in Pitt Football 954 Words

Another Take on Whipple

by Joe Lawrence aka JoeL

A SIMPLE EXPLANATION

A lot has been made of the Mark Whipple departure in the past two days. When ensuing public statements don’t provide enough details for mass consumers of college football news, speculation runs rampant. And there are missing pieces in this story for sure. Twitter and message boards are rife with all sorts of thoughts, many of which tend to draw on the negative. Not surprisingly, Pgh radio personalities have been quick to pounce on theories that paint the program in the worst light. Not a surprising move as negative Pitt news gets Pitt fans upset and makes other fans happy – which draws listeners. It’s a business in the end after all.

One comment I read cited Occam’s Razor, which suggests that “the simplest explanation is usually the best one”. A good comment IMO.

Below is my take on the “simplest explanation”.

To begin, it’s important to have some of the background preceding this season in order to have a rounded perspective on Mark Whipple’s role in Pitt’s success this season.

Duzz brought Whipple in as OC specifically because of Kenny, who he saw as a pro prospect. Kenny needed to be developed and showcased – even if a pass first offense would not be Duzz’s preferred scheme. This is how I recall it going down and believe that is how Duzz and others around the program described it.

Going into this past season, Duzz and Whipple both understood that an extension for the OC was not planned. Whipple may have considered his options and perhaps even concluded that at age 64, it was time to hit the links and spend more time at home with his Mrs. in Arizona.

Kenny develops further not only under Whipple, but also with the help of his personal coach Tony Raccioppi. Other than Kenny himself, Racioppi is responsible for the QB’s footwork improvements. It is also well-known that Kenny is driven and self-develops as well. (Perhaps Ken, Sr. gets DNA credit for those attributes).

At the same time, two other things helped with the offense: the re-emergence of TE talent on the roster and the arrival of Coach Marion to coach the WR’s. The former was brought in by Tim Salem, not Mark Whipple. The latter was brought in by Duzz, not Whipple. Marion worked to get the WR’s to run better routes and buy into the value of blocking skills. Meanwhile, the OL developed with improved personnel replacing those who departed.

The offense came together as a unit due to the collective efforts of many people and put up amazing numbers. Games were won. The stature of Kenny grew and along with it, the Mark Whipple brand developed cachet. People who overlooked him for years watched the success of Pitt’s offense and attributed quite a bit of it to Mr. Whipple.

But Whipple neither singlehandedly built Kenny into an NFL-caliber QB, nor did he singlehandedly build the offense into the high performance it’s been this season. It’s a team sport played and coached by many people. Whipple has played his part for sure, but that should be kept in perspective.

During this rise in stature, Whipple refused to run the damn ball to close out games… irritating most fans and Duzz as well. Be honest… you questioned the wisdom of the play-calling when Whipple would not give Izzy and Hammond the rock to finish things. Despite the unit’s overall performance, perhaps it cemented Duzz’s view that the right person to run the post-Kenny Pickett offense and recruit another top QB was not Mark Whipple – who had not demonstrated recruiting chops in his time at Pitt.

Approaching the end of his contract, Whipple headed to AZ, presumably to see his wife and family for a short bit. While home, he is asked to visit nearby portal prospect Chubba Purdy on behalf of the Pitt program. Some will recall that prior to the Chubba visit, Whipple was not actively involved in fall recruiting; another sign that he was winding things down.

Meanwhile, Scott Frost not only needed an OC for the Cornhuskers, but one that will get the fanbase excited. Given the glam of the Pitt offense, he reaches out to Whipple’s agent to see if there might be any interest. Whipple accepts the offer to talk – it costs him nothing to do so and Frost will come to him. They speak and Frost offers Whipple $1 MUSD/yr, which catches his attention to say the least.

Intrigued, Whipple says “maybe” to his agent, thinking that level of salary (and possibly severance) would nicely feather his retirement nest. Agents being what they are, the offer is shared with Pitt to counter, who are understandably caught off guard. The optics of a Whipple recruiting while interviewing scream conflict of interest and Duzz and Whipple have a “come to Jesus” meeting to discuss the pickle that Whipple has placed them in. All parties agree that if Whipple wants to take the Cornhusker job, he cannot represent Pitt and should resign. The decision to not coach in the Peach Bowl is mutual.

That’s my take on it. The planets aligned and a bright light was shown on Mark Whipple. Right place, right time combined with a buyer under intense pressure to make a splash hire. It certainly lacks the sensation that sports fans crave and program haters like Ron Cook want to sell but is perhaps closer to the truth than what some others are selling.

Best of luck to Coach Whipple and even better luck to Coach Narduzzi as he looks for a new Offensive Coordinator.

128 thoughts on “Another Take on Whipple”

  1. 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.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Narduzzi didn’t know Whipple was leaving when he visited Purdy. I’m fairly sure Narduzzi thought Whipple would still be in place for the Peach Bowl. But as MM suggested and probably very close to the truth the Nebraska visit by coach Frost changed everything when he came up with the million $ offer. So when the agent or Whipple tells Narduzzi(after the Purdy visit) about the offer Whipple was quickly informed that Pitt was not interested in bidding for his services. Hence the resignation and resulting fast exit took place.

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    2. Don’t think Chubba could develop loyalty to Whip in a 1-2 hour meeting… Chubba has been at this a while and is probably looking forward to a program with the “ pieces in place” and not a re- build… PITT IS IT…..

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Great article Joe. Whipple gets a big paycheck and gets to retire in after next year when Frost gets canned!

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  3. I buy this explanation as much, if not more, than any other. And BTW, Whipple was under contract for Pitt through at least the bowl game so it made every bit of sense to meet with a recruit who was in the area he was going to be anyway.

    Sent from my iPhone

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  4. Very good article. My only doubts are the come to Jesus moment and the mutual decision to not coach in the bowl game. With signing day before the bowl, I’m sure Frost said he had to be in place beforehand. Not that he’d help so much on the recruiting trail but that he can help close on any QB prospects.

    To my knowledge Purdy does not have a Nebraska offer. Whipple offered on behalf of Pitt because he was still employed at the time. Spencer Rattler is the transfer being linked to Nebraska right now.

    It was a relationship that had run its course and culminated in a historical season for Pitt and Pickett. It’s okay to move on. We haven’t had change in 3 years. Pitt had a good run and the previous two seasons are now worth it.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. For those interested, Central Valley will be defending its 3A state title at noon on Saturday, televised on PCN. CV is led by Pitt commit Sean Fitzsimmons who just won the Bill Fralic award for the WPIAL’s best lineman

    Sent from my iPhone

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    Liked by 5 people

  7. Nice Perry Mason work, Joe! Given your scenario I would (though I shouldn’t) assume that Narduzzi has his man or strong candidates for Whipple’s replacement at hand. We shall see.

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  8. Whipple’s timing is bizarre yeah; it was proposed elsewhere (?) that he was giving Kenny an out for the bowl game, but I’m not sure what to think. Regardless, Picket’s decision is going to be interesting in all this. He is beloved by the Panther faithful like no other in recent memory and he is the mouth of the “We Not Me” motto, so if he chooses not to play, it’s going to look a bit ‘wierd’ to sit out the bowl. That said, I think we are all going to wind up rooting for Mr. Patti against the Spartans.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Good article, JoeL, but I disagree on a couple things.

    For one, someone would need to explain to me how Coach Salem convinces a TE like Lucas Krull to transfer to Pitt, a recent TE wasteland. I don’t think he did; I think the presence of Coach Whip as OC and the “stats” that TE Breneman amassed at UMass is what convinced him.

    And why did Jordan Addison come to Pitt. Could the stats of WR Isabella at UMass have attracted him to play under OC Whip?

    To me, recruiting isn’t all about going to someone’s house. When the player comes to visit, what can you show him? Especially, what opportunities to shine can the coaching staff show him.

    With Coach Whip’s background in the NFL and the WR and TE stats he produced at UMass, you could make a pretty convincing case, IMHO.

    Why does a QB come to Pitt from the Lone Star State?

    Anyway, I think we lose that recruiting angle now. And we’ll need to find another angle to attract offensive talent…. Maybe it will be youth and energy and innovation…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I’m not suggesting the scheme – or Whipple himself – wasn’t part of the success or a factor in recruits’ decisions. I just think it would be wrong to overstate that.

      Likewise, just because he left doesn’t mean that the program becomes unattractive.

      Would love to see someone who projects energy, innovation and and enthusiasm get the offensive reins… even if only for a couple years.

      Liked by 2 people

  10. I’m with you the whole way on that JoeL. (We must have used the same “Razor” on this one.) I guess my only concern with the whole scenario (because I do believe that Mr. Whipple had to leave—and stay— with Kenny) is why Duzz would not have contacted Kenny to alert him to this (in confidence) before he heard it on the news. But there may be reasons that just jump out to me at the moment.

    By the way, would you consider applying for Ron vvCook’s job?

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  11. I’m sitting at the Field House for the vb match. The game before between BYU and Purdue went to 5 sets. Warmups are for another 16 minutes. Purdue was down 14-11 in set 5 and came back to win 18-16. It was very exciting.

    The Kansas pep band is here. Somehow I got a seat in the front row near the 10 ft line on the Kansas side of the net.

    Liked by 6 people

    1. I watched the match on television Annie. Purdue amazingly came back after a bad start to the fifth set.

      Louisville won first set against Florida. Florida giving Louisville all it can handle in the second set.

      Please share your thoughts as the Pitt/Kansas unfolds.

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  13. Just watched the Pitt “Field Pass” video for the Championship Game. Was awesome. Brought tears of joy to my eyes.

    Would someone please post it here. Thanks.

    H2P!

    Liked by 2 people

      2. Not one shot of Whipple but many classic one liners.

        I loved to one where Dennis gets his 2nd sack and the announcer says “another shot of SirVocea”.

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      1. I’m really worried Whipple screwed the possibility of Purdy signing. He is a big get.

        From Purdy’s point of view he has to be thinking the following: How can you meet with someone and get a sales pitch to join their organization and then the person resigns 48 hours later? It’s a bad look.

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  15. My biggest concern is if Marion gets a better offer and bolts while Narduzzi diddles around.

    The most important function is still recruiting Marion is good at it and will get an OC job, I hope it is with us.

    I think he came here to get the job, I think he has earned it.

    I am done talking about Whipple.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’d like to roll the dice on Coach Marion, but if you look at the OC’s the Duzz has hired, they were all highly experienced OCs.

      Will be interesting – and no doubt more drama from Pitt!

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Make Marion (young) and Salem (older) co-OC’s and hire a QB coach to fill the Whip vacancy – maybe Brandon Streeter from Clemson who is from Gettysburg, PA and whose dad was the HC at Gettysburg College. Brandon was a QB at Clemson and is currently on the Clemson staff.

        Liked by 2 people

  18. Nice job JoeL. Your assumptions are as good as anyone’s.
    I just don’t care why, where and how.
    I thank him for what he accomplished and next man up.

    Liked by 1 person

  23. JoeL, I think you nailed it, to quote Sigmund Freud “sometimes a cigar is just a cigar”.

    The only thing that is baffling to me is how does HCPN not thank WHG for all he has done, and follow it up with an announcement of the new OC. My only explanation is that it is someone from another team who is committed to coaching his current team’s bowl game (unlike WHG) thus delaying the announcement?

    If a string of interviews for the OC follows, then once again I say Nardog screwed up royally. Once the decision is made to replace WHG at the end of his contract obviously much earlier in the timeline, wouldn’t you make this decision after having a path in mind?

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    1. Its been 48-72 hours since the Whipple story broke. Even armed with a wishlist of candidates, it takes time to contact their agents to gauge interest and set up discussions.

      Lets say Narduzzi had a list of candidates in August (and he probably did, being known as a detailed, organized guy). Some guys on his list may have lost favor, while others may have had job changes/promotions that cloud or eliminate their candidacy. Then there are those who have perhaps emerged during the season (e.g. a Brennan Marion type).

      Perhaps he has 1 or 2 guys on his list who he doesn’t already know personally? Gotta test that for fit and if its me, I want to size them up in person. Meanwhile, there is the minor detail of closing on some borderline recruits (see tweet of him in Florida last night).

      Then – and perhaps this is a reach – some of the guys he wants to speak to are also on the road recruiting. Or your only explanation – coaching in a bowl game. Either way, gotta match schedules, etc.

      In short, he and his support staff may have their act 100% together and it would still take a little time.
      Im failing to see at this point in the process where he “screwed up royally”. In fact, its taxing to see that.

      Liked by 3 people

      1. JoeL, all good points (and clever to use my own words to undermine my point), but my view is that he should have been ready to announce who the OC was to replace WHG before the December signing period, for the sake of his recruits.

        Maybe it’s just me, but I wouldn’t agree to be a QB/RB/WR/TE recruit without knowing what type of offense you are getting into. If it’s a similar pro-style offense you are going to find an OC to run, then at least make that known, which recruiters may be doing behind the scenes with the recruits.

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  24. Pitt wins first set, 25-19. Pitt went off on a 10-point run. Lund had 3 aces. Ndee with 7 kills. Member-Meneh with 5 kills. Jawhawks keep stuffing Fairbanks at the net.

    Liked by 3 people

  25. Keep it going to our women’s VB team.

    Oh, BTW I’d suggest that KP*’s self-development abilities are thanks to his Mom’s DNA!!!

    Liked by 3 people

  26. I’m the Occam Razor guy and
    I was never a Whipple fan. You can only have one coach with a temper/ego storming up and down the sidelines.

    Great timeline and thoughts Joe. Very plausible!

    Secondly, when you have a pass happy offense moving up and down the field constantly, you leave the defense on the field way too long!
    I don’t care how solid a defense you have, it’s taxing and contributed to losses at WM and Miami.

    Nebraska is a mess in all sports.
    Scott Frost is under tremendous pressure to improve. I think he’s made a huge mistake in the Whipple hire but it buys him temporary good will. Time will tell!

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Chubba knows what PITT has to offer. I think he might envision himself as the next great QB slinging the ball to his All-American WR Jordan Addison.

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  28. Everyone should get over this Marion obsession. What has the guy done? He has not exactly excelled at OC where he had the job. We don’t need on the job training at this point. It’s time to poach someone from a P5 team, or at least get someone who has been cut loose due to a HC jumping ship.

    Liked by 1 person

  31. I think Duzz should have enough experience now to know an up and comer when he has one.

    He also has to recognize his teams have only been as good as his offense and his QB.

    The team that scores the most wins the most.

    Liked by 4 people

          1. In 2018 when Clemson was 15-0 and Nat’l Champs, Jeff Scott and Tony Elliott were on their 4th season as co-OC’s for Clemson.

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  34. Pitt hit 0.480 in the second set. For the match Ndee with 12 kills, Member-Meneh with 8, Lund and Gray with 5 each. Pitt has 5 service aces and 4 errors.

    Liked by 2 people

      1. Most of the blocks were on Rachel Fairbanks. They identified her as someone they could handle.

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  35. Thanks for sharing the Putt FieldPass video! AWESOME! Also, after seeing the video again, I think that Kenny’s move was more of a Stutter Step/Juke than a slide. Shame on the WF players for
    relaxing. It would have been the greatest play ever if a ‘Bama, OSU, Georgia, Oklahoma, …….player had done it.

    Liked by 5 people

  36. Great job JoeL. ThankYou

    Whipple has gone from zero to hero and now what? The guy sure is a lightning rod.

    Should be an interesting off season, the people want more. Weird though, PITT lost two verbals and a coordinator since winning the ACC

    Speaking of whipping boys, what’s up with Coach Borbely. It seems like some of you guys didn’t get anything right. Don’t blame the messenger. Then there is Bates, Powell, etc etc….

    Don’t forget when this all started? With the return of PITT SCRIPT!

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Good question Ike. I for one would still love to see Borbs replaced, tonight or tomorrow would be fine with me. I don’t think he’s a bad coach, I’d just love to upgrade this area.

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  37. Here’s a simple explanation for all of you. IMO the fact that Purdy is coming in tells me that Whip (1) was very straightforward in the meeting and (2) and said some very good things about the program

    Sent from my iPhone

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    Liked by 5 people

  38. On December 31 we all wake up feeling great from witnessing Nick Patti lead the PITT Panthers to a 31-17 victory over Sparty while connecting on 21-28 passes and 235 while the Cat’s put grind out 225 on the ground…. PITT’s D shows up from the opening gun til end….( howz that for Plan B???)

    Liked by 15 people

    1. KP8 and “Air” Addison were also named to the CBS All-American 2nd Team. That does not bode well for either with regards to the biggest awards they are finalist for. In Addison’s case, there were 2 WR’s ahead of him on that All-American 1st Team; Williams from Bama and Bell from Purdue.

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  41. Pitt wins. Pitt wins. Pitt won the 3rd set 25-18 thereby sweeping the match with Kansas 3-0. Cinderella has left the ball. Pitt goes to the Elite Eight for the second year in a row. Hail to Pitt!

    Liked by 11 people

  42. Pitt has lost another player to the Transfer Portal. Hunter Sellers (Rivals 5.5 3-star) is now included on the 24/7 portal listing.

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    1. We wish you well Hunter – the opportunities are endless in life – make as good of a choice as your first one as we’ll be rooting for you to succeed.

      H2P!

      Liked by 1 person

  43. Chubba Purdy is the younger brother of Iowa State QB Brock Purdy. Chubba was a Rivals 2020 5.8 4-star for Florida State.
    You may remember him from Pitt’s 2020 game against FSU. He came into the game when Travis Jordan was injured. His line again Pitt was 12/21 for 38 yards, no TD’s and one interception. He did better in his start the next week against NC State. 15/23 for 181 yads, one TD with no interceptions. He was injured in the NC State game and didn’t play the rest of the season.
    t
    He actually leads the 2021 Florida State individual leaders in passing efficiency with a 396.64 rating on 5/5 for 98 yards and two TD’s. That was the only game in 2021 that he had a passing stat.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Chubs will make a good back-up to Spencer Rattler at Nebraska as Scott Frost attempts to “Whip it Good!”.

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      1. I don’t think he would want to go to Nebraska if Rattler is transferring there as well. Just my guess.

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    1. He supposedly got the nickname “Chubba” because his dad thought he was chubby as a young child. Sort of like I got my nickname “Chardo” because my younger brother could only say “Chard’ when pronouncing Richard. Still known as Chardo to family and at my 50’th year high school reunion.

      Liked by 1 person

  45. Anyone else think Purdy might give just serious consideration for coming to Pitt because Addison is still on the roster? All a QB needs is to have one good to great season to show the NFL scouts that he should be front and center on draft day. Also Pitt having Bartholomew and Wayne return probably didn’t make Purdy think twice about scheduling this weekend visit. There are probably quite a few posters to the POV that could call a good game for Pitt with the right QB in place and with the talent coming back at WR and RB.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Yes and the fact that there are multiple receiving options. He should be very excited at the thought of throwing balls to Bartholomew.

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      1. One would have to believe Purdy watched the Pitt Wake game just knowing Pickett would be gone after this season. Knowing that he was scouting out his potential receiving targets on the Pitt roster. I don’t think he was too concerned about Whipple leaving for greener pastures for no other reason then Whipple wouldn’t be the receiving end of any of his passes come next season.

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  46. … and Chubba knows with Whip leaving he won’t be shackled with running to the side-line for a play on every down… that ain’t cool!!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. JoeL – I did not get to read the article until now as Mrs was in surgery today – the doc performed well.

      Your article provides a very interesting and simplistic view of what may have happened. Regardless of what really took place, it appears to (or could) be a sour ending to a good season. I’d prefer the anointing of temporary co-OC’s in Salem & Marion – announce that Patti will start the Peach Bowl as KP8 prepares for life after Pitt.

      Vegas may make MSU the favorite unless their RB Walker opts out too.

      If Salem & Marion are on the winning side, you remove the temporary title, secure/reward them with pay raises, find a QB coach and lock the gates until the Spring Game. Salem’s title would be co-OC and TE coach, while Marion’s title would be co-OC and WR coach.

      H2P!

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        1. Go-Go Marion – Salem had his chance in one the early bowl games and we lost. Salem is the co-OC that adds wisdom and calm to the duo.

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          2. Speaking of Salem, Marion is from Greensburg Salem, As did myself and Annie. One other poster went to Greensburg but that was Greensburg Central.

            Liked by 1 person

  48. OK I am going to waste a minute typing something about tonight’s basketball game against The Colgate Raiders. Colgate has fantastic academics, a beautiful campus, and a team that has well above average outside shooting. It has been a pleasure discussing our football fortunes and the ongoing quest by our volleyball team to achieve new heights in a sport very few of us knew anything about until last year.

    DOWNER ALERT: I can only pray that our very limited and somewhat hapless Panthers do not get blown out by a Patriot League team/////watch the Raiders try to pour 3 pointers in from all angles of the Pete.
    If we get in foul trouble (Hugely) it could be really ugleee. I am hoping for a turnaround from a team that still has some winning spirit.

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    1. I was encouraged by the last two games. Team needs to learn how to finish, but they were there.
      Hopefully they continue to improve, but let’s not expect to much.

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  51. FSU just hired Michael Alford as AD. He was the AD at Central Mich but then became CEO of the Seminole Boosters, a major fundraiser. And I guess that’s the major criterion these days

    Sent from my iPhone

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  52. wbb – Are you surprised? This came out today …

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        1. I get that but what does it really mean, professional players with no real attachment to the school? Are they on the payroll, with taxes and such, under contract, no portal. No educational requirements because if you are paying a kid big bucks are you going to make him ineligible? go to class?
          I get there will be change but in what form and who calls the shots?

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  53. I think, and hope, Whip was not brought in to showcase Kenny-Pickett. Coach Pat has an obligation to secure the best talent to win games and to develop players so that they do not reflect poorly on the university. But to bring in someone to emphasize one player who could quit, transfer, get injured etc would be irresponsible.
    And, I agree with Dan. The insatiable desire to throw the ball when the prudent tactic would be to run, run, run annoyed me to no end. And while the fourth-and-a-foot forty-yard touchdown passes were a thing of beauty, had we not scored, we all would have been shaking our heads in disbelief.
    Like Canada’s wide receiver sweeps, I think Whip’s dog and pony show is only good for about a year.

    Liked by 1 person

  57. Jordan Air Addison wins the 2021 Biletnikoff Award.

    Fred Biletnikoff is from my hometown, Erie PA

    Congrats young man. Well deserved!

    Liked by 4 people

        1. Sit the whole year like DT Twyman did last season?

          Anyone know what Twyman and Paris Ford are doing these days?

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          1. neither are comparable to a Biletnikoff award winner or WR as accomplished and small as JA

            I said nothing about next year and sitting

            let’s wait to know QB and OC for that decision, maybe transfer

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          2. Twyman was drafted but he did not play because he was on IR all season after getting shot. Duzz even commented when he opted out that he may have told him to opt out, himself.

            Paris ran a 4.9 40 … that’s why he’s out of the league.

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  60. great start of 2nd half by Pitt!

    hustling defense creating turnovers to points and good midrange shooting by Jeffress and strong rebounding

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  63. the only worse ft shooter is our great pg Odukale

    lol

    I think someone here said Femi is a great pg – never with that ft %
    never

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  65. 2 upcoming issues in the next few days

    — I assume KP will make his decision since I believe bowl practice will start next week

    — the early signing day is Wednesday. Pitt doesn’t have room for a large class

    Sent from my iPhone

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