in Pitt Football 788 Words

Soccer Final Four; Indiana Gameday Thread

Another great article from Tex. He is making this off-season exciting for us with his insight…

80 years. It’s been 80 years since any Pitt sports team has reached a Final Four. Well the long wait is finally over. Pitt’s men’s soccer has reached the College Cup with is soccer’s equivalent of the Final Four.

Pitt’s opponent this Friday is Indiana. Indiana is to soccer what UCLA is to basketball. Indiana is a storied program claiming eight national championships, 21 College Cup appearances, 45 playoff appearances and 13 Big Ten titles since 1991. Indiana won the Big Ten title this year by beating Penn State.

Coach Jay actually played one year at Indiana in 1978 before transferring after his freshman year.  “I was Jerry Yeagley’s East Coast experiment,” said Vidovich, who was born in Detroit but played his high school soccer in Connecticut. “… Coach Jay admitted he wasn’t good enough as a player for the program. I think he’s being modest. He still keeps in touch with Coach Jerry Yeagley.

Todd Yeagley, son of legendary Indiana Coach Jerry Yeagley, has been Indiana coach since 2010. His 2012 team won the national title as a 16 seed. Yeagley played for Indiana under his father and then played seven years for the Columbus Crew as a defender.

Indiana’s path to meet Pitt started with a win against Saint Francis Brooklyn. They won during a penalty kick shootout after the game ended tied. Indiana beat Marquette 2-1 and then beat Seton Hall 2-0 in the quarterfinals.

Indiana is ranked the number two team in the country but are seeded as a three in the playoffs. They sport a 11-1-2 record. Many of Indiana’s wins over the season have typically been 2 to nil shutouts. Indiana’s goalkeeper has eight shutouts, has an excellent 90% save percentage and a goals against of 0.35. They have never allowed more than one goal in a game this season although many of their wins have only been by a goal.

On offense, Indiana is led by sophomore forward Victor Bezerra. He has 12 goals and 4 assists on the year including four game winning goals. He was the Big Ten’s offensive player of the year. Bezerra contributes over a third of Indiana’s offense. He is a very explosive and talented player having trained with some of the very best professional clubs. He’s obviously very technically sound given his elite level of training.

Keys to the Game
Indiana

1) Score First. I thought that was the key in the Pitt vs Washington game. It’s key in this one as well. By scoring first, Indiana can focus on playing lock down defense and impose their will with ball possession. Indiana’s strength is the center of the field. Those players are your best ball handlers and can play a game of keep away.

2) Get Bezerra involved early and often. He’s their dynamic forward responsible for scoring. He is their offense. As he goes so goes Indiana’s offense.

3) Come up with big saves. Pitt will get quality shots particularly from set pieces or free kicks. Indiana’s goalkeeper must have a excellent performance and might be asked to steal this game. There’s a good chance this game goes to a penalty kick shootout.

Pitt

1) Contain Bezerra. Pitt needs to find a way to shut this guy down. He’s probably the best player on the pitch from both teams. Sorry Noel. But how can Pitt do it?  Hard fouls. I would tell him he’s been marked and noticed with a hard fouls around minute 15. And then I’d foul again at the 40 minute mark before half. It’s risky because these fouls might draw yellow cards but Pitt needs to make Bezerra tentative and get into his head mentally.

2) Attack from the outside and wings. Indiana will try to clog the middle. Their strength is the spine. I would use Pitt’s speed on the outside and go wide. Do some long balls and crossing into the box. Use an air game against the Hoosiers.

3) Get two goals. Pitt has the ability to score in so many ways from so many players. It has to win this game in regulation and not have it go to overtime and penalty kicks. Find a way to get two goals, preferably by scoring the games first one, and Pitt will be in control. I’d attack Indiana aggressively from the start.

Prediction

Indiana is Pitt’s most difficult team faced all season. Indiana prides itself on defense and forcing teams to play conservatively. Pitt can’t afford to fall into this trap. A trip to the national title game awaits the winner.

PITT 2
INDIANA 1

HAIL TO PITT!

339 thoughts on “Soccer Final Four; Indiana Gameday Thread”

  4. Off topic but since it’s the day before game time…. Pittsburgh sports Now is saying Hugely will return to BB team next year. So a lot of bodies next year just not much experience

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Liked by 4 people

    2. That news is good for the Capel’s as long as the AD allows Hugley’s return. No official reports on that yet.

      Possible starting line-up:

      Femi PG
      Nike SG
      Jeffries SF
      Collier PF
      Hugley C

      Possible back-ups:

      Burton PG (if eligible)
      Horton SG
      Payton SF
      Oladapo PF
      Amadasun C

      Capel still has time to get a transfer PG and C

      Like

      1. USF center Michael Durr may be a transfer that Capel can snag. He was committed to transfer to VT and backed out at the same time Effin Reid committed to LSD and their HC Wodd (sp).

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  5. Good read — really appreciate these articles from Tex. Also worth noting that when Pitt went to its last final four in any varsity sport, the 1941 NCAA Basketball Tournament, the NIT was the better of the two postseason basketball competitions. In those days, the NCAA scheduled its tournament after the NIT to avoid a conflict with the more prestigious tourney and some of the best teams skipped the NCAAs entirely. The year Pitt went to the Final Four it was an 8-team tournament that did not include NIT champion Long Island University who many observers at the time considered the true national champion. So, in context, this is arguably Pitt’s first Final Four in any sport if you are using Final Four as shorthand for the four best tournament teams that year. (Obviously, football is its own animal with voting determining the final standings until recently).

    To be fair, I should add that Pitt is often considered the 1930 national champion in basketball, but that’s from the pre-tournament era when inter-regional games in basketball were pretty rare and choosing the mythical national champ involved a ton of guesswork. Since then, sustained success in basketball has been elusive apart from the Chipman-Evans and Howland-Dixon eras.

    All that is to say, Pitt has had a difficult sporting history for most of the past 80 years, but soccer is unwilling to be a prisoner to past performance. (Good for them). Regardless of the outcome, men’s soccer has set the bar high and done the university proud. Let’s get a couple more and bring home some hardware. #H2P

    Liked by 8 people

  6. I noticed where Pitt baseball apparently had 12 players transfer out as they began to develop their current program. Sometimes it is necessary to clean house at the beginning, but Capel has taken a slightly different course for basketball. He will slowly bring in players that match his philosophy, and it is clear that Heather has his back. So again I predict that Capel will have his contract extended soon. And I actually think he will turn things around, especially if Hugely sticks around.

    As for Narduzzi, Heather is very proper in the way she does things, she handles problems internally rather than airing the laundry in public. It was clear from her recent discussion that she and Narduzzi have had some serious discussions about the problems with Pitt football, to the point of publicly expressing her unhappiness over the loss of 2 games by 1 point. Reading between the lines, she also doesn’t appear to like all of the personal foul penalties, and the lack of team discipline on the field. So there is apparently some strong feedback coming PN’s way, but also some praise for the quality of the players and the coaches abilities.

    Liked by 7 people

    1. I heard her discuss the FB program and was happy to hear her comments. Close games and penalties – exactly!

      Fix both and a lot of us will be happy. He lost me after the NC State and BC debacles last yr. I still believe he doesn’t have it in him to get the program to 10+ wins and an ACC championship, but would be happy to be wrong.

      Liked by 4 people

  7. There was almost unanimous support here and on Chris Peak’s site for his return. Maybe the Pitt brass doesn’t have a tin ear.

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  8. Tex, thanks for yet another good read!

    I’m a little perplexed by your prediction as the analysis suggested (to me) the Indiana program knows how to play on the biggest stage, that they are a better team with a better top player. Coaching advantage to the Hoosiers as well?

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    1. Pitt has performed well on this stage. Their confidence is high.

      Indiana has one guy who is the offense. They can’t afford for him to have a bad day. Pitt can make his day terrible by fouling him

      Both coaches have won a NC. Both have different coaching philosophies. Coach Jay needs to be true to his in this game.

      Like I said, I would attack on the outside. Indiana’s strength is their middle. And I would attack from the start.

      Pitt doesn’t have any injuries. They are well rested. And they have a deep bench.

      Like

  9. Thanks much, Tex. I’m all in on soccer — love the EPL games and level of play. So great to see Pitt rise to the top of the college teams. Well done !!

    These players are true, true athletes. I had a discussion with my Physical Therapist (Pitt doctorate) a couple of years ago about — of any and all the sports, who are the best all-around athletes. His take: pro hockey and soccer players, I agreed and added (the top) squash players. One thing he said about soccer players: on average, they run about 7 miles a games. Ain’t no Kennywood Tubbies out on the pitch !

    Liked by 6 people

    1. Kobe Bryant also thought soccer players were some of the greatest athletes in the world. You need endurance to play that sport. And you don’t need to be very strong or very tall. Some of the worlds best players are 5’4” to 5’10” tall. It helps to be tall if you are a defender or keeper though.

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  10. Tex, Your articles on football (soccer to us uninitiated) are terrific. I hope you will keep them coming.
    How do we get the game on TV tomorrow? Is there a good chance it is on the ACC network or ESPN 2?
    H2P Soccer Gramps

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Annie – I will be in Lay-trobe with Fran and Richman tomorrow night and Im guessing we will find a place to watch that. Playing in the Dick Groat Pitt Celebrity Golf Outing. Would make for some good noise at the course Saturday if the soccer team can win. Hoping to see Ike while up there!!!

      Liked by 6 people

      1. Go to either Dinos or Sharkeys to watch the game. In Latrobe. Both within a mile of the Airport, not in Downtown Lay-Trobe.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Those who did not want Hugley back: don’t bother watching Pitt until he graduates. Show us how holy you are with action, not words.

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          1. Pitt handled it wrong. Five game suspension then reinstatement.

            Or the coach should have just let him freely walk and transfer

            Pitt picked the worst possible middle ground

            Personally I would have let him walk. Not impressed with a 2012 Chevy Malibu. 2018 Cadillac would impress me.

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  13. Thanks for another interesting soccer article, Tex.

    Good news about Hugley. Now to find a half-decent center to go along with him. (Damn, Reid would have made Pitt a pretty good team…).

    Go Pitt. Go ike!

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Part of Hugley’s statement…

    “The love and support I received from Coach Capel, the coaching staff and my teammates provided me with the strength to grow throughout the past five months. I cannot thank Heather Lyke enough for her guidance, leadership and support as well.

    “The way everyone at Pitt has stood by me has only grown my love for the university and the people here.”

    (Okay, so this must mean he’ll be entering the portal before July 4th…😊)

    Go Pitt!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. LOL….I was thinking the same thing about him leaving. Maybe he can play a little soccer too…

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  15. Pitt baseball ranked 16th, with a 3 game weekend series with NC State at home on Cost Field.

    The Panthers are a 1/2 game out of 1st place in the Coastal division after the loss to BC last Saturday evening. GT sits on top in 1st place.

    The first pitch tomorrow is at 6pm.

    Go Pitt!

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  16. Tex, if only Duzz could create as much enthusiasm with the PITT FB nation…What advice would you give him in less than 100 words ?

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    1. The only way to create more buzz is with a new head coach. A coach who has an offensive background. A team much like okie state that can score points and be entertaining as hell to watch.

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  17. Sorry, but I watched our AD’s presser and came away with some different thoughts than some on here. Specifically about the base fact that a huge part of her job is interacting with students, alumni, fans and the public. It was very obvious to me that someone tapped her on the shoulder and said “Get your butt out there and tell people what is going on!”

    Her long stretches of not being 1) available to the media and 2) not keeping the above mentioned people in the loop as to how their begged-for donations are being spent only hinders what, in essence, is her primary purpose – fund raising. We all know how she’s done on that front.

    Its all well and good to remind us that we lose close games and have horrendous penalties but where is the heat for Narduzzi to fix that? Nowhere. We lose close games and shoot ourselves in the foot on a regular basis but guess what? So does every other football team. But somehow she spins it as, well, just bad luck that happens… but ‘We’ll get it right this time!’

    If she could start being honest with us I’d rather hear the truth – that Narduzzi is locked in as long as he does not drive the team into 2 or 3 win seasons or have a major scandal. Because that is the truth.

    The common thought in college is that you give a HC his four years to get his own recruited players into his program. After that the win curve better start shooting skyward. If that doesn’t happen, and it sure hasn’t, then the guy should be on the hot seat. Hotter every year until a final edict is stated as to his employment – win or get the Hell out of the Southside.

    If we are paying Narduzzi $3.5M per year just to keep the program clean and the kids graduating then be honest and say that. If not, quit assuming we fans and donors are dumb asses who believe every canned speech the admin throws our way.

    I love the way the ‘minor’ programs are doing so well and I give her credit for that. It is ‘feel good’ stuff and fun to watch. But we all know which two sports are the canaries in the coal mine. The BB program has been horrendous and will be worse next year…and football is just another run of the mill, mediocre program that is firmly ensconced in the 40s to 60s nationally rated teams. Year after year.

    Maybe Lyke isn’t to blame but the true Pitt administration who looks not toward excellence but toward not having any bad things happening and still keeps her at the helm with no true destination in sight.

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  18. Tex, Indiana reminds me of Clemson which as you know was kryptonite for the Panthers. What’s your take on the two teams’ comparison? Also, I do not believe Indiana has played a team as aggressive and with as many offensive weapons as Pitt has

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    1. Indiana has played in a pretty weak Big Ten conference this year. They are coming off an impressive win against Seton Hall though. Hall has a top ten RPI.

      I just think Clemson had Pitts number. Indiana can try to play a physical and aggressive defensive style but this Pitt team has gotten tougher with each win.

      These soft euros are learning to play with mental toughness. I don’t think they’ll be phased by Indiana’s defense. If anything, Pitts defense needs to make a statement in the first 10-15 minutes.

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  19. Did anyone ask her about Rashad Weaver? I couldn’t listen to the whole thing.

    Looks like the AD/Coach/Player have all agreed to move on, but these things never really move on. Too many ego’s. Capel received guidance from Coach K to play nice while he searches for his next job. AD received guidance from Gene Smith who said, play nice, while she looks for her next role. Both could be in trouble should the team tank again. It was obviously a power struggle…push! Each will start tomorrow trying to get the upper hand on the other with key decision-makers. This is how it works.

    Hugley also releases a timely statement (almost as if everything was coordinated)wink wink, but has anything actually happened on his case? I don’t follow things closely, so what changed with his case or did all three sides finally realize they couldn’t manage themselves out of a wet paper bag without third party help. Lots o drama.

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  21. Since most of us Povites are younger than 80, tomorrow is Virgin territory for us. You’ve already made us proud Panther Soccer players and coaches: Hail to Pitt and Hail to you.

    How close we came to having a winning line-up in basketball next season. “Said the joker to the thief…”

    Lost starting line-up:

    C Efton Reid… From inside sources, Pitt was certain they had him and was awaiting his formal signature. Then word came that he’s a Tiger! Maybe when HBO does a mini documentary on Will Wade, we and Coach C will learn the truth.

    PG Femi

    SG Nike / Horton

    Forward Chamgagnie

    Forward Jeffries… The 17 year old (18 on June 3) might have a bigger upside than Efton and Justin.

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  23. Again, Pitt needs the football and basketball programs to make money and be successful. These programs are the brand. These programs subsidize all the money losing secondary sports. But football is in a perpetual funk of mediocrity while basketball hasn’t stunk this bad since ‘64-‘69.

    An AD can help by forcing changes on the coaching staff. By ensuring a competitive budget exists. By making recruiting a priority. Through favorable scheduling.

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  24. Lost in the shuffle is that Pitt FB just got another commit for 2022. Another Aussie punter

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Liked by 1 person

  25. Sounds like the lawyers have made progress regarding Hugley. Really hopeful that he makes amends by becoming a better person and a memorable Pitt player.

    He will have to learn to get over the chants from opposing fans, I can just imagine the Cameron Crazies, not that the Zoo wouldn’t take advantage of the situation if the shoe was on the other foot.

    I do think it improves Capel’s odds of landing another difference maker or two.

    Thanks Tex for keeping the ball rolling and for showing a much more positive side of yourself.

    As usual I think the criticism of Heather is over the top. A big part of her job is political and putting a positive spin on all things Pitt. Even if when it justified she has to show support for her coaches, unless they slam the refs like Capel did releasing his total frustration at the time. Just mentioning the one point losses and the level of fouls might have been subtle but sent a signal. No surprise that her appearance coincided with some positive Pitt news.

    Really big match tonight, fingers crossed.

    H2P

    Liked by 3 people

  30. Heather doesn’t sound like she is anywhere near giving up on either Narduzzi or Capel. They will ride these guys for a long time unless and until their respective programs fall apart, which I don’t expect to happen. There is no buyout money, and the fundraising for athletic facilities is not going well. Heather needs to focus her efforts on improving the other minor sports and raising more money.

    I suspect that the Chancellor had those same long talks with Heather about how she can improve the fundraising results for Pitt athletics. It is not realistic to think that Pitt could raise the necessary money to seriously look at an on campus stadium at this time. There is no rich guy out there willing to ride to the rescue.

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    1. Good coaches can be found
      Good coaches break the cycle of mediocrity
      Good coaches can move on and be replaced with good coaches

      It’s not rocket science. But you need to have a hiring system. A proven approach.

      Pitt is still searching for one. In the major sports.

      Pitt soccer has far more obstacles than either football or basketball. But Coach Jay has found a way.

      So has Coach Bell. Coach Waldrum. Coach Fisher. Coach Gavin.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Pitt fans need to have these coach names repeated so they become familiar.

        These coaches have become the standard. They have achieved excellence.

        No HCPN…you are no Coach Jay. Never will be, not close.

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  33. It’s $500-$900 million to build that MPC. Which would be home to football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, wrestling and hockey.

    350,000 living alumni. Another 300,000 fans per 538
    A few whales and hidden boosters…gives them reason to reappear
    Federal infrastructure monies
    Zero rate bonds
    Corporate sponsorships and naming rights
    Advance ticket sales for suites and boxes
    Future cash flows from events

    It can be done

    Remember Texas A&M raised over $600 million in just one year after Manziel won the Heisman. Almost half of that went towards renovating Kyle Field.

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    1. About A&M, they are best-in-class in alumni culture and relations. Have been for decades. In fact, when the head of the Alumni Office was here in Houston some 10+ years ago (Jeff ?), I suggested he visit A&M for best practices. To my knowledge, Pitt never bothered to cultivate alumni loyalty. It is trying now, but far from BIC, very far.

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      1. Need to emulate best in class. Happens all the time in corporate America. But Pitt doesn’t think like a business. If they went private, they would be forced to have that mindset.

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    2. Wtf, Tex!? Are you writing Haikus now, too. (Rest a bit, perhaps.)

      350,000 living alumni. Another 300,000 fans per 538
      A few whales and hidden boosters…gives them reason to reappear
      Federal infrastructure monies
      Zero rate bonds
      Corporate sponsorships and naming rights
      Advance ticket sales for suites and boxes
      Future cash flows from events

      It can be done*

      Geez man, SMH

      Like

  34. Pitt just needs someone with fundraising experience…a competent team. Pitt has all the names and addresses. Then Pitt needs a few advocates or faces. A main face. But then faces for each sport.

    Really the AD should have nothing to do with this. It needs to be professionally done. Heather has no experience or acumen for this scale of project.

    Even a project one quarter the size, victory Heights, is a 95 percent debt load. No CFO in corporate America would have approved the financial plan for this project.

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  36. Pitt could be in the top 10 in football and basketball as well, but it hasn’t been done. It’s not reasonable to think that an athletics dept. that has produced mediocre football and basketball results over the past 5 years (and longer) could suddenly become exceptional at fundraising…

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    1. You bring in a professional team who are experts at it. They run and manage the show.

      Pitt is mediocre by design. You need to work real hard to stay mediocre for so long. Mediocrity just doesn’t happen by chance. Pitt likes it that way. It doesn’t threaten the academic side.

      God forbid if Pitt was known as a football school instead of a medical school.

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      1. So does the medical school have a bigger following than a major sports program? Does the medical school drive applications to the rest of the university? Does the medical school raise money for the university or just for medicine? Why does UPMC put their name on Duquesne and RMU, but won’t build Pitt an OCS? Why but the cow (OCS) when you get the milk (Pitt’s Name) for free.

        Pitt may be proud of its medical school and that is great, but I gotta be candid. In my 30 years of professional life, there has never been one instance where the water cooler talk or town hall, or zoom call was about medical schools. I can say with certainty, that basic conversation starters around the cooler focused in on a colleges sports programs. Why? TV! Fandom!

        Pitt needs donors! There is a proven track for increasing donorship. I just saw some amazing numbers on MAC schools who played some games on tuesday nights and how many “hits” they had on their respective university websites during and after those games were played on espn.

        Pitt AD needs to be stronger with the Chancellor and BoT. Unfortunately, her lack of experience in leading a P5 program stops her from being effective. The conversations and execution are easy if you are confident. I don’t blame her for this. I dont blame Pitt players in football for not being able to execute. They just aren’t Capellable.

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  37. It isn’t only money that is keeping Pitt from an OCS. It is the fact that neither the city of Pittsburgh or Pitt itself want one on the Oakland campus.

    I’ve mentioned my discussions with both the former Chancellor and a past & current city council member and have been told, more than once, that every body politic who would be connected to that project – along with members of the Pitt admin itself – do not want a campus in the Oakland / Hill area. They reject it en mass.

    I get fans wanting one but if it was feasible at all Pitt wouldn’t be paying close to $250 million for the Victory Heights project…and that money is already committed

    Liked by 1 person

  38. There is no pipeline of Texas oil money going to Pitt like there is to Tam, Ut, Texas Tech and others.

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    1. There isn’t. So it will just take Pitt five times as long. But you start raising the money now.

      And I don’t see why the Pete just can’t be demolished in ten years. It will be 30 years old. The Heinz lease would have expired. There is your location.

      Pitt stadium was on campus for 70 years right. It worked just fine at a 55k capacity. Your MPC would be 45k. And it would be 100 percent capacity at most games. Tickets would be tough to find.

      Like

  39. Nashville press upset about Titans’ drafting Weaver after the ‘insider’s was made public. Mask the point that other teams knew about it but the Titans didn’t.

    https://atozsportsnashville.com/tennessee-titans-rashad-weaver/

    Side note:

    Why would Lyke talk about Weaver at all? He’s gone from Pitt and did something (or not) that either way portrays the Pitt name in a negative way. She’d be stupid to acknowledge it at all.

    BTW – Weaver’s middle name is “Capone” so he better pay all of his taxes due…

    Liked by 3 people

  40. An MPC begins with a feasibility study, and then a publicity campaign targeted at the City’s political leaders to get them to see the advantages. This begins with a story line that produces a positive argument for why Pitt should break away from the Steelers and maintain its own facilities and brand. As long as the City thinks that Pitt and the Steelers should be linked together, then there will be no MPC.

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  41. Why didn’t the media ask about Weaver or Hugley?

    Reed, I disagree with her being stupid in not addressing. It’s very simple to be transparent and gaining trust here. Will she always disappear when something bad happens? That’s how I see it.

    When she continues to portray Pitt athletics as having great kids that get in no trouble, she should address it when they do. I didn’t say give complete details. We have two kids that we know about that were arrested while on athletic scholarship at Pitt. Very simple to be upfront, acknowledge the issues, defer to the legal system, but also, be very disappointed in the behavior. She could also have explained that Hugley is expected to participate in bball in the fall, pending a successful outcome in the legal environment. Or, she could continue to hide and not acknowledge it. She needs to have a spine and stand up for her program, not hide when things go wrong.

    Do I expect her to tell everyone that gallagher was the mediator between her and felton, no. He told them they have to get along and do their jobs. Period. Get rid of the drama. he will leave or she will leave at some point. The relationship behind the cameras is toxic. You can’t undo that.

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  42. I was wrong about Hugely returning. I hadn’t thought it possible.
    With his announcement and shout-outs to Capel and Lyke, it’s possible that the mbb program may still yet be salvageable.
    I sure hope so. There is now reason to believe a bit.
    Thanks John !!

    Liked by 1 person

  43. How do we really know he’s returning.

    I thought I saw some bags of cash with THE Ohio States name on them behind the bar counter at Hemingway’s.

    Suckeyes Suck. And so do my cousins from that buckhole state.

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  45. Sahlen from Buffalo makes a real good dog. And aren’t dogs the biggest fans for Coach Jay? I like mine with mustard.

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  48. Hey Tex remind me, is it Balcones Baby Blue whiskey or Blue Corn Bourbon that you recommend?

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    1. True blue 💯

      Will run you around $55

      If Pitt wins, I’ll have a gulp at 3 am. Unfortunately I’m away from the game this evening and can’t provide any commentary.

      Sandy isn’t at the game either. She got food poisoning from eating some Carolina nuts.

      Liked by 1 person

  53. What to watch for in the first 15 minutes

    Is Pitt aggressive. And that’s on offense and defense.

    Is Pitt pressing high

    Is Pitt using long runs up the sides and crossing the ball into the box

    Is Pitt doing hard challenges and maybe even picking up yellows

    If you see this, Pitt will win. It’s not complicated. People often try to over engineer the game. It’s simple for a creative mind.

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  57. Bell just brought in a relief pitcher with an ERA of 11.27 to face NC States best hitter. Today he has 3 hits in 4 at bats & 1 RBI.

    There is currently a man on 2nd with 2 outs in the 8th.

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    1. Laugh out loud, David. Shouldn’t that doc be prime-time ACC content?

      Hardy-har-har. But somebody in exec better figure it out the ACC Network.

      It’s a ****%+%£ joke

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  62. serious bs going on here with Verizon as a service provider. Does anyone have a link for this game without having to enter user and passwords. I man, it’s f***ing soccer. Any help would be appreciated thanks

    Liked by 1 person

  65. Baseball team just lost to NCST 3-2. Just haven’t been the same since the covid pause.

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    1. Nil – Nil and Pitt dominated the 1st half with nothing to show for it.

      Need a goal by Pitt early in the 2nd half or I may never watch another soccer game again.

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  67. I know 0 about soccer but it reminds me of hockey with double the players. If so, it reminds me of playing the old Montreal Canadians with their trap or today’s Islanders.
    We better score the first goal.

    I hope that near miss on a wide open net doesn’t come back to bite PItt.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You forgot about the New Jersey Devil’s trap. They executed probably the most efficiently that I have ever seen.

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      1. Forgot Em. They were the best.
        You got down one goal and it was over. Really concerned that Pitt has come so close many x. No score

        Liked by 1 person

  69. Ugh I’m getting nervous that we have been so close so many times… and fear Indiana will get a cheap goal coming up.

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  70. That goal probably did it! Rest of game will be similar to watching cement harden. Pitt just could not get a break when they were so close to scoring.

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  74. My first and last soccer game. Pitt played a hell of a game but Pitt missed 4 open nets. No team can survive that. Indiana had one star and he beat us. Best player on the field. Reminds me of so many Penn State games.

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  75. Agree Mark, Pitt made major strides in its MSOC program this year. A good foundation to build on for next year. Just couldn’t convert on the many opportunities they had. Still so proud of them.

    Liked by 3 people

  76. Pitt soccer. The agony of defeat.
    They happened to hit the wrong seed in this one. No shame, though; it was a one score game as predicted and they made their first appearance in the Cup.
    Not too shabby
    Keep your heads up

    Liked by 4 people

  77. Figured it was going to be a 1-nil game, had hoped it would go our way. Unlike American football great defensive teams usually beat great offensive teams in soccer. Had plenty of chances. Have seen many soccer matches with the same story, one team pretty dominant, but can’t find the net.

    First match I have watched this year, really impressed at how skilled our guys are and how well coached.

    Too bad, Pitt vs Marshall would have been pretty cool.

    Also too bad Tex couldn’t be here tonight, he really did a great job with the pre-game show. I said before when Reed decides to retire again, I vote for Tex to take over.

    H2P

    Liked by 1 person

  78. Bummer of a result tonight, but nice season for the soccer guys.

    Good luck to the POV golfers tomorrow at Champion Lakes. Feel bad I couldn’t make the event this time…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

  79. To the team: Thanks for a great season and a great effort tonight. We fans know you aren’t satisfied with tonight’s outcome. In spite of that you have done yourselves, your coaches and your university proud! You have set a standard for future teams. Pitt will get to the top of the mountain sooner rather than later. We fans thank you and appreciate you. H2P, Soccer Gramps

    gramps

    Liked by 4 people

  80. It is such a pleasure to see a team this well coached, that plays unselfishly as a team and is this skilled. I really mean my comment above about Pitt getting to the top of mountain sooner rather than later. This is especially true if the coach stays. The university should be able create a situation such that he will want to be at Pitt. We’re talking about a supportive environment and the money. Fortunately the salary standard for non revenue sport coaches is nowhere near that for football and basketball coaches so Pitt’s frugality need not be a problem, H2P, Soccer Gramps

    Liked by 1 person

  81. the game played out as if Pitt would win 8 of 10 v Indiana,,,, this was one of the 2

    obviously disappointed but contrast to BB good news with Hugley, I’ll take this and the future looking brighter

    a decent presser by HL and I’d actually feel good

    well, 2 out of 3

    Like

  82. Well a spirited run by the men. Disappointment yes. But nothing to be ashamed about.

    Much like the ladies volleyball team, pitt fell just short. It’s often very difficult for a school to advance far in the playoffs in only their first or second year of them. Indiana knew how to win. They’ve been here before.

    Hopefully pitt learns from this and will make the playoffs a regular occurrence.

    It was a good ride and my Pitt spirit was reinvigorated. I’m excited for what next season holds. The program is in good hands with Coach Jay.

    Now we’ve got baseball to look forward to and an upcoming regional playoff in June. The fun isn’t over yet. Until Football season kills this momentary joy. 🤠

    I wasn’t able to watch the game. Heard Pitt had many opportunities. I did see highlights of the Indiana goal. Pitts defender was caught flat footed. Pitts goalie also didn’t come out and challenge the shot. But Superb play and shot placement by the Indiana player. I hope Pitt can get more PA and local talent. Indiana’s roster is pretty much all Indiana. I expect Pitt’s success to attract more quality American recruits. And I expect more fans in the home stands next year than dogs.

    Liked by 2 people

  90. It’s hard to see how Pitt doesn’t end up among the top soccer recruiters this year, unless they don’t have available scholarships or there is difficulty in ranking foreign players. Soccer recruiting may be more difficult to evaluate than other sports due to the number of foreign players.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. What are the rules for soccer players entering the pros? I would assume the foreign players could leave whenever they wish as they are not bound by the NCAA in their own countries or in any other country other than the U.S. What are the chances Pitt’s top players get foreign contracts?

      Like

      1. I’m hoping our Frenchie Noel doesn’t leave. He could probably get a contract in the second tier or B leagues in Europe. Make champ type money when he plays in Turkey.

        Liked by 1 person

  92. Pitt does lose Jasper, their top defender and Hermann award semi finalist. That’s for top player of the year

    Unless he comes back for a fifth season. I guess it depends on club opportunities.

    Like

  93. Even with the loss, yesterday was a great day. Barring any unforeseen surges, Heinz Field should be totally open for business this fall. Same with the Pete, Hugley coming back should help attendance. Hopefully Coach can land another difference maker or two.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Heinz totally open still means 50 percent capacity. 🤠

      Pitt fans were industry leaders in social distancing before Covid even hit.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Better Uber or not leave your keys laying around if you go to the game or you may not have a car.

      Like

  94. Watched some of the second half last night but couldn’t stay with it. Did see the Indiana goal when I checked back in. Was impressed with Pitt’s ball-handling and ball-movement skills…

    Just an observation – what’s up with Pitt’s soccer uniforms? They looked good, but could the “Pitt” on the front of the shirts be any smaller? Not a lot of Pitt “branding” going on on what is a big-stage for soccer… Missed opportunity for Pitt, IMHO.

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Soccer teams have a shield or crest. Pitt has a very nice one. It would be tacky to plaster Pitt script on those nice jerseys. It’s just a soccer thing.

      But Pitt does need to advertise and market. They need to generate income by advertising a primary sponsor on their jersey much like the pro clubs do. That doesn’t hurt their brand at all. It provides them money to build their brand and grow supporters.

      What NCAA reg prohibits advertising on jerseys? If there is one, the AD’s and conference presidents need to change that.

      Same goes for all sports.

      Like

  96. Watched the whole game last night. We had many shots on goal and they all seemed to miss by inches. One shot laid on the goal line. No luck for team that outplayed IU.

    Liked by 4 people

  97. Pitt was not a seasoned playoff team. Indiana…it’s their thing. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity. How can you prepare for a Final Four and know what to expect if you’ve never been there before. Huge advantage Indiana.

    Remember this Pitt team got clobbered by Georgetown last season in the playoffs. 5 to nil.

    Pitt is making progress. Trust Coach Jay.

    Liked by 3 people

  98. After a comedy of errors in the first inning, Pitt baseball is losing to NC State 1-0. Bell is starting a catcher who is batting .067 and dropped 2 third strikes allowing one runner 1st base, who proceeded to steal 2nd and 3rd (scored on the throw).

    Bell not having a good weekend, yet.

    Go Pitt!

    Like

    1. I might have to step in and relieve 🛎

      Pitt is doing its best to jeopardize a two seed in regionals.

      Like

  101. No way Pitt is hosting. They are a two seed like NC State. State was picked to go. Pitt was picked last.

    I’m hoping Tennessee. That’s driveable or a short flight. Luv me Tennessee. And western Carolina. The Appalachia boy in me. Eastern Kentucky is nice as well. They make bourbon there right?

    Like

  106. Pitt has given up a run per inning through 7 except the 5th. The Panthers are losing 6-5 to the Wolfpack.

    The 2, 3 and 4 hitters for Pitt have yet to get a hit today.

    We need this win!

    Like

  107. All of NC State’s starters with hits today – 4 of their batters have multiple hits.

    Only 3 Pitt starters with hits.

    2, 3 and 4 hitters up in the bottom of the 8th. Need runs now!

    Like

  108. The heart of the order went down 1-2-3 – they are a combined 0-12 today. Bell needs to makes some line-up changes if they want to turn this losing streak around. I’d move CF Jordan up to the 2 spot and Yanni to the 3rd spot. The 2, 3 and 4 hitters would drop to the 4, 5 and 6 spots.

    One more inning to mount a comeback or lose this series to a team at the bottom of the Atlantic division.

    Let’s Go Pitt!

    Like

  109. Pitt just lost hosting a regional today. They are a better road team anyway. And I’d rather travel somewhere other than Pittsburgh with a high school field and covid rules. A southern locale will suit me fine. My money is on Tennessee or Louisiana.

    Like

    1. Pitt’s field is honestly a D2 level. They wouldn’t host a Legion All Star game there yet alone a regional when comparing it to legit D1 facilities.

      Like

  110. Dallas Baptist has a nice park. Capacity is 2000. DBU hosted the Dallas regional a few years back.

    Pitt needs something like that.

    So build that MPC and then you can remove the soccer field and redesign both the baseball and softball venues.

    Pitts baseball venue looks like the kids from carrick elementary drew the blueprints in crayon and then gave it to a bunch of IUP criminology students to build.

    Like

  111. Isn’t it great? Summer is here along with great Pittsburgh weather. Sunshine morning til night, capped off with a nice fire at the fire-pit. It’s really settling knowing we’re done with winter and mostly Covid. It also feels great knowing that PITT athletics are doing so wonderful and in good hands into the future with this current administration. All I need is to start coming round with this awful cancer. Cleveland appointment Tuesday morning and I got them to change it to video. If all goes according to plan, I get cut in a few weeks, depending if I’m strong enough?

    Liked by 6 people

  114. It comes down to money and the Notre Dame brand.

    If the Domers can make more money and not tarnish their football brand, they will do it.

    I’m not sure I’m keen on having Louisville as an annual opponent. Rather keep Syracuse. Easy win. I like the Domers as an annual

    I think navy makes sense for football only. No way navy is fully invited unless a young David Robinson is cloned.

    Like

  116. Navy brings in the MDDCVA metro market. Do it now to put a little pressure on ND as ACC looks for 16th member in FB. Maybe Temple as it brings in Philly market and that is not to PSU liking.

    Like

  117. Uncle Iek, prayers always coming your way my friend.

    I happened to run into Allison yesterday at the outing and said to please pass along her best wishes to you.

    Pitt golf outing at Champion Lakes yesterday was a load of fun with fellow POVerts Richman and JoeL.

    They had so many respond this year there were 2 separate shotgun starts for the day.

    Next year we should have 2 or 3 teams.

    We played with the great Emil Boures…nice guy.
    Fun to play with.

    If I heard correctly the $ will go toward an annual scholarship in the name of Dick Groat..

    Cool to see Dick Groat and Billy Hillgrove sitting in a golf cart together during the announcement.

    Even won some $ hitting a closest to the pin.

    Liked by 5 people

    1. Fran – Way to go! Which hole did you win closest-to-the-pin on?

      Did Richman behave himself? 😊

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  118. Hang in there, ike. We’re all pulling for you! Please post an update after your upcoming doctors visit.

    It appears that the Pitt baseball team may have peaked a little prematurely. If those bats don’t come to life soon, we may be seeing a disappointing end to the season. Baseball, like men’s soccer and ladies VB, still has some growing pains that go with challenging the top dogs.

    But these programs, as well as wrestling and ladies basketball, have good coaching and have made good strides towards becoming consistently good programs going forward. I especially liked the demeanor of the men’s soccer team after losing a tough match to Indiana. They will be back next year, for sure.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Pitt men’s soccer should return their top three players. They need to work on their defense particularly goalkeeping. You want a keeper like Indiana’s.

      Women’s soccer under Coach waldrum is making huge strides. And they have Pitts ladies athlete of the year coming back.

      If baseball can’t find their bats, they will be a quick out come tourney time.

      Like

  119. Baseball team done already after a walk with 2 outs in the first and a few hits.

    1-0 Wolfpack with runners on 1st and 3rd in the top of the first inning.

    Like

  120. Bell did not make any changes to the line-up today other than swapping catchers. The 2 thru 4 hitters were 0-12 yesterday and the catcher hit a home run.

    The shine is coming off HC Bell for me right now.

    We already lost this series, so why not try something new to capture a spark?

    Like

  121. Might be a case of regression to the mean. They were picked last in the ACC for various reasons. A two seed could be in severe jeopardy right now. Pitt could easily find itself in a West regional. Come on down to Texas boys. Most likely three in this state. Austin, Fort Worth and Lubbock. 5000 seat stadiums and no capacity restrictions. Tailgating allowed and encouraged.

    Like

  122. Pitt’s 3 & 4 hitters came through with 2 out hits – a walk and a hit batsman with the bases loaded and we have a tie game.

    Go Pitt!

    Like

  123. Pitt is down 5-1 after a couple of homers in the 3rd inning.

    I’m off to do some productive things in the yard.

    Would welcome a hearty comeback – the Wolfpack seem to have Pitt’s number in most sports – have we ever beat them in FB or mBB?

    Like

  124. Pitt baseball was flat out embarrassed in today’s game, losing 10-3 as well as being swept in the 3 game series, with the Wolfpack starting every game with at least a run in the first inning and closing each game with a win.

    I could criticize the HC for his poor personnel decisions, but will defer that to the end of the season, as I believe the Panthers will drop from the top 25 and looking at the thought of hosting a regional as a mystical illusion.

    Feelings of SOP!

    Like

  125. Lucky the Series with Louisville was cancelled. May not even make a regional let alone host.

    Like

  126. Yeah – a .500 conference record is highly possible – currently on a 4 game losing streak and losers of 6 of their last 8 games.

    Like

  127. Works out for me

    They probably now go up against a top ten seed

    Tcu or my longhorns

    There’s a bright side to losing

    Like

  128. Gritzburgh is become S Burgh.

    NC State was projected as a top middle tier ACC team this year. They are riding the wave of momentum.

    Pitt is sinking like the Titantic. 🚢 ❄️ 💥 💀

    Like

    1. Pitt’s two best chances at scoring were disappointments – the SR high jumper finished 7th (2nd last year as a JR) and the German decathlon athlete was not on the scorers sheet.

      You are correct, not having a track & field facility limits the recruiting efforts – many great T&F athletes passed through the halls of the University of Pittsburgh.

      Like

  131. Flipping channels today I came across Louis Riddick talking about the NFL draft. He had some “Pitt” stuff behind him in the shot.

    Nice job by Louis! 👍

    Go Pitt.

    Like

    1. I saw him on campus during my day. Swervin was the guy I knew the most. He lived on my floor.

      Like

  132. Pitt track finished 11 and 12 out of 15

    I’m thinking not having an outdoor track and field has something to do with it

    How can Pitt even compete. They can’t. It showed.

    And please…no excuse making from the Heather fan club.

    Like

      1. And the sad thing is she might actually win it because you can’t just keep awarding alabama and Ohio state. And many fans won’t dig deeper and look at the facts. They will enable Pitt and help spin the false success narrative.

        Yet the vast majority of Pitts programs are mediocre to bad. The two most important ones are in perpetual mediocrity and dumpster fire status. and there’s a very high likelihood that basketball loses millions in 2021. Typically it makes millions.

        How does this impact the secondary sports. Will there be cuts?

        Did any Pitt athlete qualify for the NCAA track championships in Eugene?

        And the wheels are coming off baseball. They are on a collision course to crash and burn.

        Not a good way to end the Spring calendar.

        Like

  133. Major, Richman kind of behaved by his standards…haha.
    See you at the Beaver Outing with Richman.

    CP was on #3.
    Erie, OF COURSE the putt was made. 😎

    I had a chance to speak with Mr Groat, Billy Hillgrove, Emil Boures, ElRoy Face, Walt Harris, Jeff Hathorne, Sally Wiggin, Mike Caprara, Sam Clancy and others.
    Not all are fans of Heather…not to mention any names.

    Like

    1. Sounds like fun… Didn’t know Sally Wiggin had Pitt ties…

      And not an easy shot on #3. 👍

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  134. Don’t know Sally Wiggins connection with Pitt but several local sportscasters attended.
    I forgot Jim Colony…funny dude.
    I almost ran him over in my golf cart so we struck up a conversation.

    Liked by 1 person

  140. I’ve been wondering about the overall state of Pitt athletics. On the surface, it appears that the minor sports are getting more attention and success than in past years, which is a good thing. While some of these sports can survive and compete with the existing facilities, it is clear that some, such as track, and maybe swimming, cannot. So delays in the completion of Victory Heights will pretty much slow the progress of some minor sports.

    As for football and men’s basketball, we are seeing some coaching stability of these programs after some tumultuous years. Some feel that stability is the first step, and is actually desirable as a way to ride through what are sure to be some major changes in the NCAA and college sports in the near future. Having the FB and BB coaches locked up for a few years may be an advantage as new rules are promulgated by the NCAA and college Presidents. Even if the results on the field and court are not what we would expect, the risk of finding new winning coaches right now is much greater, and making a bad choice could set these teams back for many years.

    The Directors Cup may not be the best way to measure success in these challenging times. Sometimes the wait and watch approach is the better course in order to position a college to move ahead in the future as these issues get sorted out. The major missing component right now is fundraising, since whatever happens, more money will be needed to finish out Victory Heights and position Pitt to do well in football and men’s basketball. This is where the focus of Heather’s efforts should be.

    Like

    1. Well the directors cup is garbage this year since half the conferences cancelled sports or had abbreviated schedules.

      The football landscape will change when the tv contracts expire. Pitt is not well positioned

      Basketball is enduring its worst stretch since ‘64

      Pitt has a financial problem. Given covid and the impending basketball money losses, I can’t see how some secondary sports will survive. Unless the general fund is raided and tuition and student fees are increased to replenish the reserves.

      Pitt does not know how to fundraise. 9 on a 250 million project is embarrassing. Gallagher has every right to say this victory Heights project will mortgage Pitts future.

      Incompetence. Plain and simple.

      Like

  142. Let’s be honest. It’s tough to raise funds when you’re building facilities to support programs that aren’t well attended or supported. Despite the success of ladies volleyball and men’s wrestling, they have few fans and fewer boosters.

    To gather interest and support from a much wider audience, pitt needed to think bigger. They needed to have football as the focal.

    Now there’s a very good chance that Pitt won’t be able to meet the debt obligations of this project. This 250 project will end up costing at least 320 with interest payments.

    Good way to bankrupt sports at Pitt.

    Like

  143. Tex, you are right about fundraising. Pitt needs to rethink the entire process and to look at other similar institutions to see how they are doing it. One major factor is how poorly Pitt promotes its sports, even the minor sports. They need many more public events to promote awareness of the successful minor sports. How about a ladies VB appreciation day to honor the successful season? They could also raise funds during these events.

    The Spring FB game attendance was shameful. How can you raise money for Pitt football with such an embarrassing turnout? I don’t get how a university that has been so successful at raising endowment money could be doing such a poor job with athletics…

    Like

  144. We’re blaming the wrong segment of people… PITT fans need to step up and donate to the athletic programs or not. But why bitch about lack of funding when you don’t donate yourself?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I donate. Just not to football. Unless you count that $100 dollars I spent on a Domer ticket this past October

      Pitt needs to do a fundraising blitz for soccer and volleyball. Get the coaches and players involved in asking for money

      Show fans the horrible court conditions at Fitzgerald. They literally have to mop the floor every 15 minutes due to condensation issues.

      Show them how dogs outnumber fans at pitt soccer matches. Shame fans into giving.

      Show them how each one of their dollars donated helps. One dollar supports a lime gaterade that Noel drinks and go on to score a hat trick.

      It’s that simple.

      Like

  145. I hear ya Iek…I was just pointing out the small amount raised so far.
    I keep giving…

    Like

  146. Just in PG. Narduzzi’s salary increased to $4.81 million in 2020.

    The secrecy is an admission that Heather knew it would not be popular.

    And Pitt wonders why they can’t raise alumni giving!

    Like

    1. This is a late April fools joke right?

      If true, I’m about to go ape crazy

      Seriously?

      Are u kidding me?

      Narduzzi gets paid $800k per win. I should start calling him Patty the Kid given his brazenness at robbery.

      Like

    1. Just two years ago it was reported at $3.5 million

      I guess a bowl win against a lowly MAC team in cold Detroit is worth a lot these days.

      Like

  148. To put this in perspective, Coach Jay and Coach Fisher make no more than $500k per year. Narduzzi makes that for half a win.

    Like

  150. Wow the Duzz gets a raise during the pandemic when most top programs are cutting the HC’s pay by 10%.

    I’m a business man and that isn’t good business unless the HC is a flight risk due to his winning percentage.

    I’m also a Pitt sports donor and that does not make me happy…

    Like

  152. I didn’t think it was possible to Lyke
    Narduzzi any less. I was wrong. Worst coach in the ACC!

    Like

  154. Makes me want to swig an entire bottle of mediocrity. 2020 was an excellent mediocre vintage.

    I may need my stomach pumped later

    Like

    1. Jeffrey Romoff, CEO UPMC. makes $9.5 mil and his office occupies the whole top floor of the formerUSX bldg…next time Pat, negotiate for an office with a better view……has Heather asked for donations from yinz to cover this latest folly….

      Like

  156. I’m sorry but this is a bad look on Pitt. During covid when every school was cutting or implemented salary and hiring freezes, pitt gives a 6 win coach a 18 percent raise. And Pitt wonders why fans don’t show or donate. Please heather, don’t take me for a Texas idiot. Enough is enough already.

    Like

    1. I think the PG was glad to get the story. Narduzzi is the second highest paid football coach in the ACC; Capel fifth. Unbelievable. Working for Lyke must be a dream come true.

      Liked by 1 person

  157. Upmc makes $23 billion in revenues

    Pitt football makes $30 million in revenues

    Upmc ceo salary as percentage is .04 percent. That’s 4 hundredths of one percent.

    Narduzzi salary is 17 percent. 17 times over one percent.

    So nearly one dollar out of every five dollars received on football goes into Narduzzis pocket

    Why doesn’t the media do some simple math like this. Math too tough. Too intimidating. Or are they too scared to speak truth.

    Like

  158. Pitt is no longer cheap. But they have become stupid and financially irresponsible.

    Like

    1. Obviously the weak link is the AD who provided extensions to both coaches after losing seasons.

      Like

  161. Duzz and Capel were getting so many offers Heather had to pull the trigger….PITT has so much money… obviously don’t need mine…. hope the is enough left so Tre T from my home town can get his PhD in 2022.

    Liked by 1 person

  162. When you fork over $500 this year for season tickets, know that Narduzzi is taking $100 dollars of that.

    There’s a reason why I don’t donate to football Ike. Been that way for seven years now.

    Like

    1. Tex, don’t care if you donate money or not. I don’t and won’t tell you how to spend your money. It’s just that your whining and refraining any monies to the PITT football program makes me laugh, you’re talking out of both sides of your mouth.

      Also, I donated a lot more than $500 a year past years and hope to do it again, God willing.

      H2P
      iek

      Liked by 4 people

  164. Tex, you and Dan are wrong, wrong, wrong if you think Pitt is overpaying its HC salaries! You should be GLAD that Pitt is competitive in this area, and some of you would be concerned if Pitt was paying below the going market for top P5 head coaches. Expecting good performance, however, is certainly justified to get what you pay for, but criticizing their salary levels misses the point. It is what the position demands. Don’t lower the pay, raise the expectations.

    That said, one could certainly argue that they have not earned their salaries so far. Pitt is apparently keeping them on board to maintain stability in troubled times, which as I said earlier, has some value right now as long as the two programs are moving slowly upward. And we have seen that they will in fact pull the rip cord on a coach like Stallings, who appeared to be on a downward spiral rather than simply cut his pay. Renegotiating his salary to keep his job would not have fixed the problem.

    So looking at the big picture, I think that Pitt is handling the coach hiring and salary structure okay under the current conditions, but the promotion and fundraising functions still really suck… (one could argue that both Narduzzi and Capel should be required to participate in more fundraising activities as a regular part of their job functions)

    Like

    1. We’ll just have to disagree on this one.

      Pitt can’t justify 20 cents on every dollar received to pay for a coach. I don’t think saban receives more than five cents per dollar.

      You have to look at it this way. Pitt is revenue poor. It can not afford a coach like Narduzzi given his poor performance.

      How is Pitt paying for all this? Raiding the general fund yet again.

      I look at return on investment. Narduzzi has been a very poor investment and pitt can’t afford to take a loss like this.

      Pitt is broke. Being cheap and broke are two different things. Pitt is living the high life using debt and borrowings. They would fail a basic finance 101 class in undergrad. It’s not a sustainable financial situation.

      Narduzzi is now the second highest paid coach in the ACC for 6 win seasons. And Pitt is the lowest ACC school in revenues. I want Pitts accountant and tax attorney.

      Like

    2. A phrase I’ve heard many times in my life. With great money comes great expectations and great responsibility. Has Pitt got either from Narduzzi?

      So what you’re saying is Pitt has done a great job of being competitive in salary but has little expectation? Cause there certainly have been few results!

      Also, if this was such a great move for Pitt, why wasn’t it broadcast from the treetops rather than being hidden from the public and Alumni? Hell, it took a reporter from the PG looking at tax returns in public records to find this out!!!

      I am as outraged from the secrecy as I am from the unjustified raise!

      Liked by 1 person

    3. Add me to the list of wrongers. What is the return on investment for what you are paying out. In addition to what tex calculates to Saban, you also need to add-in the revenue generated due to Alabama football in regards to public/private partnerships, increased applications/revenues, increased academic standing and go on and on. Pitt isn’t getting that. What exactly is the return on investment and why can’t I get my employer to pay such money for mediocrity. Dang, wrong profession!

      Like

  165. P.S., Both Narduzzi and Capel may willingly agree to participate in fundraising activities for the minor sports if asked. They should be headlining some fundraisers to accelerate the fundraising for Victory Heights.

    Like

    1. They will both be laughed at. I won’t give a penny for either of them. Give me Roy Chipman and Wanny or Walt. Guys I respect.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. They don’t even raise money for their own sports. They need to fix what they are doing.

      Like

  166. 2-9, 3-8, 6-4-1,, 6-5, 5-6, 2-8-1. Those are Frank Beamer’s W-L records for his first six seasons at Virginia Tech. He then went on to win 9 Division or Conference Championships over his 29 year career as their coach.

    8-3, 7-4, 8-4, 6-5, 4-7, 9-3. Those are Bobby Bowden’s first six seasons at WVU before being hired away by Florida State. He went on to win a Division championship, 10 Conference championships, and 2 National Championships.

    4-8, 6-6, 9-4, 8-5, 7-6, 6-7. Those are Pat Fitzgerald’s first six seasons at Northwestern. He has gone on to record several 10-win seasons and 2 Division Championships over his 15 years and counting as their HC.

    I am not saying that Coach Narduzzi will achieve the level of success these guys reached. But had their administrations followed the “win big in 4 or 5 seasons or out” formula some like to push, who knows if their teams would have ever gotten away from the churn we have been in for the last 40 years or so. And, yes, I am cherry-picking examples that support my point. But I for one am glad our current administration seems to be exercising some level of patience.

    As for his salary, I assume Coach Duzz’s is within the competitive range for a Power 5 Head Coach. But I’m not going to do the research to verify, as I don’t have the problem with it that others do.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. None of those guys took 20 cents on the dollar

      Narduzzi is going on year 7

      All of those guys came 30 years before Narduzzi in a different world.

      All of those programs make more money than Pitt could dream.

      Like

  167. Thanks for the excellent research, Farmers. Tex may be right that other coaches have done it faster, but you have identified some programs that took longer to develop before becoming successful. And this could well be the trajectory for Pitt. The two important points here are first, Pitt is rightfully paying a good, competitive salary to its two high profile coaches, and second, it is not the time to change horses when the jury is still out on them. Tex must think he can shame them into quitting or Pitt into firing them. Neither will happen…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. My voice doesn’t matter. But there are booster and former players voices that do. Don’t underestimate that. Heather is on thin ice.

      Like

    3. We’ve been developing for 35 years. Finally one year of an easy OOC schedule and many will falsely believe we have arrived. With a 9 win season, the jury will still be out because of the ooc should result in 4-0. Maybe Pickett comes back for his 8th year in 2022-23 throwing to Tipton who would be projected as an 8th year sr.

      Like

    4. The jury is really not out on either of them. Narduzzi enters year 7 without one ranked team to end the year. Capel’s basketball program spirals out of control in January and February. However, you are free to throw money at mediocrity. Please know you’re gambling on a turnaround that may never come.

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    1. So there are, what, 65 Power 5 teams and Coach Narduzzi’s salary was the 30th highest at the time this ranking was prepared. Looks like an average salary compared to his peers to me. Was his salary increase higher than the others this year? Who knows?

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      1. Those peers have much higher revenues than Pitt. Those peers have all had ranked teams and gone to nice bowls.

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  170. Heather continues to show her lack of fiscal responsibility. Paying what she is paying these 2 coaches is beyond sad. The results Narduzzi and Capel deliver vs. what they earn if sadly 75% off. We are paying for a Mercedes and driving a Kia.

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    2. Mark – its not a fiscal responsibility argument. Those salaries cost of playing the game and should be at that level. You cannot pay at G5 or MAC levels and ever expect to have a succesful P5 program.

      Now, if you – and your lone star brother from another mother – want to argue its an accountability issue with the AD, you will get no argument from me.

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  171. Is Billy behind the wheel of that golfcart? Is that legal? Check his blood alcohol level!

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  173. In my opinion, Pitt football just secured the most effective, and maybe the only legitimate, recruiting line to entice blue chip high school players to come to Pitt. With 6 players drafted (if I remember correctly only 5 or 6 schools had more) they can rightfully say that our coaches, our program, our facilities, our style of play can prepare you to play at the next level. You have to put in the work and stay out of trouble, but we have proven we can do it. What other non-blue blood program can say that? That is our differentiator. Not early playing time, life skills program, “relationships”, etc. Every school can make those claims. Getting you to the next level is our one measurable, objective argument. And that is the goal of every 4 and 5 star recruit. No exceptions.

    Maybe that factored into Duzz’s raise. Maybe he had incentive clauses for things like that. That is part of the progress, the upward trajectory, that cannot be ignored.

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    1. As a fan and former football donor, I want the ability to travel to nice bowls. That’s my payoff. That’s why I’ve given in the past. I don’t care how many players get drafted. How many kittens they save from trees. Their grade point averages or graduation rates. I gift for purely selfish reasons. I’d be throwing my money away if I gave to pitt football. There is no joy in winning 6-7 games each year and going to bowls in Detroit or Birmingham.

      Again, y’all complain about the ceo from Upmc making ten million. But his network generates $23 billion. Narduzzis program generates no more than $30 million. That’s one 700 hundredths. And Upmc actually is considered an elite network in the country.

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      1. I agree. Is it a Yinzer thing to dream about a better future while you throw money at a disappointing present (Narduzzi) and a failure (Capel)? In addition to the bowl games, I want to travel to basketball games, especially at conference venues here in the South, where Pitt is favored or has more than a 50-50 chance of winning.

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  174. And the year before we had what 1-2 drafted and the same the year before. Your theory doesn’t hold water. Not to mention most we uneventful late picks.

    Regardless those picks didn’t turn into W’s last year.

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  175. To top this miserable day off, my vehicle is now stuck in mud. Maybe it’s just symbolism at this point. The mud representing the crap ive watched from Pitt football since my college days and there’s no getting out of it. Well I tried and got dirty and smelly in the process, but I’m calling a tow truck now. Pitt should do the same. We need a new AD. Sometimes you just know when to move on.

    I trust the tower and will have my vehicle free in about an hour. True story. Had to tie it metaphorically to post though. Sipping a blood and honey from revolver in the sun right now while I wait. There is a bright side and hope. I still have that with Pitt. Call me a fool.

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  176. I keep reading posts here that criticize Coach Narduzzi for not signing enough 4 or 5 star recruits. Can someone tell me what he should say to those recruits that would make them turn down blue bloods to come here? For that matter, what should he say to them to make them want to come here as opposed to all the other teams who are after them? And not the bagmen, party girls, family jobs answers. Legitimate arguments that are more than, “you might see real Steelers getting into or out of their car in the parking lot”. “Our General Studies program is better than their General Studies program.” Pointing to actual players being drafted, especially those who were 0 star, 2 star, and 3 star recruits, is a solid selling point, no matter which round they were drafted.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Not always what you say Farmer. We have all heard that you come to Pitt for Championships. Nobody believes either him or the AD.

      So to be clear, it’s what you DO…. AND what you SAY. What Narduzzi does translates to…. come here if you want to be average and never sniff a national championship or ACC championship more regulalry than the vegas odds of once every six years.

      Candidly, if you are in the coastal, you actually have the easiest route to the national championship of any other division in college football. Before everyone goes and looks up records, I said that as an example, but again, the talking heads would probably agree that the coastal division of the ACC is probably the worst, if not worst, division in all of P5. Nardstop is not believable.

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  177. Tex, your argument that Narduzzi’s salary as a percent of Athletics Dept. budget is too high is irrelevant. That ratio of $4 million against a $30 million budget assumes that Narduzzi and Capel salaries in fact come from the Athletics Dept. budget. This is not necessarily the case.

    You mentioned Alabama. Alabama’s University Endowment is $1.42 billion. Pitt’s endowment is $4.3 billion. Narduzzi and Capel salaries don’t even make a decimal point of that amount. So if you want to compare Pitt with Alabama, Pitt is far more capable of handling its coaches salaries than Alabama is.

    It is quite likely that the $8 million being paid to Narduzzi and Capel is not being squeezed out of a $30 million athletics dept. budget, just as the Victory Heights money that Pitt eventually kicks in won’t either. And so you shouldn’t assume that there is no money flowing from the endowment to the athletics dept. It is more relevant to note that Pitt is willing to pay a top 20 salary, and so we should expect better results.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m talking top line revenues and real operating budget. Endowments have nothing to do with it. Pitts total athletics budget is around $90 million

      Narduzzi is 5 percent of that. Saban doesn’t make close to five percent. And saban delivers.

      How can Pitt afford to pay one man for these results? It can’t without eventually cutting secondary sports. No donor is coming to rescue heather.

      Look no further than eastern Michigan. Past is prologue.

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    2. Pitt cannot touch endowment money for sports. I know this as fact. Fact. I’ve researched and asked. Remember I’m the OCS Guy.

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  178. symbolism = Karma…………… You got the bad juju Tex.

    Exactly Wolfe, I’ve said it before and I believe it. Some people stand way to close to the trees, others simply don’t like Heather and Narduzzi, they wanted someone else to be hired. There are good arguments made concerning winning and the debacle formally known as PITT’s basketball program.

    The one point that was made about PITT losing close games due to a few bad plays makes sense to me. Although I can’t blame the coach for fumbling the football at the 2 inch line with no one around the ball carrier (Henderson) in this case…………….. or the bad calls that seem to go the other way too often.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Triple A saved me. Out of the mud. Can someone save us from the AD putting Pitt into it?

      Dial 1-800-Louis-Riddick

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  179. Ike – I think the current state of sport Basketball is just as bad as Stallings. Capel has had 3 years to fix it. Rockports just got 1 year.

    Happy to hear from you and hope all goes well in Cleveland you old goat.

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    1. Thanks Mark M. Basketball seems to be in worse condition than Stallings. Capel and Stallings had similar late starts cobbling together a recruiting class. Looks like KS did the better job?

      Liked by 1 person

  180. I think he got a bonus for saving Pitt money by not going to a bowl game. He persuaded the players to actually vote no to the bowl so that Pitt could save money and not have to swallow all those tickets. He gets a percentage of savings. Slick move…….tongue in cheek. LOL!

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    1. During a covid season, there is no justification for an 18 percent raise when every school in the country was cutting and even Pitt had hiring freezes and various non athletic layoffs.

      Did Narduzzi get a bonus for the amount of kittens he saved? It sure wasn’t for on the field performance.

      Did Pitt count those two one point losses as wins?

      Did he get extra monies because heather felt bad about the refs robbing him of a win or two?

      What a comedy and circus.

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  181. Perhaps it was a escalation built into the original extension and not something new – or necessarily newsworthy.

    Lets at least acknowledge that that school is paying coaches well… the actual point of the tweet. That wasn’t always the case and some of you folks were around during those years and raised that point

    Now, if anyone wants to argue the money isn’t being earned, fair enough.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The point is more than has he earned it. The point is how can pitt afford him. He consumes over five percent of the operating budget. Nearly 20 percent of the football topline. What ceo in America makes anywhere near that. Saban doesn’t even come close to that. And he’s worth every penny.

      I’ll tell you who is paying for it. You and every pitt fan that buys a ticket and donates. 20 cents out of every dollar you spend on football goes into pats pocket. How does that make you feel? Honest question.

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      1. Nope. Comes with being in a P5 conference. Cannot go the Nutting route and stay in. If he was winning 10 games a year, but the stadium was only half full and finances were not rosy, we wouldn’t hear a peep out of most about his salary. The focus would be on the AD’s plans/actions related to revenue enhancement -and not cost cutting.

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    2. Maybe so …. but why the secrecy?

      Why not just announce that Pitt has exercised that option? The optics are atrocious!

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  182. Feeling machoistic today as I worked from home, I decided to take a Narduzzi bowl trip. Today I’m reliving Navy run all over us in the Military Bowl. Tomorrow I’ll relive the horrors of the Pin Stripe Bowl followed by the Sun Bowl. There was Yinzer joy in 1997 when we made the Liberty bowl. There’s no joy in watching Narduzzi throw away 9 win seasons and final ranking as he did in 15, 16, and 18.

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  183. USF Transfer, 7-footer Michael Durr Back on the Market and Hearing From Pitt.

    Once he re-opened his recruitment on Monday, Durr told Pittsburgh Sports Now that he has been contacted by Pitt.

    A powerful force on the inside, Durr has very been durable and for the most part has been healthy for every season of his college career. And as just about everyone knows by now, Pitt is looking for a big time center to come in and hold down the five spot.

    Well Capel and clowns are still looking…..Durr committed to Indiana today.

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    1. Capel is still only making $250k per win. Narduzzi is making $800k

      Basketball during Dixon was more profitable than football. Hoops cleared $10-15 million most years.

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  184. Narduzzi and Capel are raking in BIG $$$ /// but, the obvious question is whether we are paying enough $$$ to our assistant coaches. Anything paid to Whipple is TOO MUCH!

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    1. Coach fisher and Jay could easily double their salary jumping to another school. They get better facilities. Better tradition. Better support. And better recruits. Why stay at Pitt?

      Narduzzi will continue to fleece pitt for another four years thanks to heather.

      If Narduzzi left he would be hired as an assistant at a Mac school making $250k. He will never in his life make this kind of money.

      Liked by 1 person

  187. If Narduzzis salary is leaving little money left to hire quality assistants, pitt has a problem. Narduzzi makes ten times his assistants. His coordinators are paid around $500k.

    Don’t you think pitt is better served with quality million dollar coordinators instead of washed up guys?

    Saban only makes five times his coordinators

    Why is Pitt being so generous with Narduzzi. Does he have some dirt on heather?

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  188. Don’t you think it’s better to pay your head coach a $3-3.5 million base with a $500k bonus for top 25 seasons. And the money freed up can go towards paying coordinators $1-1.5 million.

    Pitts applicant pool of coordinators would dramatically expand. Right now pitt is the destination for washed up ex coaches or fired coordinators.

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  189. FWIW, Marshall is your 2021 NCAA Men’s soccer champion. Sure would have been nice to have a Pitt v Marshall final match.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s nice to see the little guy win. And this is mud in the eye for every Hoopie. I’d like to think that Pitt tenderized Indiana for them.

      Liked by 1 person

  190. Pitt baseball is sinking faster than a Pirates ship. They have dropped 20 in the rpi rankings and now sit at 41. That’s good enough for a third seed in a far away regional. Just two weeks ago some were talking crazy about Pitt hosting a regional in front of 450 spectators.

    https://www.warrennolan.com/baseball/2021/rpi-live

    Very good chance pitt ends up in 5 states – Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee or Alabama. All driveable for me.

    Pitt ends the season with a three game series playing wake. A horrible team. Before that they have one game against Akron. ACC championships during Memorial Day weekend. Then selection Monday. Regionals begin in early June.

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  191. Also Oklahoma and the Carolinas are possibilities. But Pitt is a low three seed now. That places them at one of three locations in Texas.

    Would be great to see them in Austin. I’d be rooting for Pitt don’t get me wrong. But it would be win win for me.

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  192. What have all those Pitt alum draft picks done for Pitt while they were playing here?

    All had decent or very good individual play & stats but did we win any championships or even (minor) bowl games.

    Who cares what Pitt players do once they leave Pitt if the HC and his staff can’t coach the team the draftees play on to big winning seasons?

    Ultimately who is responsible to have great seasons (9+ wins with bowl wins and being in Top 25 at season’s end). The HC, that’s who!

    But Pitt refuses to believe this to be true.

    Fans can throw out examples of winning coaches who thrived after 6 season…but how many Have just kept crapping the bed and were fired?

    I’ll venture to say a ton more.

    If Pitt fans want to eat up every word of propaganda issued by the AD or HCs then have at it. But to me this is the ultimate slap in the face to those same fans. Yet still Pitt keeps begging us for money even after concrete examples of football mediocrity at best and a basketball barn fire at worse.

    Honestly, this whole week, with Lyke’s presser then this salary jump news makes me not so much sad but just kind of sick.

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  193. A lesson from the business world….

    When you make a controversial decision as a manager, announce it publicly immediately. You will get a ton of pushback but then it’s over!
    If you sit on and hide that decision, it will look suspicious and you will get 4x the grief when it comes to light ( and it always will!))! And maybe fired!

    More signs Heather is WAY over her head!

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    1. It’s unfortunate that a reporter had to break the news. Now pitt is reacting instead of being proactive and managing the message and spin upfront. They are amateurs. This is stuff you learn in business school and stuff you learn by working in the corporate world. It’s common sense to some. For Pitt it’s like foreign or maybe that just don’t care how it looks.

      It would be one thing if pitt was winning 8-10 games consistently each year and winning good bowl games. And being perennially ranked in the top 25

      And most importantly, if pitt could afford dishing out that coin. Pitts football team generates one of the lowest revenues in all P5. No big booster is covering Narduzzis bloated salary. Pitt cannot touch endowment money for sports…period.

      So when you purchase a ticket this year, know that twenty cents out of every dollar you spend is going straight into Pats pocket.

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      1. Im not really sure that this is news. The only thing that was disclosed was the current level, not the mechanism that bumped the compensation. If a built-in increase from the extension he signed a few years ago, its not befitting any type of announcement from the school.

        If one has a predisposed view of the HC or the AD (of course that wouldn’t apply to anyone here) – ANY bit of information gets spun. This whole conspiratorial POV that something was done in secret is presumptive…at best.

        Churn, churn, spin, spin spin…..froth it up boys. Thats what folks do these days.

        And please don’t spin my comment as defending HCPN or ADHL. Im not. I just like to work off the facts at hand. There are enough of those out there to work with.

        Liked by 1 person

          1. See my first sentence Tex. Is he “breaking” news or “making” news?

            In any event, these disclosures occur regularly when tax return information becomes available.
            Is the fact that he and Capel both had significant increases at a time when other lost jobs? Sure, but that happens all the time and not just with HC’s…happens in the business world too.

            But not worthy of a press release by Heather and no basis for spinning it as if its a secret action, designed to evade the detection of the fans.

            Liked by 2 people

            1. Don’t you think heather would be cognizant enough to realize that this pay bump will not go over well and do her best to break the news first and control the narrative. They are amateurs at this.

              I refuse to give to pitt sports period until that lass is gone. She is bad news. And Narduzzi is laughing his way to the bank. Kudos to king Pat. A huckster he is.

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              1. I have no issue with your issues with HCPN or ADHL. None at all. But you are reaching in suggesting she should announce something because some fans are going to question her fitness for the job no matter what she does or doesn’t do. It’s already yesterday’s news.

                Will look forward to the plane banner in October. Gotta keep the message brief Tex. But I will read with interest!

                Liked by 1 person

  194. So I guess we can all say that neither Narduzzi nor Capel is on any near term “thin ice” as long as Heather is AD. I knew Narduzzi was on solid ground but I’m more than a little surprised that Capel seems to be also.

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    1. Thin ice as in she gets little to no support from boosters. And realist fans like me don’t buy her bs.

      Doesn’t good news break on mondays? I guess pitt thought grossly overpaying a mediocre coach they cannot even afford would go over well.

      Again, rank amateurs across the board.

      I’m personally making a call to Riddick.

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  196. Narduzzi’s compensation is insane. Clearly, he is not paid for performance. Further evidence that Pitt doesn’t know how to run a football program. Not happy with Capel either. What did he do to lose the team to the transfer portal?

    Just compelled to add my 2 cents, which admittedly, are worth less than 2 cents.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Heather could care less what you think. She’d probably expect two cents from you instead of giving you two cents for your thoughts. Heather thinks we are idiots and fools and just don’t care enough.

      I’ve got a surprise for her come October.

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  197. Tex, suppose you got what you wanted (except getting Narduzzi fired) and Heather called him in and said he has not performed to expectations and Pitt will cut his pay in half. If he doesn’t agree he would be immediately terminated (with some sort of buy out). So Narduzzi goes along, nursing a grudge, and when word leaks out that his salary was cut people will think that he has one foot out the door. How does he recruit like that? At that point he should be fired anyway because he is a dead man walking.

    Pitt set the standard with his $4 million pay, and should stick with it. Give him all the ultimatums they want (which they privately could have done in those “long talks” Heather talked about). Then, if he is eventually fired they would at least be telling the coaching community that they pay well and give their coaches plenty of time to perform to expectations.

    Liked by 1 person

  198. Akron game cancelled. Pitt could not have designed a more poor venue. Look at that picture.

    The Pitt football job and frankly the basketball job as well are toxic to anyone as long as heather is AD. And Gallagher has no business acumen so he should just stay on the sidelines like a good government bureaucrat.

    Pitt is royally screwed with the leadership in charge. You ever run a million dollar business. I have. I know.

    I’ll be there at regional. But don’t expect me to spin it like pitt likes it. I’m Texan. I’m no idiot. And no fool. And no push over.

    Look in the skies come October.

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    2. Nothing wrong with the baseball complex, thanks to AD of the year, the one and only Heather Lyke.

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      1. 900 capacity
        The outfield doesn’t view campus or the downtown skyline
        One concession stand
        So they still share bathrooms with the players? They used to
        No suites or boxes
        Bleacher seats
        High school electronics and sound system
        Says cheap all over

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  199. We lost two games by one point
    The referees were out to get us
    The ACC hates northern schools
    Pitt fans didn’t cheer loud enough
    pitt wasn’t allowed to cheat like everyone else
    Pitt has real scholar athletes

    Excuses

    U know who u r

    Did u ever use excuses like that to your boss in the real world? Or does the real world just not apply to pitt sports?

    Tell me please

    I bet I get 🦗

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  200. Tex, now you are bordering on the insane. Can you see an upcoming new head coach staring at the $4 million Pitt is offering, and then saying, “oh, you expect me to work for Lyke?” The AD of the Year? In the ACC? After Pitt lost two games last year by one point? “Well, hell no, I’m going to pass this job by”.

    Your hatred for all things Narduzzi and Lyke again demonstrates you cannot be reasoned with.

    Liked by 2 people

  201. My utter disdain for heather and Narduzzi is well justified. It’s not personal. It’s business.

    Only at Pitt could two totally inept and incompetent people continue to get raises, be employed, and receive praise lavished by those drunk on Koolaid.

    I thank bourbon for having two better schools to root for in football and basketball. And yes both of those schools have far better records than Pitt over the past ten years.

    I could coach armadillos to win more Games than Pitt basketball.

    Could coach a mesquite tree to be more than mediocre and not act like a cry baby every time Pitt loses.

    Pitt lacks toughness. The AD has no spine. Or clothes for that matter.

    And I’m being nice and not calling anyone names. Just the harsh truth. It’s not even opinion at this point. Look at the facts. Won and loss records. No excuses.

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  202. In an effort to change the subject, I just read an article from a Raleigh paper that says a current court case has revealed money transfers from an Adidas exec to the mother and stepfather of Zion Williamson over a three year period, before and during his year at Duke. The amounts are only in the thousands of dollars. I would have expected more. Duke says they didn’t know about the payments and that the NCAA ruling Zion eligible to play was their basis for playing him. Could get interesting but they are an NCAA blue blood so……

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  203. So with the latest revelations concerning Nardoozi’s & Capel’s bloated salaries.

    Would this make him the most grossly overpaid NCAAF P5 coach ?

    And Capel the most grossly overpaid NCAAB coach ?

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  204. I am not pro Narduzzi/Lyke/Capel… but can someone confirm for me…didn’t they each donate 1 million of their salary at the beginning of Covid towards research? If so, then their net salary didn’t change much from 2019 to 2020. I am just thinking out loud and not pushing any agenda.

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  205. You guys that may be worried about Heather and Narduzzi, relax. Tex is making a personal one on one call to Riddick to straighten all this out along with a surprise for Heather. All you unhappy campers need to stand down and let Tex take care of PITT athletics…… cause Tex has never said anything that isn’t true.

    Ring Ring…………..

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