in Pitt Football 489 Words

Whipple to Nebraska; Who’s our Peach Bowl Quarterback?

I’m going to start off by saying that if this news had been announced a year ago, the Pitt Fan base would have been jumping for joy, and to add onto that if ANYBODY on this blog had said that Kenny Pickett would be a Heisman finalist, Jordan Addison would be favorite for the Biletnikoff and Pitt would have one of the most productive offenses in the country, they would have been run out of the comments section on a rail.

What a difference a year makes.

The current reaction to Whipple’s leaving is mixed at best, with sentiments ranging from Outrage “Damn it he’s recruiting Chubba Purdy to Nebraska on our dime“

to disappointment “oh no we just turned the corner“

to acceptance, “well he was really only planning to be around for three years anyway“

to skepticism “Yea he worked wonders with Kenny but there ain’t much coming back“

to optimism “Hey maybe we’ll get to see Brennan Marion’s go-go offense after all”

and back to disappointment “Ahhh Nard Dog will never promote Marion to OC“.

Personally I’ve run the gamut of all these emotions in the last 18 hours, and I would suspect a lot of Pitt fans have as well.

My point in all of this (I guess) is that really this shouldn’t be unexpected (although the timing is odd), and *if* the rumblings are true that Narduzzi and Whipple had reached some sort of mutual agreement last week we’d like to hope that Narduzzi probably has a backfill plan. (Enter comments from Narduzzi haters…but hey… he did just win the ACC). The bottom line is that this kind of thing happens all the time in college football, even with ancient, seemingly over-the-hill assistants who just had a career year.

And in what is perhaps and unfair parting shot to the man who did help put Pitt football back on the map (ummmm….that would be Whipple…) I’d also like to point out that the Nebraska faithful may not be be getting an instant cure-all for their offensive woes. It took coach Whip three years to get Pitt’s offense to where it as today, and it probably wouldn’t have gotten there if Pickett didn’t come back. But, on the other hand he increased UMass’ offensive output from 11 PPG to 27.3 in year one (Back in 2014), behind transfer quarterback Blake Frponapfel. But…on the other other hand, Whipple only netted Miami +3 points per game when he took over as OC in 2009.

But in reality, who cares? The man has left and gone to the cornfields. There is nothing we can do about it. And in the context of an ACC championship, and the best offense Pitt has seen since ummm Matt Canada (damn I really wanted to say Dan Marino there), I suppose we should wish Whipple well. After all Kenny4Heisman wouldn’t have been a thing without him, even if Kenny doesn’t play in the Peach.

123 thoughts on “Whipple to Nebraska; Who’s our Peach Bowl Quarterback?”

  1. Once you’ve had great success, you are a target hire for the competition.

    But, changing jobs is like getting married! You get wined and dined, shown great love and promised many things…….it all looks so good! Then you get there and…

    You’ve been dating for years, lived together for a year, then you get married and on day one, you find out things you never knew about your spouse…. And it continues !

    The grass always looks greener on the other side…. Until you get there!

    Good riddance Whipple! You embarrassed my Alma Mater in the way you handled this and became a “downer” at a time of great triumph! Your ego and lack of a running game helped Pitt to lose WM and Miami games!

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  2. Whipple leaving just puts an exclamation point on the Kenny Pickett era … time for a new era … Duzz generally moves very slowly with hires. He likes to network at the coaches meeting in Feb. I, personally, hope this was all intentional to get Marion promoted. I’d love a college offense for once.

    Regarding the bowl game, the invite is the reward … kind of like the pro-bowl invite is the reward … but the game is just a game with empty value.

    Good luck to Kenny. I’m sure it’s tough decision, if not from a business standpoint, from a personal one. I promise you that he’d prefer to play regardless of what he actually does. Have to look out for you and your family, first, and make your decision with that frame of mind.

    Sounds like we’ll have a HS class of 10 with about 5 or 6 transfers sprinkled in.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. It seems evident from that Duzzi and Whipple obviously had a falling out prior to all of this. No other reason that a guy would take a more or less lateral move. If we don’t promote Brennan Marion….someone else likely would. He’s probably the right guy….but Duzzi would be foolish if he doesn’t explore all available option. My only concern is that while it should be an attractive landing spot with all the offensive weapons we have coming back, we may not attract a high tier transfer quarterback without the man ‘perceived’ to be responsible for it and Kenny’s development still in place. Perception is 90% reality right? Im not a Patti hater….just not convinced he’s all that….but if you have an opportunity to bring a transfer QB in of high caliber to compete with him and let the best man win… Im all for it.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m not sold on Patti either but let him play the entire bowl game if Kenny’s not playing…let’s see what he’s got. It’s a job interview baby! Let Beville get a shot as well.

      Liked by 4 people

      1. Yep. I agree….but I just hate the idea of throwing a kid like Patti into the fire of a bowl game without getting some low level (exhibition) experience to build off of. Not sure if it will be a very fair job interview. They will simply just stack the line to make it impossible to run and dare Patti to beat them with his arm. In a perfect world….let Picket play the first half and then turn it over to Patti in the second. Best of both worlds right?

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Yeah, that’s my suspicion, too. He and Narduzzi didn’t see eye to eye about something and decided to part ways. Which…seems dumb to me, really. I think Whipple’s done some pretty good work here the past few years, so I’d have preferred they work out a compromise and not rock the boat. Instead, it’s more unnecessary turnover in the coaching ranks and they’re now going to have to start over on whatever QB’s Whipple might have been recruiting the past couple years.

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      1. You do realize Whipple has doubled his salary going to Nebraska. I’m sure Narduzzi didn’t want to come up with the money and I agree with him. He has a budget for his assistant coaches and didn’t want to blow it up just to keep Whipple around.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. I did not realize that, but a) Whipple wasn’t making crazy money at Pitt to begin with b) salaries across CFB are going nuts this year and c) they just won the ACC. They could spend a little money to keep the team together. This isn’t the Bob Nutting owned Pirates.

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    3. and the fact that we did not match Nebraska’s salary offer. Narduzzi has been head coach for seven years and we’ve had two years in the span of excellent offense coaching. So ends the era. I have nightmares of us opting to punt when we need seven points. Narduzzi left to his own devices is bore ball.

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  4. Whipple wanted out. He kept his mouth shut and did his job. I respect him for that. He also gave Kenny an out not to play. I am sure they are very close, and Whipple can be the bad guy for his star pupil.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. In the Dan Patrick interview, I found it unusual that Kenny didn’t mention Duzz even once. It may have just been the flow of the conversation but the decision to play was solely going to be a discussion with his family … not with coach Duzz, too.

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    1. I understand. I’m opting out. This season has been magical with Pickett and Whipple. Narduzzi has not magic.

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  8. I’m no Narduzzi fan and it’s no secret he’s an abrasive guy. But, when I mentor young ones, including my daughter, whether it’s sports coaches or business bosses, i I tell them you can’t always pick who you work for, so learn to suck it up and make the best of it. It’s a reflection on you how you handle it.

    My hat is off to Narduzzi and his entire staff on achieving the success this year and having the talent coming back next year! H2P

    Liked by 7 people

  9. One would have to think that Narduzzi reached out to KP to at least inform who will be the interim OC for the Peach Bowl. I’m pretty sure Narduzzi is not going to pressure him on any decision he makes. But just letting him know that the same terminology will be in play so as not to have him thinking he needs to do a crash course on learning a new play book.

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  10. Think the good money is on Patti getting the start. Believe this might also be playing on Pickett’s likely decision to sit out the Bowl. Understand them to be really good friends.

    That aside… Patti deserves it.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Patti does deserve it. I kind of felt bad for him that we are looking at transfers and he’s only got one start in four years. Well wishes to all of our backups that don’t get in much…you are important to the team.

      By the way, with Whipple leaving, does that mean we can kiss Chubba Purdy goodbye?

      I would be pretty confused if a representative of an organization offered me a job and then quit the organization a day or two later.

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Just listened to KP on the FAN and I counted three times he said he would be making a decision after talking to Narduzzi and his family.

    Liked by 4 people

  12. Someone on the other board was not impressed with Marion’s offense at W&M … Huh? And, he started a true freshman at QB … here is the jump from with and without Marion …

    2018:

    2018 W&M Total Offense: 241.5 YPG
    (#12 of 12 CAA teams)
    2018 W&M Passing Offense: 186.2 YPG
    (#9 of 12)
    2018 W&M Rushing Offense: 55.3 YPG
    (#12 of 12)
    2018 W&M Scoring Offense: 13.6 PPG
    (#12 of 12)

    2019:

    W&M Total Offense: 340.9 YPG
    (#10 of 12 CAA teams) (+99.4 compared to last season)
    W&M Passing Offense: 154.9 YPG
    (#12 of 12) (-31.3)
    W&M Rushing Offense: 186.0 YPG
    (#4 of 12) (+130.7)
    W&M Scoring Offense: 25.2 PPG
    (#7 of 12) (+11.6)

    This may not come as a surprise, but W&M’s offense took an ASTRONOMICAL leap forward in 2019 (understatement). Tribe faithful had high expectations for offensive coordinator Brennan Marion’s offense, and it certainly lived up to the hype.

    Marion’s “Go-Go” offense made for an entertaining style of play each time the Tribe offense took the field; fans never knew what would happen — with multiple reverses, misdirections, and trick plays baked into a fast-paced, run-first offense.

    As one can plainly see in the stats above, W&M’s offensive production and overall efficiency was way up this year; in terms of rushing, W&M boasted nearly triple the amount of yards on the ground that it averaged last year, and scored almost double the amount of points.

    Another crazy stat: last season, W&M never scored 30+ points and was shutout twice. This season, W&M eclipsed 30 points five times, and was never shutout all season. Re-read that. Go-Go ahead (get it?). Let that one-year turnaround sink in.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. W&M’s record in 2018 was 4-6; in 2019 it was 5-7. I’m not sold on the go-go offense. It sounds like too many gimmick plays. Somehow I don’t see this being a Nardizzi type offense.

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      1. He wasn’t head coach. The record doesn’t matter. It’s the overall improvement on offense that matters.

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        1. I don’t look at stats for just this reason. The numbers may have increased because the offense had more returning starters and they played poor defenses. I think you have to watch each game individually to figure out talent levels played against as well as your own talent. Pitt winning the coastal was great. Pitt beating a winning team from the coastal, was not great since they lost to the only team that was over .500.

          So did Pitt get alot better, or did the coastal get alot worse…or is the truth somewhere in the middle?

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  13. I guess I have to change WMG to WHG (Whipple Has Gone). I wish him the best as it seemed like he tried his best, it’s just that, like Nardog, he’s very stubborn about what he wants his offense to be, even if it may not be the best strategy. I think the Huskers may be disappointed if they are looking for a big turnaround.

    Let’s ask ourselves, how excited would we be if Pitt hired a 65 year old OC to replace him? Not sure the Husker faithful are jumping for joy?

    It only makes sense for Marion to be the interim OC for the Peach, however that will NOT be a good job interview given that he has not had any chance to put his stamp on anything, including getting the QB in place that he feels best fits his system. It’s a band-aid and not a great one should KP8 decide to sit out.

    If Marion is the new OC I hope that Nardog decides to hire a QB coach, and let Marion keep his WR coaching responsibilities. What he has done with Krull, Bart, Wayne, and of course Addisson is remarkable and it seems stupid to take him away from using his coaching skills where he has proven to be effective. As for the QB coach, it could be an older experienced coach who isn’t looking to make a name for himself, but is still interested in coaching. Someone like Walt Harris (not suggesting him but simply an example).

    Even us ever hopeful fans were expecting next year to be a tough one with or without Charmin, especially with no experienced QB in waiting. So maybe it’s just time to turn the page and start the program in another direction, thinking about the long-term.

    If Nardog does not have an OC in mind then this is a major blunder on his part. Succession planning, especially for a 65 year old OC, is obviously something the head of an organization MUST do.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I’m sure he has at least a short list of candidates. It will be interesting for sure. And it gives us POVers something to blather about.

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  14. The bowl game will not be an interview for anything … Future QB’s or future OC’s. I’m guessing Salem will be the OC for the game regardless of who gets hired. Patti has been the backup all season so it’s logical to assume he’ll get to start if Kenny does indeed decide to opt out. Spring practices and the spring scrimmages will determine the QB.

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  15. Good job, MM.

    I thought i remembered Coach Whip talking about retiring and playing golf a couple years back. I suspect a big pot of money is keeping him going. Plus he needs a clause in his contract that he gets paid no matter how soon Frost is fired…😊

    Don’t forget that KP doesn’t come back without Coach Whip.

    I bet we’d be talking about Coach Moorhead for OC if he hadn’t taken the Akron job…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 2 people

  16. I am ambivalent about Whipple leaving. I thank him for what he has done this year and wish him well. Kenny Pickett developed into an NFL quarterback under his mentor ship. It did take 5 years, though. I will not miss our quarterback running to the sidelines after each play. I will also not be surprised if Whipple lasts more than two years at Nebraska.

    I believe Pitt rushing the ball in the fourth quarter when they were ahead in several games this year was the result of Narduzzi laying down the law on Whipple. Narduzzi also probably let Whipple know who was the boss more than once during the last three years. For a man with NFL and head coaching experience such as Whipple, this would have been intolerable. I could see why he would leave.

    Given how this has played out after the season, I would hope that Narduzzi has a replacement all lined up. The replacement needs to be announced in the next week or so, otherwise some of the offensive players may be headed to the portal.

    Coach Marion has made great strides with the receivers this year, more so than any year when Beatty was their coach. I agree with Reed and others that this has helped Pickett’s numbers this year. I am not a big Beatty fan and do not see him leaving a NFL job to become O.C. at Pitt. If Marion becomes O.C., we will not see a Go-Go offense as Narduzzi would never allow it. We may see a slower RPO version of Marion’s offense though. It would be more run oriented than the Whipple offense (almost any offense would be!). This would be better suited for Patti.

    Narduzzi likes to mull over decisions such as this. I am hoping he does not procrastinate too long and cost us players or recruits. What he could do is name Marion as acting O.C. for the bowl game. If things go well at the Peach Bowl, the job becomes permanent. Problem solved. Hail to Pitt!

    Liked by 1 person

  17. I disagree on Duzz not allowing it. He’s given a very long leash to all of his OC’s. He’s let them all have a freedom to run the offense how they see fit … but, if you’ve noticed, with that freedom he also has let them know he’s willing to call them out publicly if he disagrees. He did it to Cheney, Watson, and Whipple. Duzz was very willing express his displeasure in the offense when he saw it warranted.

    I think whoever is hired will have freedom to call plays as seen fit.

    Liked by 1 person

  18. OT — Something I’ve been meaning to mention. Pitt’s interceptions in the WF game, three of the four anyway, were due to terrible, weak throws by Hartman. But what caught my eye was that on 2 of the INTs, we had double coverage on the intended receiver. The Pitt cornerback was not “on an island.”

    When AJ Woods peeled off the WR to intercept the way underthrown pass, there was a safety on that WR near the sideline.

    And on Hallett’s pick-6, the Corner was downfield of the WR and Hallett had the underneath coverage.

    In games where an opponent keeps having success with a play, don’t you wonder why we don’t gamble once in a while to make them pay? Have a corner guess on a sideways screen and have a safety playing soft if you get it wrong (like in the Miami game). Well, WF had completed at least 6 down-and-outs in that game. It was about time we jumped one…

    Anyway, I suspect we’re seeing Coach Duzz slowly – ever so slowly – evolve in his defensive thinking. And I bet Coach Bates is a big factor in it…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 5 people

  19. Hire Tre Tipton as OC, after all he is the only person who can take the best of 4 different co-ordinators a create a new balanced offense… he certainly knows his way are PITT with 7 years under his belt…kidding!

    Duzz has done a much better job with hiring assistants. I like a pro system… would like to see a more balanced running attack and think it is forming with Izzy and Hammond( some POVert -give this kid a nick-name… UPITT, Savannah, you 2 are good at assigning a handle)

    I would like to see KP and the MSU running back play.. but that’s just me being greedy and yearning for those bye gone days where bowl season meant so much to me and many of you….our greed to see Kenny one more time has been trumped by corporate greed… it’s not the end of the world but it certainly PSux IMO.

    Army- Navy this week-end…. been to 2 of the games. Nothing has compared to that experience… I know how much all of you love the college game .., you should put this on your bucket list.

    Back in Pa looking after mom… just got her back home. Shout out to Annie and either Mark or John F … for introducing me to Prantl’s burnt almond tort… 2 trips there already!!!

    Liked by 4 people

  20. It seems clear, they weren’t renewing WHG’s contract so he really had no choice but to grab hold of the Huskers offer if he wanted another payday. However, that begs the question, why would HCPN need much time to name an OC which he should have had lined up to replace WHG already?

    If he’s dragging his feet or needs much time to vet OC’s then I’m confused as to what his plan was for WHG!!!

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  21. Regardless of who plays in the Peach, Pitt is going to have a new quarterback next year and we also open the season by hosting the Hated Hoopies at Heinz. (say that three times fast…) With that said, I’ll roll the dice with Patti / Beville at QB in a “meaningless” bowl to rather than a baptism under fire against a rival.

    Liked by 5 people

    2. Well, the bowl game isn’t meaningless or it should not be meaningless. A win puts Pitt in the Top 10 and achieves 12 wins for the first time since 1976. A win ups Narduzzi’s bowl record to 2-3 and builds excitement for next season. If we lose to Michigan State, we’ll probably fall in ranking somewhere between 20 and 25. Big difference from top 10 to top 25.

      The talking heads claim the early signing period is responsible for the chaos but these coaching changes at this time in the season have been going on for a while.

      Liked by 5 people

      1. Love your common sense logic Tony!!! Narduzzi will want this win so will the team… that will make them 1-1 vs teams from Michigan in 2021. Also Duzz likes to recruit in Michigan… need to whip(ple) Sparty’s butt and leave a good impression on that region.

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  22. If Pickett elects to sit it out, we might get some indication of the answer to an important question.

    With everything else remaining the same, can Narduzzi still win WITHOUT his Offensive “Brain Trust” and arguably Pitt’s All-time BEST Quarterback?

    Liked by 1 person

    2. Yes, PATTI and company can beat Sparty! Have faith Panther fans “ “You of little faith.” Very famous fellow uttered those words a long long time ago……

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  24. POD, I agree that this year has been the offense bailing out the defense. But I think, without looking up the statistics, that Pitt’s defense over the past 3-4 years has been rated higher in the nation than its offense has, excluding this year of Kenny Heisman.

    I would also give equal credit to the defense and offense in the ACC champ game, with defense providing at least 14 of Pitt’s second half points, and more importantly shutting WF down beginning with the 2nd quarter.

    In short, I don’t think most of Nardog’s wins have been because of offensive brain trust. In his 7 years, 2 years (one with Canada and this year with WHG) have been all about the offense.

    Liked by 3 people

      1. Note… Whipple is identified as Narduzzi’s OFFENSIVE “Brain Trust.” There’s another one. His name is Bates.

        This was something spelled out in one of my posts from month or so ago. Which, by the way… took a lot of criticism at the time from those CONVINCED Whipple was undeserving of any praise.

        Boy, how things have changed.

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        1. Ridiculous? This was the post during the Tennessee Game which I was one of a few to project Pitt having any possibility of winning.

          Just par for the course.

          xxxxxxxx

          PittofDreams
          September 11, 2021 at 2:01 pm

          Pitt winning this game DESPITE Narduzzi. Say what you want about Whipple’s Offensive philosophy, he’s clearly the “Brain Trust” behind this operation… along with Bates.

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  25. Bernie is right. Pitt is cut out for a pro style offense, its their identity and will never change. This is the style they play and their seasoned OL would not be receptive to major changes in blocking schemes.

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  27. Like many others, I am grateful to Whip for this season, but I am not sad to see him go. I am disappointed in the timing.

    I would also be disappointed in KP if he sat out the Bowl game after the whole year of We not Me stuff.

    However with all of that said, I am thankful for this year. I never thought I would live to see another 10 win season (even though I am only 46). I also NEVER thought that Duzz could win an ACC Championship.

    Yet, this has all happened. I still actually feel like it’s a dream. If it is, don’t wake me up.

    H2P!

    Liked by 4 people

  28. Pitt’s defense was #40ish. It was a perfectly acceptable defense. it was one of the best 3rd down and 4th down defenses. It gave up big plays but they had a ton of big stops this year too.

    Liked by 3 people

  30. Chaney went to Georgia, Canada went to LSU and now Whipple went to Nebraska, all with hefty raises. Fact is that Duzz made 3 of 4 pretty good OC hires

    Partridge was a really good hire as was Beatty as was Merion. Collins and Bates seem to be pretty capable. And Manalac appeared to do a pretty good job in his first year as LB Coach.

    Salem gets criticized here but he was the one who found Izzy and Sirvocea, and was the point guy for all of the Jersey Boys include KP.

    All in all, until proven differently, I will give Duzz the benefit of the doubt for his upcoming hire

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Liked by 11 people

    1. Bingo! Excellent post, Bill. There has been a firehose of speculation posted here over the last two days. That’s okay because this is a fan blog. But some of the comments about anger at this guy or another screwed us based on that speculation is over the top, in my opinion.

      How about this? We have a very good team and excellent coaches! Coach Narduzzi and Coach Whipple have been nominated for national awards! Sheesh!

      Yes, it’s very possible that we fall back to being just better than average next year. Look at the records of teams who have achieved success through stability. It is never a continuous upward trend. It’s average, better than average, then great for a year or two. Savor the great, enjoy the better than average. It beats the alternative. And, no, great all the time is not the alternative. Will not, can not, happen.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Lots retuning next year… a few new recruits and the transfer portal… I think the table is set to step up to a minimum 9 win expectation unless the administration wants to de- emphasize football… Time to think positivo and be real…. Remember, last year KP had 13 TD passes… very pedestrian.

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      2. Those of us who have followed USC the past 40 years can say amen to that, FHS. There ARE cycles of success….But Pit fans are overdue for more up time…

        Aka LA Panther

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    2. Hope the former Pine-Richland coach Eric K grows into a full_•- time position coach. Hopefully, he makes a contribution in recruiting locally.

      Liked by 3 people

  31. I never realized how many problems come with winning a conference championship?

    And then there’s the OC hauling in a bigger paycheck, watch it coach, mo money mo problems

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  32. PITT won for the Whipper. You showed how you showed up so many PITT fans is amazing. Whip it Whip it

    Goodhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_QLzthSkfM!

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  34. Some meandering thoughts:
    -Ambivalent about Whipple leaving, though the timing isn’t great.
    -Would like to see Kenny play but I guess we not me was only critical through the championship game.
    -The defense came up big by pressuring bad throws by Hartman and the DB’s interceptions (at least 2 of the last 3 scores were by or set up by the defense).

    For those wavering on attending the game, remember it is the University of Pittsburgh, not Pickett. The other 119 players all contributed to this great season (I will be going).

    Liked by 6 people

  35. Good one Uncle Iek…
    Was at a wedding many years ago and my girlfriend was asked “can Fran dance?”
    She replied “yeah, like Devo”

    So i went out on the dance floor and proved her point!

    Liked by 5 people

  38. The perfect scenario now…
    Pat: “Mark congrats on the Nebraska job. Sorry about how we ended things. I would love for you to rejoin us and coach the bowl game…let’s finish this thing right.”
    Mark: “You’re right. Let’s finish this season right. I’m in.”
    Kenny: “One last ride!”

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  40. Like a lot have already said, Whipple’s departure isn’t that much of a surprise to me, but I thought it would be to retire, if he didn’t return here. This all makes for much fodder for us to discuss long after the season is over (which is good), but once, just once I thought Pitt might have a completely magical season, with no coaching turnover and everyone playing/coaching in the bowl game, like the blue blood programs typically have. I am still thankful for the season we have had, but dang we came close to having that magic for a whole season.
    With all the coaching turnover going on right now, if it isn’t Marion, hopefully Pitt/Narduzzi identify a good candidate quickly. Someone mentioned UVA’s OC. He would seem to be an option worth exploring, especially if a certain southpaw QB could be enticed to come with him.

    Liked by 3 people

  42. I will remind everyone that it was Annie’s letter that lit a fire under the Athletic Department and the football program and led directly to Pitt football winning the ACC Championship!

    We all owe a debt of gratitude to Annie.

    (And I suspect that Coach Whip’s departure was likely one of the conditions Annie demanded…🤔)

    Now we need to get Annie to work on the men’s basketball team…

    Go Annie!

    Liked by 5 people

  43. @BigB. You asked for a nickname for Hammond. From the man who gave you The Flea. How about HammondEggs. It time to feed them some HammondEggs. or Its Hammond Time, (can’t touch this). Jesus im getting old to reference MC Hammer.

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      2. I used the reference to Freddie Patek who was the original flea. If your old enough to remember Freddie Patek. He was only 5’7″. I think you could go back and find it in the old message boards. I very rarely post, but read regularly and wouldn’t take credit for something I didn’t say. I also used to post under Upitt’s Father-in-Law.

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  44. Pitt women’s volleyball picked up a transfer from Washington State University for next year. Julianna Dalton is a 6′-5″ outside hitter. She was a freshman last year but did not play for the Cougars this year. I would assume she has three years of eligibility left.

    In her freshman year she played in all of WSU matches. She has 151 kills and hit 0.206. She has an incredible 6 solo blocks and 39 block assists. She was named to the All PAC-12 Freshman Team. It looks as if Coach Fisher is reloading, not rebuilding, next year!

    Liked by 3 people

  46. I was reading some posts on the Lair earlier and noticed one poster had a profile picture of a plate of kielbasa…his screen name is
    Kielbacea Dennis. 🤣🤣

    Liked by 5 people

  47. It’s not getting any easier. It appears that The U is really going all out to rejuvenate the FB program

    They hired Cristobal from Oregon who will be getting paid > $8M. They also paid out buyout money to Diaz and Oregon to the tune of $12M.

    AD Dan Radakovich who was with Clemson since 2012 is also coming to the U. Radakovich got his MBA at Miami ; he is an Aliquippa native who got his bachelors at IUP

    Lastly, top Miami booster John Ruiz is spearheading a campaign to have a 50k stadium built on Coral Gables

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

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  48. KP should invoice the Peach Bowl/ sponsor for services rendered… why not… he is their 5 ⭐️ attraction….” Make it worth my time!!” a nice pay-check and more importantly a BIG insurance/ disability policy should K8 be injured during the PB

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  51. Whatever Kenny decides to do is OK by me.

    Im on the fence regardng Atlanta. Not because of Whipple and Kenny.
    Feels like a denoument of sorts and Charlotte was this season’s high water mark.

    Things will be fine and next year will be its own adventure.

    Some say Duzz is a difficult guy to work for. Perhaps…seems like an in your face kind of guy who delievers direct feedback. Even whatever charm school Heather may have sent him to wouldn’t change that.
    If he was easy to work for, the same folks would be complaining that he’s not puushing his staff enough. I’d rather have the demanding guy who is going to call out his coordinators when needed.

    Liked by 4 people

  52. I bascially said my peace on Whipple at the very end of the last thread, but in sumary I concur with the sentiments on this board, in that I don’t losing Whipple is a disappointment, yet I respect him (and all of the offensive coaching staff) for his contributions to this year’s great success, and I wish Coach Whipple the best going forward.

    I also believe the story that this departure has been planned for a year, and if so, then Narduzzi should have a VERY good idea of his replacement. Do I think Marion is the guy? Yes, and yes I’d be good with it, but if Salem coaches the bowl game (let’s hope not!), then I expect PN is taking a longer approach, possibly looking for an opportunity relative to all the CF turnover?

    These coming weeks/days should be interesting.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I think Duzz and Whip have had a plan all year too. I think Kenny and Whip were a package deal. In todays’ college football environment I feel they both fulfilled their commitment to that deal.

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  53. When Bill is stealing your plays … is it really gimmicky? it’s the triple option from shotgun or pistol with west coast WR routes … Coach Marion appears to be auditioning for the job today on Twitter …

    Liked by 1 person

  54. The Narduzzi is tough to work for narrative is BS. Look around the country at coaches moving around. Many schools are much worse than Pitt plus look at the coaches that have stayed many years with PN.
    He’s the head coach and he pretty much lets his OC and DC run their areas. His job is to step in when he doesn’t like what he sees. It worked quite well this year didn’t it.

    Liked by 3 people

  55. Duzz is abrasive but he lets his coordinators do their jobs. He also holds them accountable is not afraid to passive aggressively drop some blame their way publicly. Comes with the territory if you’re given autonomy. But … he definitely is abrasive at times. Lol. Good or bad … I can see him being a D in practices and on the sideline.

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    1. I see pretty much every coach like that, even the assistants. I bet Partridge, Powell, Whipple, Borbs, Narduzzi have some seriously heated conversations. It’s football and those guys all have big egos and grew up when coaches were permitted to yell and scream like maniacs. LOL.

      If you can’t take the heat…

      Liked by 1 person

  56. Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Extends Formal Invitation to Pitt

    WHAT: The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and Pitt Athletic Department will hold a press conference formally inviting the No. 12 Pitt Panthers to play in this year’s Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

    WHO: Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl CEO & President

    Pat Narduzzi, Pitt Head Football Coach

    Heather Lyke, Director of Athletics

    WHEN: Tuesday, Dec. 14 at 11:00 a.m.

    WHERE: Pitt Football Team Room at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex

    DETAILS: Atlantic Coast Conference champion (12) Pitt (11-2) will face (10) Michigan State (10-2) in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl – the first New Year’s Six bowl matchup of the 2021 season. The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl will be played Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and will be nationally televised by ESPN.

    Both teams will be making their first-ever trip to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. This year’s matchup represents the first appearance by a Big Ten team in the Bowl since 2018 (Michigan) and the first from the ACC since 2015 (Florida State). It also marks the first Big Ten vs. ACC matchup in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl since 1988 when NC State and Iowa faced off.

    The Spartans will be making an appearance in a New Year’s Six Bowl for the first time since 2015 when they faced Alabama in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl, while this will be Pitt’s first appearance in a current New Year’s Six Bowl since the 2005 Fiesta Bowl.

    About Peach Bowl, Inc.:

    Peach Bowl, Inc. operates the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, one of the New Year’s Six Bowls selected to host the College Football Playoff. The Bowl has earned a reputation as one of the most competitive bowls in the country, with 53 percent of its games being decided by a touchdown or less. Peach Bowl, Inc. has disbursed $292.5 million in total team payouts over its 53-year history and have drawn an all-time ESPN viewership of 280.4 million for both the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and Chick-fil-A Kickoff Games.

    Peach Bowl, Inc. also leads all other bowl game organizations in charitable and scholarship contributions, having donated or committed $58.2 million to organizations in need since 2002. Peach Bowl, Inc. created and manages the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, the Peach Bowl Challenge charity golf tournament, manages The Dodd Trophy national coach of the year award and led the relocation and financial foundation of the College Football Hall of Fame to Atlanta.

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  57. My theory about Whipple is that it was assumed he would retire at the end of the season, but given his sudden success he started making overtures about wanting to come back. Duzz was not interested so Whipple started looking around, and leaving before the bowl game was his final middle finger to Duzz before exiting..

    Liked by 2 people

  58. Players will be players (portal). Coaches will be coaches (money). We all have our tunes to play.
    Happy we are where we are now. Try to keep it rolling along. KP and Addison deserve more awards then they will get. H2P

    Liked by 3 people

  59. Whipple left for $$$$. Recruiting the kid in Arizona for the Huskers was a middle finger to Duzzi and to Pitt.
    Yes, Mr Whipple did a great job with KP, however, it did not happen overnight. I am willing to bet that Chubb (spelling?) will turn up in Lincoln as the HUSKERS NEW qb. Nebraska has a proud football tradition and they have been a dumpster fire. It will be extremely interesting to see how much time the Huskers fanbase gives to Whipple if he does not come out of the box firing on all cylinders with a roaring offense.

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    1. isnore99, the timeline is what I’m confused about. Why did Whipple go talk to Chubba Purday 48 hours before leaving Pitt and offer him a scholarship to PItt? Does Chubba want to go to Pitt? Does Chubba have loyalty to Whip and end up at Nebraska?

      If Narduzzi wanted Chubba that badly and knew Whip was leaving, Duzz wouldn’t have let Whip meet with the qb…right?

      Did Duzz not know Whipple was leaving so soon? Was Whip pulling a coup on the way out? We need answers.

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  60. I’ve been thinking that William Shakespeare would have been a huge Pitt fan. I could see him sitting in the front row next to the Pitt Pope!

    Look at what Pitt provides:

    Drama, check.
    High drama, check.
    Tragedy, check.
    Comedy, check.

    “To slide or not to slide. That is the question.”

    I tell ya, the Bard would have loved the Pitt Panthers!

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 2 people

  61. Yes, the basketball team would be featured under the Headline, “A Comedy of Errors”.

    Speaking of basketball does anybody really care if we play Colgate…and could end up losing.

    Ah, but what really counts today is our volleyball game against the Kansas Jayhawks…I hope that we can all smile at the conclusion because— “All’s Well That Ends Well:”

    Liked by 5 people

  63. Purdy does not have an offer from Nebraska from what I can see. Whipple was still a Pitt employee and offered Purdy from Pitt. I think people are jumping to conclusions about Whipple and Purdy. Spencer Rattler seems much more connected to Nebraska than Purdy does. Just because Whipple left doesn’t mean he was being nefarious on the trip. You can jump to conclusions but it’s just speculation.

    Liked by 2 people

  64. I’ve had enough Whipple the stooge talk. Let’s speculate on the next OC. Marion and who else? Who is out of work because of a coaching change? Many have been hired already like Miami’s Lashlee. There is the UVA guy. USC’s OC was very good also but he is highly sought after.

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  66. I’m purdy sure we’ll need to play the Peach Bowl with the QB’s on the current roster. Nick Patti seems to be the next man up. So, who does Duzz use to coach the offense?

    I posted numerous times yesterday, promote Marion and Salem temporarily to co-OC with Go-Go Marion the main play caller and Salem the steady, calm hand that mentors Marion along the way.

    With three RB’s to rotate in for fresh legs and 2 TE’s that played very well this season, this could be a fun, balanced offense that beats MSU. The WR’s will continue to play well – Addison, Wayne and Shockey.

    The D seems to be intact and all the coaches in place – they may even benefit from a more balanced, clock eating attack (maybe, unless go-go goes really well) AND a B1G team that is run heavy. The only defensive mystery for me is whether CB Mathias is available to play or is his knee injury serious enough to keep him off the field. Next man up, MJ Devonshire.

    Would I rather have KP8, sure. Is this a chance to get a glimpse at 2022? Let’s do this!

    H2P!

    Liked by 1 person

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