front porch until a real leader with certain powers is hired as AD. And Heather is no Tressel.

    The schools in the ACC truly care about sports. And some actually balance academics very nicely.

    It would appear that Pitt’s academic rankings are slipping since the ACC move and its sports programs are mired in mediocrity.

    Do we really think the ACC was the best move?

    The support for excellence is not there at Pitt…it has to come from the top. Pitt still isnt ready for this level of competition and commitment. The ACC annual check is barely enough to keep sports afloat at Pitt.

    So does it surprise me that Pitt is Pitting in the search? No. But once Pitt takes away hope, you might as well shut the doors and close the program down.

    We all know what happened to the Pitt Spirit when it was boxed up that final game against Notre Dame at Pitt Stadium.

    I’m afraid that Hope will also become lost.

    Like

  136. Is it common for AD’s from major (?) programs to fly around the country interviewing candidates these days?

    Or is Pitt saving money, by having Heather flying Coach, instead of having to pay for the 1st class ticket for the candidate ? 🙂

    Like

  137. Pitt will be very happy to accept all the potential Duke BB recruits that couldn’t get accepted because of scholarship limitations. Pitt can become the triple A franchise club for non admitted Duke recruits.

    Like

  138. To be fair, lyke was probably given a dollar figure and told to find somebody to hire. What if the only person she can find to say yes is some low level assistant?

    Like

  140. Louisville is expected to have a new HC in place (even with all their past problems) so that they can
    attend the Final 4 as L-Ville’s new HC.

    Like

  141. If all this is true, we have no business making fun of ANY other school, Hoopies and Nitters included. She actually went to interview him???? You have GOT to be kidding me!

    Like

  142. If this doesn’t work out for Lyke maybe she ought to just try the WANT ADDS. Sit back while she’s on vacation for the next week and when she returns to Pittsburgh she can see if any resumes have been sent in applying for the job.

    Like

  143. What I don’t understand it why there aren’t dozens of guys begging for the job. Can’t we sell them on the fact that Pitt is the place where you can coach for about 2.5M per for 2 years, build nothing, lose every game in conference your 2nd year and walk away with about a 10M buyout?

    I bet there are a bunch of guys out there who wished they knew BB guru AD Scott Barnes a few years ago.

    Like

  146. She was given money from the boosters to hire Hurley. She would be stupid not to go hard after him. It is not a open check book however. But if there is a name who can come to Pitt, the money is there to do so. But not for a Duke assistant. Oats is taking a risk that his team will win next year. But he has 3 years and wanted 3 million. Pitt said no and rightfully so. The search firm is known for some coaches being hired out of the blue so who knows. No one knows what is really going on as Pitt is close to the vest here.

    Like

    1. Like you mentioned most coaches (who just recently were in the NCAA’s) aren’t willing to give up their current teams (and a possible NCAA next season) without a lot of $$ thrown at them, since they will be rebuild for a few years. SO the choice comes down to some assistant who is willing to take the chance (like the current Marquette coach) or ? She’s in Durham to read his interest before flying him to campus to try and seal the deal.

      Like

  147. The poison pill here, could have been the leaked $3 million offer to Hurley. Now did Hurley and his agent do this, just to poison the waters for Pitt. Since he also put out that Pitt came in 3rd, even below him staying at Rhode Island. Ouch

    Like

  148. I think it is going to be very interesting when we do hire a new head coach.

    I have a feeling we’re not going to pay him anything like big money fans are bandying about and I don’t think he’s going to be anything like an already esablished head coach.

    We’re going to go with the young up-and-comer rather than an expensive, experienced coach.

    Like

  149. A young coach is fine. A young assistant is not. Still plenty of young coaches out there. All Heather needs to do is pick up the phone.

    Like

    1. Good then get a rotting corpse in here to do that at Pitt.

      I think expectations are way too high for our basketball program even now…we’re not going to do what everyone in the media and fans wants us to do; we’re going to do what Pitt wants to do

      Liked by 1 person

  154. Well Reed if that rotting corpse can bring Coach K with him as his assistant then we’ll be able to sell out the Pete once again.

    Like

  157. PITT needs to quit looking at these young inexperienced assistant coaches and hire Miller, Pitino, or Calipari. Heather needs to not go on vacation, real AD’s don’t go home while looking for a coach. Mark

    Like

  158. BREAKING NEWS: The Pitt POV reports that the University of Pittsburgh has decided to put Pitt basketball on a one year sabbatical and will revisit the head coaching situation in March of 2019.

    Verified true.

    Liked by 1 person

  159. Just curious. Does anybody know how much WVCC is paying:
    1. Huggy Bear?
    2. Current Head Football Coach?
    Thx!

    Like

      1. Thx much Reed!
        And by the way, really enjoyed the podcast and the smooth “reed” vocals!

        Like

  160. For the record, if it is JS from Duke, I’m a bit underwhelmed but satisfied PITT did a decent job going after the target they set up from the start. Pretty obvious that the job became to daunting for some coaches to leave their job security for the PITT mess. Plan B was to drop back and punt. They should have used the new PITT punter… ike

    Like

    1. You would say positive things if we hired Gomer Pyle or Jethro Bodine. You would say Jethro has connections in LA and Kentucky.

      Like

  162. Back To Football: Read the PSN write up on Jacob Gamble(OT Ventura CC) visit to Pitt tomorrow. Quite a story around him IMO. With the offer to the Lackawanna College OT today and the visit of Gamble tomorrow it would appear that Pitt is in a little “panic mode” in trying to shore up the OL numbers for next year with a couple of our senior OLman graduating this year.

    Like

  163. I wonder if Barry Alvarez has called to advise Pitt on who they should hire as Men’s Bball coach?

    Like

  164. Maybe Pitt should take a longer term perspective. They should be looking 3-4 years down the road when the Duke and NC coaching dynasties will be over. Boeheim will also be gone at CUSE, and a new age will be dawning in ACC basketball. Where does Pitt want to be at that point? The one and done era will hopefully be gone by then, and coaches will need to actually develop players. If they pick an up and coming coach now, he would be more experienced and ready to compete for championships then.

    Like

  165. You guys are funny. @Tx- who said anything about us being mediocre. 0-18 is not mediocre.

    So we will have a FB head coach with three years of experience in P5. A basketball head coach with ZERO years experience in P5 and an AD with 1 year experience in P5. Well, things can’t get worse.

    How can you start a search looking at paying an experienced coach $2.5M – $3M per year and end up with a ZERO experienced coach, paying 750k per year. Where is backup plan in the $2.5M zone. How does that work exactly? I get what she has done here. She looked at Steve Wojohowski and saw the great recruiting results he had when he started and is looking to duplicate that success. The major difference is that wojo is at a basketball only university. I think he recruited a 5 star and 4 four stars in his four years at Marquette. Why not hire him?

    Has there been any great success story on coach k’s tree? Brey, Quin Snyder (125-90), Capel at .434 P5 Conference winning percentage and Ammaker .448 Big10 winning percentage in conference. Brey hasnt sniffed sweet 16 in 16 years, despite the most recognizable brand in the world. That said, he didn’t get his first gig at a P5 school until after Duke. It was Delaware and after 8 years as an assistant.

    Wojo has good film he can show a recruit on how to defend and hustle. That is great. I don’t remember Scheyer. Sorry, no excitement. He is trending, so it must be true…

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    1. Hey Huff good post….however Mike Brey has been to 2 Elite 8’s. Losing to two #1 seeds (UK & UNC) in those games. And he has 1 Sweet 16 losing to, again a #1 seed….Arizona.

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        1. Very good point. I think Capel would be an excellent choice if he gets another chance at a Power 5 school.

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    1. The point was that he was at delaware first for 5 years. C’mon emel. He didn’t leave Sir Dukey and go to P5. He put in his time at Delaware.

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    1. Capel had a good run at VCU, setting the stage for Shaka and then started string at Oklahoma before they got in trouble and had to vacate a lot of wins. Capel was never implicate in it, btw.

      Liked by 1 person

  170. Still don’t understand why Pitt cannot get someone like Mack at Xavier, or even Cronin at Cincinnati. Mack would apparently rather go to a tainted program like Louisville, or Musselman at Nevada. This should be a step up for any of these coaches. Recall that Beilein jumped to Michigan from WVU, so even P5 coaches will move to a better opportunity. Something is scaring them off from Pitt, such as they want to bring their assistant coaches who make more money now than Pitt is willing to spend. We all know how tight Pitt is with the staff budgets.

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    1. It could also be our AD scaring them off. Many things at Pitt are scary. A critical media. Demanding fans. Unsupportive administration. Tough conference. Infertile recruiting ground. Low pay. Don’t cheat. Athletes actually have to get good grades and attend real classes. Who would sign up for that.

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    2. Pitt can’t afford either Mack or Cronin now. Since it was leaked that a guy like Hurley was offered $3 mil per. Mack or Cronin would want over $4 mil.

      That’s why I posted above, that leaked $3 mil per for Hurley, poison pilled Pitt. And it could have been done on purpose.

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  171. Heathers in North Carolina with her Italian hubby David and three kiddos. Probably at OBX on spring break. That’s why the assistant didn’t fly back to Pittsburgh.

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    1. Little chilly over there, high of 49 today, only 47 tomorrow and there’s a flood alert. Northerners would want guaranteed warmer weather for a break from snow/cold/etc. That means Florida.

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  173. Again, underwhelmed if JS is the hire. The above comment by myself should have been more clear. I am satisfied PITT identified Hurley as their number one target and made a good effort to get him. Plan B was in place but the coaches on the list wanted no part of PITT. So here we are with plan C. As long as the extra monies go into the assistant coaches I’ll be fine with the hire only because I have to. ike

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    1. If Tepper wins out, he would have to give up his 5% share of the Pgh. Steelers. Which means the Pitt logo at midfield will probably disappear. Cause I believe it only appeared after he became an owner with the Stillers. Prior to that, there was nothing at the 50 yard line.

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  176. PT, not my first choice by a long shot. I can live with it if PITT gives him $$ for a knowledgeable support group..

    Upitt, going to the Bahamas? How dare you while PITT is searching for a BB head coach. 🙂 ike

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    1. Ike – I’m working Easter weekend because we are on a high level search. Gotta give 150%.

      No Bahamas. Miami tho

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  178. actually, Mack may not be going to Louisville even though his salary would be doubled. Lville asked permission to talk with UK asst Ken Payne
    wwb

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  182. T. Boone Pickens (net worth of $500 million) is a piker compared to Pitt’s very own David Tepper (net worth of $11 Billion)

    If Tepper becomes the new owner of the Carolina Panthers (heart of ACC country), I’m sure he wouldn’t want Pitt to continue to be the laughing stock of ACC bball.

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    1. Wow Emel, that’s a reach! Exactly how much of that money he’s had for years has Tepper donated to Pitt football?

      $0.

      In all he’s given CMU $125M (!!) over the years and, from all I can find far, far less to Pitt academic scholarship funds…maybe $5M.

      The biggest donation Pitt has received in a football championship fund came since it started (and many years past) came from the Guttman family and that was directed toward the student/athlete academic side of the championship fund and that was $2M.

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  183. Emel it was indeed Ed Wood….named worst director of all time in a Hollywood poll. Interesting about Tepper in that he could change things in a heartbeat if so inclined using chump change for him. One time donation…

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    1. Right they made a movie about him, Johnny Depp played Ed Wood. go figure.

      And yes Mr. Tepper could change things if he was so inclined. However right now, he’s kinda of tied up with this Carolina Panthers purchase. He’s the only bidder that doesn’t need partners. 🙂

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  184. Who are the top 5 remaining candidates?
    I’m still thinking mussleman, oats, Cooley, …
    I would name more but I don’t want Heather to plagiarize.

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      1. I know Nathan Davis….but not that one.

        Nathan traveled extensively around Europe after the war and moved to Paris in 1962. He holds a Ph.D in Ethnomusicology from Wesleyan University and has been a professor of music and director of jazz studies at the University of Pittsburgh since 1969, an academic program that he helped to initiate.

        He is also founder and director of the University of Pittsburgh Annual Jazz Seminar and Concert, the first academic jazz event of its kind in the country.

        He also helped to found the university’s William Robinson Recording Studio as well as establish the International Academy of Jazz Hall of Fame located in the school’s William Pitt Union and the University of Pittsburgh-Sonny Rollins International Jazz Archives. Davis, who retired in 2013 as director of the Jazz Studies Program at Pitt, now has Professor Emeritus status at the university.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. His replacement died last summer, and to my knowledge, has yet to be replaced. Hope Heather doesn’t take that long.

          wwb

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  185. When will sponsor names show up on the pitch and jerseys? Can Pitt start thinking like the Premier League and teams like Man U and sell rights for advertisement along the field wall, possibly on the field, on tarps and yes on uniforms. I’m sure the NCAA would love a cut.

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  186. It is noted on this site that Pitt has no big time athletic boosters other than Corky Cost. Not sure why the Barco- Duratz Foundation which has given about $20 million and Jim Duratz is still giving is not in the conversation.

    Anyways, I’d love to know how the phone call went from Heather to Dave Tepper (Pitt Economics, 1978) net worth $10 Billion (that’s B as in Bigger than the bally-hooed T. Boone Pickens’ $2 Billion net worth) asking for a donation to his alma mater?

    Also, when I was a senior in Pitt Engineering there was a freshman Robert Colwell (Pitt Electrical Engineering, 1977) who became Intel’s Chief designer of the Pentium Chip which revolutionized computing. I do hope that Heather also made the call to Robert, who probably has a lot of spare change.

    The point is: hire the right people, and as always have that right person “follow the money,”

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    1. I think it means Cost gives money for athletics while all others appears to give only for academics. I believe that is the point being made here on the site. Maybe I’m wrong but that is how I take it.

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      1. Tony & Anon,

        Correct. These conversations about donations to Pitt are based on whether or not any boosters re going to Pony up an extra $2.2M dollars per year to get Sean Miller to come from Arizona to coach Pitt basketball. in addition to paying up to $9M for the Stallings buyout.

        Corky Cost and Tepper and Duratz/Barco Foundation all do contribute to the University of Pittsburgh, but it’s always on the academic side or on the facilities side and not directly toward recruiting or salaries or any of the ‘operational’ costs of football.

        It’s always been something that will last long at Pitt as a university and will benefit student-athletes on the academic side if any $$$ goes that direction. So my point is, and I made some phone calls here, there are no huge boosters who are willing to plop down almost $20 million for a higher salary and a buyout just to get Sean Miller to come to Pitt.. that’s never going to happen.

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        1. Corky was always happy that he got his engineering degree from PITT. Fit right into his family’s successful construction business. He was also happy to be a player on two Pitt bowl teams. I am not surprised to read that his contributions were more for lasting facilities than the more ephemeral nature of coaches who come and go.

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  187. This 47 yard field goal is sponsored by…..Dollar Tree.

    It’s the Fanta two minute warning….

    That Pitt traveling violation is brought to you by “The Outer Banks” where vacations always are better than work.

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    2. This technical foul brought to you but the cool look of sophistication and woven leather of a Rockport!

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  188. He’s a loafer….

    This could go on all night….

    That hold is brought to you by the upmc incontinence hotline

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  189. Need a Pitt basketball recruiter fast. Imhotep charter{ Philadelphia} up 64-27 on Sharon in pa 4a state championship. Huggins is there.

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  192. I wonder if Hurley has let it sink in yet that he’s the 2nd most popular basketball coach at UConn?

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  194. Capel and maybe that Becker dude from Vermont… it’s a guessing game from here on out. Like some are saying, go for Mobley. His two boys would be a nice start.

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  196. Good question, maybe that’s why Capel is being leapfrogged by JS? … or maybe he’s been appointed heir apparent to the Duke job when coach k gets called upon by the FBI! << and that’s going to happen.

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  197. I really fear this disorganized disaster of an alleged B.B. HC Search is going to end quite badly and stink to high heaven!!!! And sadly, at this point of time no one can offer even a glimpse of hope with any certainty.
    Heck, the passengers on the Titanic had more hope than we do.
    YIKES!!!

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  198. Hey Jim, a caller to Zeiss last night asked if Larry Brown is being considered. I assume he meant the “unsinkable” Larry Brown from the Titanic. Haha.
    Reed, just listened to the podcast…loved having them back. Killer Midnight Rider intro from my all time favorite band, the Allman Brothers.

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    1. well that makes at least 3 on this site that lists the ABB as their favorites.

      Seen them about 8 or 9 times through the years beginning in ’73 at 3 Rivers but never saw them with Duane. I still kick myself in the butt … when they were doing their annual stint at the Beacon, it often coincided with the BE tourney at MSG, yet I never took advantage of it.

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      1. I saw them about four times… the first time down in Washington DC where they were with the Grateful Dead, Santana and Doug Sham and his band for two Day concert festival and that was with Duane.

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  200. I think the Police can stop crime in it’s tracks. If you are found guilty of a crime you are sentenced to 3 years in solitary confinement and all you hear is Herman on repeat with his fat puckered lips saying “Let’s hear it for the band!” From the Stallings Press Conf.

    Liked by 1 person

  201. I keep telling you guys it is going to be an assistant coach from a big school or it’s going to be a head coach from a much smaller school and they’re going to be under 35 years old.

    I guarantee it.

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  202. Reed, I hope you are right, those have always been the primary options from the beginning of this search (especially since most had ruled out Matta due to health, and most did not like Crean), so that’s what has always been realistic. That said, my preference has always been a HC from a smaller school around the age of 40ish, yet I’m afraid Tossing will be right and we’ll wind up with an assistant. My preference has always been the HC, a guy like Oates or Odom, etc. I guess the one thing I’ve always been against is an older guy (mid to upper 50’s) for this job.

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  203. In true Pitt fashion A new search usually creates fan engagement and excitement. At Pitt it produces the opposite. It shows the many wholes that exist in this admin. Have a regular press conf aka Indiana for Archie Miller. No band, no cheerleaders just the coach and a plan. Don’t create fake excitement.

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  204. Who’s left? An old guy from a P5. We just did that one. He was awful.

    Stated differently and perhaps more accurately is that Pitt will not get the best basketball coach. It will get a coach that can be controlled and influenced by the AD. A coach that will give all credit for success to the AD and will take full responsibility for failure because he doesn’t yet have a big enough ego or influence to blame an AD that just may not be up to the task. A coach that is indebted to the AD for quadrupling his salary at a minimum and giving his family financial security. It’s a power game for the AD. This is management 101………………….from the 70’s.

    Not the best coach, which is what the Pitt students, alumni, donors and supporters of the program deserve.

    An above average Chancellor would see through the charade and never allow such “self serving, self preservation” antics in his shop. All comes back to not being prepared for the job. No list of current P5 coaches or high mid major candidates with a developed relationship from which to pull talent. That is why you pay for talent up front.

    That said, we should win a few games in the ACC next year just because we can’t set a longer record of futility. No way but up for the program. I seriously think that most on here could do better with a coach hire by now. Since January and this is all we got. A year on the job and still no valued connections.

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    1. Entire Post Spot On.

      I’m all about equal opportunity but hire a qualified candidate who commits to Pitt. Not a compliance BS’ers whose family lives in Michigan. Who allows this garbage. Academia is full of zero grit.

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  205. @Reed. Well, with those 2 scenarios you have pretty much covered everything. Only other scenario is us getting Coach K or Roy Williams…..and that is not going to happen. Your not exactly going out on a limb….

    If they hire an assistant that has never been a HC before this will set the program back 7+ years

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  208. At this point YMCA.

    Haha.

    I think somehow Miller takes the job.

    Maybe his wife’s parents are aging. Something will happen and they will give him 4m a year.

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  210. I also feel Miller is somehow in play. Mostly because I think he’s neck deep in dodo and his time is done at Arizona. There should only be one team interested in signing Miller and that is PITT. His home, his willingness to come to PITT and PITT doesn’t have much to lose. Still very much in doubt though.

    Whoever ends up PITT’s next BB head coach, it would interesting to see who the assistants are and the money spent on the staff. That will tell me more than anything.

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  211. New Castle has won 5 of the last 6 WPIAL titles in its division including this year, although they were whipped by Sharon who was just whipped by a Philly Catholic school in state title. I don’t know the HC personally but I used to play ball with his older brother. I am willing to represent him for a reasonable salary that will be affordable to Pitt (although the buyout will be at least $9.4M)

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  212. Upitt, about Sean’s parents ageing? I’m fairly sure they are.

    Miller would never command the money he’s about to lose out on in Arizona, another reason to sign him cheaper than ever. and speaking of no recruits? I read that his recruits bailed out on him.

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  213. I believe Miller is a complete long shot. Highly unlikely. Although all things considered i would take him over all other names mentioned.

    Pitt likes to be conservative and “safe” with hires. They rarely take a risk(another reason why they don’t win), with this FBI thing I cannot imagine them hiring Miller now.

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  214. Pitt has everything to lose if we spend $5M+ (salary and bonuses) on Sean Miller and he ends up getting indicted by the Feds which may well happen.

    Holy Hell!! Can you imagine the negative sh*tstorm that would engulf Pitt if that happens?.

    What is it with you guys? He is exactly the one person Pitt should have absolutely nothing to do with. If Pitt could find big money then go after anyone in the world other than Sean miller… and BTW there is no guarantee Miller is going to succeed at Pitt anyway.

    Man – Pitt fans have truly lost their minds on this issue…

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    1. I think they realize they need to spend $ to win and the pressure of search makes them face in to Miller.

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    2. Realize though that the negative sh*t storm would last about 5bminutes and there would be no other consequence if the next hire was a good one.

      That is an opinion that I think few would disagree with other than you Reed.

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  215. About Miller

    I said still very much in doubt.

    He would never get close to the money he’s making in Zona right now. Never. He is damaged goods with no job very soon.

    PITT basketball doesn’t have much to lose at all. Just ask the commenters on the POV …ike

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  216. Reed – right, Miller is no more of a guarantee than a young coach making the leap from a smaller school, he’s been repeatedly referred to as a guy who has done nothing with top recruiting classes, and he just apparently lost his best recruiter to boot, so where does that leave him. I’m not saying Miller couldn’t be successful at Pitt, but there are a lot of questions. Hurley IS actually from a small school, RI, and there’s no guarantee he wouldn’t been a huge success either, many on these boards questioned him as a choice when his name initially came up (I didn’t, I thought he was a good risk). Anyway, that is the one hire that would put Heather’s career in jeopardy if things went south for the wrong reasons, especially given her compliance background.

    I also believe administration has done a poor job dictating information regarding this search and in essence brought the fan base hysteria on themselves. Frankly, this search could be going exceedingly well minus the Hurley miss (the only known offer), and they could wind up with a better candidate than Hurley, but by not controlling/dictating the communication process, we are subject to every negative sentiment out there. I’m not saying this will end well, just that you can control perception, and in this case perception could actually wind up impacting the process and turn it into reality.

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  217. FWIW….from Goodman

    St. Bonaventure’s Mark Schmidt and Buffalo’s Nate Oats are both out of Pittsburgh search, sources told ESPN. Looks like the Panthers are closing in on another candidate.

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  220. Its time for her to leak the candidate so she can get the reaction.

    I will say it again – Capel would be a good pick. Good coach and recruiter and really had a nice record at VCU. Did really well at Oklahoma – add in the vacated wins to see how he really did. He was never implicated in the incident involving a $3000 pmt by a sports agent to Tiny Gallon, which led to the vacated wins.

    My contacts inside VCU have always maintained he was a great guy and responsible for the rise of VCU in the 2000’s.

    Unlike, Sheyer, he’s got the experience. Pitt would get a HC with experience in one of the top P5 BB programs along with HC experience at the P5 and mid-major level. THe pricetag for a guy working his way back may suit Pitt’s budget.

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  221. @Ike – the 5 star recruits bailed (including shaquille oneils kid), but that is more of a negative recruiting pitch and reactionary response, similar to all of the Pitt players asking for releases once the news hit about their headcoach getting CANNED! Once the dust settles, we’ll see who is in the fold or out for all of these programs. Condaleeza Rice has been hired by the NCAA as a consultant on this issue and I suspect that she will interview Miller for candid feedback in exchange for no penalties/sanctions. If the NCAA is smart, they handle the investigation in that manner in order to best clean up the mess once and for all. What better way to clean the mess and remove AAU and handlers. If the Miller team is smart, he comes forward to the NCAA and cuts that deal, also being careful not to implicate himself with the pending fbi (the ethical fun bunch) investigation. You can do both successfully.

    I am in agreement that Miller will not command $5M per year. He is a $3M – $3.5m per year fella right now. Pitt would be foolish not to pursue him heavily in that price range.

    Look, if this was going to play out any differently, all of the universities with head coaches that have any tie-in to the manufacturer’s/aau and handlers would have cut bait with their current coaches whose names have been mentioned, but they haven’t. There is a reason. Head Coaches will be fine, or that is how it currently looks. Protect yourself by contract and all is good. Pitt won’t be ridiculed if he must go in 2-3 years.

    Pitt is being ridiculed for having no leadership, direction and lack of a spine. Safe gets you 0-18 and zero championships in all sports, every year. Hiring Miller is the complete opposite. It shows the ACC and the collegiate sports enterprise that Pitt is committed to being great. If we have to fire him in 2-3 years when everyone is getting fired, so be it. I don’t think that happens however.

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  226. “Heathers in North Carolina with her Italian hubby David and three kiddos. Probably at OBX on spring break. That’s why the assistant didn’t fly back to Pittsburgh.

    “Mack wouldn’t even return Heather’s phone call. It stops and ends there”

    “Bingo? Pitt’s too afraid to gamble”

    “Or could you imagine if we hire an assistant and we have a coach with training wheels for 5 years. I would be shocked if a assistant is hired. Unless of course Heather gets turned down double digit times.”

    “Maybe they will hire Micky Mouse since Heather is at Disney. Our luck we sign “Goofy” to a 6 year deal.”

    …. and on and on. people putting people down

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