in Pitt Football 1,149 Words

PITT – 2021 Production Loss

I am trying something new on a “Way to Early Article Series.” In past years, I wrote about the players leaving a team, a teams recruiting  history and their Transfer Portal (TP) activity. I also added a little history, a few charts and called it a day. But what impact did those players who left via the portal or eligibility or NFL on the team’s upcoming season?

This year, I am taking a new tack. It dawned on me that I could use the same type charts I used in last season “Up Next” articles, color code them and show a “Production Lost”  percentage. While it is not as sophisticated as the individuals (ESPN’s Bill Connelly  S&P+) or industry (Vegas), it is the best a lone 70 year old with a 12 year old laptop can do.

My first attempt is Pitt. Why, you ask? Because all of you know who Pitt lost and what those individual losses means to “our” team. You, the readers, are my canary in the coal mine. Please make comments on this format especially those that you think would improve the product.

For color coding, a light blue color indicates a player who is leaving the team due to eligibility or the NFL. A reddish pink color indicates the player left via the TP. A bright green color are for those with medical, grades or disciplinary reasons. There are very, very few of the “bright green” and none on Pitt.

If it was anyone else then Pitt, my plan is to show a team’s 2021 schedule and results and their upcoming 2022 schedule. For brevity reasons, I am forgoing that chart in this article.

Next will be recruiting. I am not sure how to attack this subject. It seems stupid to give a Rivals recruiting summary for 5 and now 6 (due to extra covid year) years without taking in to account the effect of the TP. While I am extremely comfortable with Pitt’s scholarship roster, I cannot say the same about other ACC teams. Factor in walk-ons to scholarship, and medical, grades and disciplinary issues and I just do not want to take a stab at it.

For recruiting, I will list the top recruits (Rivals 5.7 and above). Most teams have true freshman that make an impact or at least lose their redshirt status. Especially, if that player enrolls early. Since Pitt only signed 12 recruit, I am showing all 12.

Below the recruiting chart is the current Transfer Portal additions.

Here is Pitt’s current scholarship distribution by class year. Only doing this for Pitt unless an opponent site has something I can use.

By my count, Pitt is currently one below the mandatory scholarship limit of 85. I am obviously wrong because a paid professional sportswriter has Pitt at 85.

Due to the additional covid year and without additional TP losses, the 2023 recruiting class could be as low as five or as large as 19 if all 2018 get on with their life’s work. I expect some to go pro (Baldonado and maybe a few others) or leave via the TP. And let us not forget Addison,  Dennis, and Kancey.

On to the production lost section starting with “Stars.” By stars, I mean those players who made the 2021 All ACC team by vote of head coaches and media members.

Also included are the NCAA team individual leaders in certain stat categories. Since I will not be doing anything with special teams, this chart is to show if punters and kickers are returning.

The color coding in action.

Of course, the offense starts with QB play and Pitt has a huge whole to fill.

Unless a team’s original starting QB was injured or replaced, the backup QB’s stat lines are similar to other ACC teams. Pitt has mined the TP for QB help – Kedon Slovis.

Running backs and receivers. All four of the offensive skill players who entered the TP have a stat line.

This is my summary of offensive production lost by RB’s and receivers. What it does not include is the value of losing Kenny Pickett. I have no idea on how to quantify his loss. I am thinking of adding the below chart as a recurring chart adding each team as I go.

I cannot leave out the offensive line. The only thing I got is games played and started. Here is Pitt’s linemen. I am almost sure that the non-narcissistic, dilettante sportswriters use snap counts.

Surprised that 2020 recruit Branson Taylor played in twelve games. Probably special teams but still shows he is well thought of.

All starters are staying. Only Wilson and Stratham are leaving. While the entire starting lineup is returning for the 2022, Pitt could have only one returning for 2023.

That is all on the offense players.

Only one chart for the defense. There were a total of 48 players who made a least one defensive stat. Of those 48, six were offensive players and an additional two where the long snapper (Adomitis) and kickoff specialist (Ben Sauls). Forty different defensive players seem like a lot. I need to check the other ACC teams to see if that number is usual. Only three of the eight defensive players who have entered the TP made a defensive play.

The summaries at the bottom of the chart shows totals for all 40 and by position group (Defensive Backs (DB), Defensive Line (DL) and Linebackers(LB). But the chart only shows those players with double digit tackles (26).

By breaking out by position (Defensive Line (DL), Linebackers (LB), and Defensive Backs (DB), it shows that the LB position needs to be reinforced. Shane Simon was plucked from the TP (Notre Dame).

Simon sat out the 2021 season. He did have four pass defended in limited 2019 action. BTW, the 24/7 re rank is based on his collegiate career activity. Basically, a .8600 convers to a 5.6 Rivals ranking.

That wraps up this article. Let me know what you like or dislike. What you think would be a better approach to upcoming articles. What I am missing or need to expound on in explanations.

I have finished gathering the data for all 14 ACC teams and the three Out of Conference foes. My plan is to do the 5 Atlantic Division teams then the Pitt opponents by date. The real reason for this approach is my last year’s prediction of 8 – 4. I had Pitt losing to Tennessee, Clemson, Miami, and a loss to either North Carolina or Virginia Tech. I fell for the media hype for the ACC teams and my personal belief in the almighty SEC (except Vanderbilt and Missouri). I think that if I did this type of analysis, I would have predicted 10 – 2. (But I still would have had Pitt beating Western Michigan.)

EDITOR’S NOTE: Here is our favorite (almost) POVer Gordon Conn with 1963-65 Pitt RB Eric Crabtree… They were friends from way back in Monessen, PA.

241 thoughts on “PITT – 2021 Production Loss”

  2. Wow, Pitt is returning a lot…a ton of talent on both sides of the ball. Of course, the x-factor is QB and, to me, it looks very favorable there. It’s going to be a grand autumn on the North Shore this year. Great article and stats above; thank you Pitt-cocks.

    Liked by 2 people

  3. Thanks RIchard!

    “…What it does not include is the value of losing Kenny Pickett. I have no idea on how to quantify his loss…”

    THAT…is the million dollar question. Cant wait to get a peek on Saturday. Hopefully we get to see a couple big throws. Won’t be any displays of grit though by the QBs until the season.

    Liked by 2 people

  4. Awesome job Richard…the only difference between you and Grantland Rice is that he didn’t grow asparagus.

    Liked by 4 people

  5. Wow, Richard! I’m speechless!

    I think your info clearly shows how important those incoming portal linebackers are going to be for the Pitt defense.

    I was surprised to see that AJ Woods had the second-most passes defended.

    And I didn’t remember that in spite of his drops, Lucas Krull was named 2nd Team All-ACC.

    Thank you, Richard. Your article is great prep for the spring game. 👍

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 3 people

  7. Really well done Richard.

    Just confirms what we all know with statistics.

    QB play on offense and linebacker play on defense.

    Slovis has some pretty strong stats although trending down.

    Shane Simon stats unimpressive, somewhat of a concern when you look at the amount of production lost.
    Last year’s linebacker production was strong and deep.

    All in all very good shape going into a season.

    2023 will have many new faces and much less experience requiring a strong recruiting season with great opportunity for freshmen and portal transfers.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. While most think Slovis wins the job due to his experience, if Patti beats him for the job it means he has performed amazingly well in practice. I’d say a win win situation.

    Liked by 2 people

  9. Richard, you are a tremendous asset to the POV.

    The numbers speak for themselves — this is without a doubt the best position the Panthers have been at the starting point of a season in many, many years. Barring injuries there is no reason why our team should not have another excellent year. The QB position is a question mark, however, we have two players who clearly have talent and should be able to hit the ground running without having to take a month to get accustomed to the pace of play in high-level football. This is the most optimistic I have been since the Wanny days and the football team will clearly help our front porch image…….now if I could only say the same for basketball, oh well why beat a dead horse?

    Liked by 5 people

    1. I don’t disagree, but believe there is a window for Pitt in 2022 to do well again in the Coastal with all of the new coaches coming in and key roster losses (just like Pitt):

      Might take VT a season or two to get the kids in they want.
      Duke will need a few years (if they ever get back up)
      UNC loses Howell – the gem of Brown’s recruiting thus far
      GT – not sure

      The two teams that may make noise
      UVA – although overhaul of coaching staff, Armstrong and a number of players return. (Will be a great road trip for POVers…we will have a Red5A-South set up.)
      Miami – Van Dyke is scary and they have two guys on D – LB and Safety – who will make for a tough D. They lost starters in the other skill positions.

      Liked by 3 people

  12. When is ACCNT broadcasting the spring game? May have the time to watch some of it here in Myrtle Beach.

    Like

  13. “We’re actually going to take pride in running the ball,” offensive tackle Carter Warren added. “That’s going to win games, and that’s what it comes down to.” (Post Gazette)

    About time.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’ve always thought he could be a thumper. It doesn’t seem he’s gotten a chance in the past. Of course, I don’t know the whole story behind it.

      Like

  15. Great job Richard but I did have to take a nap after reading through all the stats you reported.—-As for Pitt running the ball this season effectively I’ll have to see it before I believe it. Our OL gets beat off the snap much too often for me to be convinced we will have a very strong running game. And taking the ball away from our talented WR’s is not what I’d be recommending for our 2022 offense. Seems to me we are trying to fix an offense that’s not broken from 2021.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Maybe all the run-game talk is really an indirect way to try to “fix” the defense by keeping them fresher…

      But scoring touchdowns, like we did last season, is still the key.

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 1 person

  16. This quote from Coach Duzz caught my eye:

    “…we haven’t had this volume of offense in years. I think that’s a good thing.”

    I’m wondering if it’s really a good thing. When you have good talent, just practice and do the stuff they do well???

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Exactly, you don’t really need the volume of plays but just great execution on the plays you do well with. Also with so much too learn you often get too many missteps and screw-ups IMO. We will see how it plays out but I’m more concerned now about the offensive play calling than I was before Cignetti was hired.

      Like

    2. My guess is that Cignetti is putting in the volume this spring. He will then scale back to what he feels they do best in the fall.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I’m kind of hoping that the “volume” of offense is large because there’s a nice package of plays for Nick Patti to run – especially in short yardage situations…

        Go Pitt.

        Like

  17. I’m assuming Dan Carter will play a George Aston type role…and that Pitt wants to run when they need to; third and short, red zone, clock control in the 4th quarter etc.

    Liked by 6 people

  18. Once again, great job Rich. Still absorbing

    OC Cignetti joined Pitt in 09 with an experienced OL, real good RB and talented receivers. QB was a big if but he eventually played well

    This year presents a pretty similar situation. Don’t expect > 40 ppg but a productive offense should be expected. More TOP should help the defense

    As a Pitt fan, I am trying to temper my enthusiasm, especially with 2 competitive opponents right out of the gate. Pitt will again not be the Coastal favorite and and may well be an underdog against Tennessee…. and that’s perfectly fine with me

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Liked by 2 people

      1. Or pass protection either – see the fantastic job they did for Davis Beville in the Michigan State game (that’s sarcasm). And please don’t tell me that DB is slow – that is obvious. But time MS’s pass rush and you will see that the problem was not just DB’s slowness. There are many reason why Pitt lost that game but the OL deserves to be at the top of the list (well below KP and DM not playing and NP’s injury of course). The OL choked in that game or got its asses whipped (you choose).

        Like

  19. Still coming in for the Spring (snow)
    game Saturday. What time are you setting up for tailgate? I’ve given up on golf w rain and snow!

    Like

  20. Just an amazing piece of research and write-up, Richard. Wow !!

    Today’s Pitt News has three sports stories of interest. One each on football, basketball and volleyball.

    https://pittnews.com

    Well worth subscribing to; no cost.

    Liked by 1 person

    2. Yes. Just saw headline Gallagher out in 2023. I wonder how his blah blah tenure will be remembered. Maybe as the basketball dufus?

      Like

  21. Spring Draft Game picks today. First player chosen by the Blue squad Bagally Kamara LB. A couple of things to keep in mind all the seniors were split up by the coaches before the draft was conducted with both Slovis and Patti on opposite squads. Also Addison not being a senior was one of the last WR’s chosen. Why? Simply because the teams don’t think he will play many snaps and thus a possible waisted draft choice.—-Since a LB was chosen first then all the next choices would be made for that position. The second position chosen was for the safeties and P J O’Brien was chosen first with B Hill chosen second. A surprise maybe not so much if you think they will pull Hill also after a few plays.

    Like

    1. Now that’s fresh thinking! Thank you for that key to understanding the draft which admittedly had me thoroughly perplexed.

      Like

  22. Yes Richard… WOW…. redefining the word prolific.

    Love Frans comment that sets Richard apart….. growing asparagus.

    Thanks for the info jrn

    Liked by 1 person

  23. Btw Rich, I’m thinking that the 85th schollie went to PK Scarton (not sure if you counted him) .. but he certainly deserved it if he indeed was granted one

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Like

  24. There are quite a few players that will not participate in the game Saturday. Some of the more notable names: Hammond, Drexler, Huoy, Kradel, Bentley, Tallender and Yarnell.

    Like

  26. Louis Riddick will speak at commencement ceremony on May 1 at The Pete. He will also be awarded with an honorary doctorate degree

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I knew my phone calls and emails would work their magic. 🤠

        I’m not sure what legacy Gallagher will leave. Pitts academic ranking has slipped a bit. FSU is ranked ahead of Pitt now. Pitt is in financially worse shape now but that’s mainly driven by a recession, covid and less state funding. The endowment has taken a hit. However There have been a fair amount of capital improvement projects around campus, a new computer science department and the new proposed and approved recreation center for students is long overdue.

        His legacy on the sports side is simple. He presided over the fall of Pitt basketball. Gallagher hired Barnes. Gallagher helped push Dixon out.

        Ten years is a long enough time to be chancellor. Frankly he’s better at counting atoms anyway. I just hope the new sheriff will have a greater appreciation for the relationship between sports and academics. Someone who’s not just lip service when talking about the front porch.

        Like

  27. Just listened to a Frank Cignetti interview. He sounds exactly like fellow yinzer and comedian Billy Gardell.

    Like

  28. PN’s spring game format is horrible. Both OLs will stink as usual because it is a mix of 1st, 2nd and 3rd stringers. This equates to no run game and no pass protection. Barely worth watching.

    Like

  31. Thank you for all the work, Richard! Quite impressive!

    In response to the question from Danh72 above: The tailgate will be set up immediately after the lots open at 10 AM this Saturday. I plan to be in Gold Lot 1. Fran has lent the Pitt POV flag to me for this tailgate. Look for a flag with the Pitt POV eyes as shown on the top of this website. Everyone is invited to join us!

    Liked by 4 people

  33. And to quote Richard:

    “I am almost sure that the non-narcissistic, dilettante sportswriters use snap counts.”

    Well done! (And yet I was a bit disappointed that “juggernaut” did not make an appearance…)

    Go Pitt

    Like

  34. Wow, Richard, you da man!
    Perhaps the increasing emphasis on the run is intended to keep the opposing defenses on their heels a bit to slow the rush since Slovis is considered less mobile. Plus, a more potent run game should only make the passing game more effective.

    Liked by 1 person

  35. I have always favored a balanced offense and think Pitt would have been even better last year if the run game was more effective. It allows the offense to take what the defense gives and really helps to close out games.

    It also allows the O line to dish out some punishment and keeps the pass rush honest and is more necessary when the QB is not a runner.

    Like

  36. New is breaking that Gallagher is stepping down as Pitt chancellor. Now a sports-savvy chancellor needs to be hired though I won’t hold my breath that happens.

    Sounds like academics have slipped under Patrick as I continue to read on here Pitt is now tied with FSU in the overall university rankings. That is one school you do not want to be talked about in the same breath with when it comes to academics.

    Maybe Gallagher heads to Oregon State and works with his buddy Barnes.

    Liked by 1 person

  37. It’s only the spring game, but I read where SirVocea is going to play on the outside. Makes sense if the younger guys struggle to learn the Star position, combined with Brandon George coming on at MLB…

    I remember asking Coach Bates if Kamara would be the most likely replacement for Petrishen and Coach B. looked at me for a second like I was crazy… 🤔

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  39. NRS, it seems that Spring practice should be mostly about developing players for the future, not just for an entertaining Spring game. So it makes sense to mix players around to broaden their experience and to gain some experience working along side of players to prepare for subbing in real game situations during the season. Especially with mature teams like Pitt this year, Spring ball should be about looking two years ahead to try to project who will take the place of graduating Seniors.

    Like

    1. I agree, but I want entertained for my effort to attend, lol. They have full blown scrimmages during the spring, save one for the fans.
      Actually, I would still attend, regardless of the format but I have to go pick up my son at college. I really wanted to go.

      Like

  40. Gallagher is not stepping down until next year. And he is taking a teaching position in the Physics and Astronomy Dept at Pitt.

    Like

  41. Narduzzi was asked after practice some of the roster players that can help this team this year that you might not have hard much about previously. His named list included (1) Ryan Baer true freshman OL with the comment of no doubt about it. Sounds like he may be out playing some of the veterans on the current OL to me. (2) Jake Renda at TE(that’s very good news in my book). (3) Klalil Anderson (4) P J O’Brien (5) Bangally Kamara Duzz thinks he could be an even down LB maybe to the surprise of Bates Major. (6) Solomon DeShields at the other LB position.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Good comment. We have been mediocre at best at OT since Brian O’Neill, so I’m not surprised if a highly regarded freshman plays some…

      A bit surprised Coach didn’t maybe mention Carter at RB…

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  42. Chris at Pantherlair thinks the Conway winners for most improved players on O and D will be Carter and George.—We have needed a potential power back like Carter at RB on many a 3rd and short yard plays when we used Davis many a time. RB Coach said Carter in past years tried to be a finesse RB and this year he transformed into more of a power RB. By the way Carter was one of several players named by Narduzzi today to possibly be utilized on both the Blue and Gold team on Saturday. It does say IMO they want to give a good look see for future use.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Beginning at 10 AM in Gold Lot 1, Reed, which is right next to Heinz Field, across the street from stadium entrance B. Look for the Pitt POV flag.

      Like

  44. Good Pitt is bought the old Twentieth Century Club. Italian Renaissance at its finest. The Oakland Schenley Historic Center is a jewel in Pittsburgh’s crown.

    Spent a lot of time with my parents, mostly my mom, threre. Lectures, music, formal dinners and, hate to say it now, dancing lessons which I hated at the time. Because it was a women’s club it never got the attention the other PGH private clubs. It was a very cerebral place though.

    I’m sure Pitt will use it well.

    https://pittnews.com/article/172763/news/pitt-has-no-finalized-plans-for-historic-twentieth-century-club/?utm_source=TPN+Digital+Friday+Newsletter&utm_campaign=141622adb6-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_04_07_02_32&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_773522d448-141622adb6-379509170

    Liked by 2 people

  45. OFF TOPIC: When you live in PSUX Country Pitt gear is hard to find. I paid an online visit to Mr Bonasorte’s PItt Stop and restocked my Pitt supplies. Great stuff at a fair price and quick delivery.
    So, I can display Pitt Script in the land of Nittany.

    Liked by 5 people

  46. I’m sure with Chancellor Gallagher stepping down, I will be on top of the short list to succeed him. Much to the consternation of many, I will appoint Tex as vice-chancellor and UPitt as director of new stadiums, athletics and Estonian transfers.
    I will miss the Blue-Gold as a patient suggested I go to Spain and, for reasons unclear, I did.
    For the love of God, it far exceeds any and all expectations my little head could ever imagine.
    Stay well everyone.
    H2P!

    Like

    2. As vice chancellor, I will work closely with a new AD to create a new Golden Panthers booster club, to commission a feasibility study for a on campus MPC, to develop a fundraising campaign to support both men’s and women’s hockey, to establish a plan to convert Pitt to a private school with a focus on profitability, to implement a strategy designed to award meaningful degrees for today’s modern world and thereby focusing on the core establishment of world renown departments for the sciences and medical professions, to split the BOT into a ten person committee for athletics and a separate ten for academics, to purge all Nitters from senior positions in governance, to divest of high maintenance and ugly facilities on campus, to raze all of south Oakland, to lower academic standards and class requirements for athletes, to abolish all community service projects involving saving kittens from the cathedral trees and to open a new ‘O’ on campus.

      That would be my platform.

      Like

  47. So far, no coaching changes for Capel, I guess he will ride with the guys who got him into this predicament. Maybe they are all hot on the trail of transfers. If not, they will have utterly failed in the most important part of their jobs…

    Liked by 1 person

  48. I need some advice from the POV fraternity –

    I won’t be at the Spring Game because a good friend who was a penn state fan passed away two weeks ago of a massive heart attack and his family is having a “Celebration of Life” service.

    His wife is best friends with Mrs. Erie and asked if I would speak – telling a few light hearted stories about our friendship.

    His wife text me & told me not to wear a suit, that the attire would be casual and that many would be sporting penn state shirts. She actually told me to wear Pitt attire if I wanted to -🤠

    Here is the advice I’m looking for:

    Do I tell a clean, lighthearted penn state joke or two?

    Examples:

    Q: Why did the nits decide to cover the field at Beaver Stadium in cardboard?
    A: Because the Nittany Lions always look better on paper.

    Q: Why did the Penn State football team cross the road? A: Because it was easier than crossing the goal line.

    Should I avoid the jokes?

    Like

    2. I think if the two jokes were jokes you actually shared with your friend, you should include them.

      Otherwise, I would possibly err on the side of caution.

      If they were jokes you used with your friend, even if it/they are not received well you could say something like: “That is the same way (my friend) responded. It may be hard for me to admit, but it seems like we have good company here to celebrate (my friend) who has crossed the goal line and looks great both on paper and in real life”. If open casket and he doesn’t look similar to when he was alive, perhaps end after “goal line”.

      Like

    3. I agree, if you shared similar jokes with him, go for it. A short explanation that he would appreciate it and that’s what made your friendship great could follow.

      Like

      1. No, this was one of my best friends from my younger softball days.

        Great advice from the POV fraternity –

        Much appreciated!

        As tvax1 said so well – I’ll know how to handle it…

        Like

    5. s long as you preface the joke with a brief statement about how you two used to dig each other about football, I think the second joke especially would be very well received. I’ve done numerous eulogies and never did one without adding a bit of humor. When people are grieving they need to be able to smile too.

      Like

    6. Rick:
      I would use humor, but make it personal. I really liked Jim even though he rooted for PSU. Something dumb like that. Also I would wear a coat and tie.
      You can never be overdressed.

      Like

  49. At least two SEC schools are pursuing Femi – Kentucky and Missouri along with ACC’s W_F and Rick Pitino at Iona.

    With a good coach who will develop his players, Femi will become a very good BB player.

    A. Toney is leaving Arkansas to declare for the NBA draft.

    Like

  51. as to your joke question, way more context info is needed

    I bet YOU already know and will handle it perfectly

    sorry for your loss

    Like

  52. Pitt-Cocks

    Great article! I can’t imagine how much time it took you to compile all of this information and then put it to paper. Great job!

    Liked by 1 person

  54. While I think Slovis is a better passer, Patti brings some mobility to the position similar to Picket.

    Curious to see what those of you attending the game think of Slovis’s movement. Maybe the Pitt S&C coaches can get him a step faster. I thought Picket got faster over the years.

    Like

  55. Actually Eric Crabtree is a friend of a friend and I just met him yesterday. He was on the 9-1 team with Paul Martha and ran and received for over 1000 yards his senior year. Thanks for posting the picture Reed. Eric still looking good in Conway SC.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. 63 Pitt team was terrific and did not go to a bowl with a 9-1 record. There were only 4 Bowls that counted, Sugar, Cotton, Orange, and Rose. We lost one game to a great NAVY team and we were screwed. If I remember correctly we were offered a chance to go to the minor league bowl>>>The Tangerine Bowl and we refused.

        Like

  56. Erie

    I can’t believe PSU took the JoePa statue down. They should have just turned it so he was looking the other way

    What are the 2 places you never want to drop your soap? Penn State and the state pen

    (Then u say. “Is this mic on?”

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Liked by 1 person

  57. I would stay away from the PSU jokes. My brother tried something like that once and it went over like a fart in church…

    Like

  58. Rick,

    My personal experience is that every time I’ve tried any humor, joke or otherwise at a wedding or funeral, it’s come off badly. In that a lot of the crowd will be Nitter friendly, I’d avoid those.

    Like

  59. An Ohio state or Pitt joke in a Nitter crowd is always welcome. And you can never go wrong with any Hoopie joke. I blame the penn state meteorologists for the forecasted snow at Pitts spring game. But there’s only a 40 percent chance they’ll be right much like the winning percentage of their baseball team.

    Like

  60. Way off topic: who says Capel can’t coach up 3 star players? And in just two years! 😎

    Former Pitt star Justin Champagnie in his past five G League games with Raptors 905:
    29.4 points per game
    9.2 rebounds per game
    1.8 steals per game
    52% from the field
    48.9% from 3

    Ohhhh….G league? whatever…….

    Like

  61. You can get away with a joke within the family if the deceased was older and a character. I told a couple of short stories about my Aunt Ida that went over well

    But if Erie doesn’t know many of the people there, I would have to advise against it

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Liked by 1 person

  62. Talking about how you guys use to like to jab each other on the subject is fine… jokes not so much

    Like

  63. Rick, it is better to take the high ground, point out that as a Pitt guy you guys have been lifelong antagonists. But friendship is more important in this case. You will come across as the mature guy from Pitt vs. some paranoid, insecure Pedo hater.. But go ahead and curse them under your breath on the way out!!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. If it is part of your friendship ErieExpress/Rick, I do think you can contemplate using the joke(s) as I mentioned above. As pittdad2 indicated, humor can be very helpful and it is described as a “Celebration of Life”. Yet, as if often the case, I do like the logic that VoiceofReason employs. It sounds like you may read the room/service the day of, but it is sound advice to take the high road and not come across as insecure .

      Like

  64. Rick, if I didn’t like you so much I’d say tell the joke about JoePa, 3 nuns and a monkey…but I love you man, so don’t do it!
    Seriously, no pedo jokes.

    Liked by 2 people

  66. Pitt-Cocks, outstanding information especially the production lost and returning stats, and very well written and organized. A great asset to the forum, thanks very much.

    Some thoughts:
    * maybe hopeful thinking but I wonder how much the LBs are helped by having a great defensive line requiring the attention of the opposing OL rendering the LBs free to react? I’ve noticed that Pitt’s recent history is very positive at the LB position which coincides with outstanding DLs

    it’s great to see Carter finding a role in the offense. It was clear that WMG was always at a loss in figuring out how to get that tough 3rd and 1-2 yard gain, although he did successfully kill the clock at the end of several games with the running game.
    All things being equal, I’m pulling for Slovis to win the job as the thought of having two consecutive years of losing your starting QB is not a recipe for consistent winning seasons.
    Absent an injury Miami looks likely to do what Pitt did last year in the Coastal. Their QB is talented and returning with significant experience and they always have an abundance of talent.
    the key to an improved running game is persistence and patience as long as you have the talent at the RB position. If Izzy can stay on the field and V Davis and Hammond continue to be effective compliments it can happen. The experience on the O-line will hopefully make up for some deficiencies in talent/technique.
    I hope Addisson understands that he doesn’t have to carry the weight of the whole offense on his shoulders. Just play your game the same way you did last year. No pressure to do more.
    wish the best for Hill and Hallett that they have great years and show that their dedication to teamwork is the way to the NFL as opposed to the way P Ford tried to make it happen.

    Liked by 2 people

  67. Ah memories, in lieu of golf today,
    I spent the day in Pittsburgh visiting family and driving around to my old haunts. A bit of Pitt trivia that I’d forgotten about the Spring which my dad took me to 1968-1965. Do you remember the tradition of local sports jocks being honorary coaches of the blue/gold? I remember Myron Cope and Ed Conway coaching sides. I think Zeis is coaching gold tomorrow. Muller and his fellow idiot coaching the blue tomorrow.

    See yuns in the morning!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. See you tomorrow Dan!

      Gonna be chilly, so we will see which QB will play best in late season.

      Erie -sorry about your loss! My POV – coat & tie, no PSU jokes.

      Like

  68. Thank you to all who chimed in with advice for today’s Celebration of Life ceremony in honor of one of my best friends who happened to be a psu fan.

    I can see a very clear path in my mind as to what I will say – it has to be all about HIM.

    Liked by 3 people

  71. Under the FWIW department, just read what the Bama coaches make … and note the are base salaries

    Saban $9.9m OC. $1.1m DC $1.73m Assoc DC. $850k OL. $900k RB. $565k DL. $750 Asst HC of Off. $850k CB. $800k There are a few others but the lowest paid is new TE Coach @$300

    And 2 other new hires are “Senior Special Asst to the HC. @$495 and $695

    The $695 is Sal Sunseri

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Like

    1. And what does pitt pay its coordinators. Around 600k while it’s HC makes $7 million guesstimate.

      So the ceo at bama is making roughly five times his DC while Narduzzi is making over ten times. A difference in paying philosophies.

      Bama makes money available for a quality staff and support. Pitt goes all in on a HC leaving little money left other to hire retreads or inexperienced assistants.

      Like

  73. Remember, the monies listed for Bama coaches were base salaries. Fact is that only Duzz and the Temple HC (if he is a Pa resident) have their bottom line salaries made public.

    I’ll guarantee Duzz’s base is much less than 7m

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Like

    1. Let’s hope.

      When pitt discloses last fiscal years compensation this Fall, Narduzzi will be shown to make around $5.2 based on his pay escalation in the contract. Very easy to guestmate that with previous years figures.

      But Pitt has not yet disclosed his new contract details. Eventually that will come out. But I do anticipate it to be closer to seven million than six. And that’s base. I figure another $500k to $1M in potential bonuses and incentives.

      Pitt however is still cheap when it comes to recruiting budget and monies for staff. A HC is nothing without a good staff. Ask John majors.

      You only get quality by paying at market or above. Bama pays above market but saban is also very demanding. Bama finds the money. Pitt could find the money but they are still controlled by academic eggheads and abhors any booster clubs.

      Maybe the new chancellor will see things differently. And I do expect that choice to be a woman. Hopefully she comes with a quasi academic and sports background. At the very least a business degree.

      Like

        1. And his 1-3 record against Franklin and his .200 record against ranked teams since his last extension. Those inconvenient truths.

          Like

  76. Ed Conway award winners Kamara on D and Carter on O.—-By the way Narduzzi took a little less compensation from Lyke to be able to give his assistant coaches some additional salary compensation. How much who knows but I do remember a few comments about how happy some coaches were for the unexpected boost in compensation.—-First play in the game Patti threw a 55 yard pass to Mumpfield for the Gold. End results a 41 yard FG by Sauls.

    Like

  77. The concern on D still has to be the secondary. Teams with a vertical passing game will exploit Pitt. Cue Tennessee and Miami.

    With all spring games, you learn nothing. But it makes an excuse to tailgate and get away from the wife and kids.

    Liked by 1 person

  78. I did not tell any psu jokes but was able to get a few laughs.

    I was fortunate to speak 2nd after his sister.

    My friend had a playlist of songs and they were ok until the end when they played the psuX fight song.

    Mrs. Erie looked at me and said “get me out of here”. There were a few weak hearted attempts at – we are…-

    So I leaned over to Mrs. Erie and told her the wwb joke – What are the two places you DON’T want to drop your bar of soap – penn state and the state pen. She was in tears laugh so hard.

    My friend loved to laugh and I’m sure he was laughing with us…

    Liked by 3 people

  81. I pulled this from the PSN summary of the Spring Game:

    Slovis’s ho-hum day of 10-for-21 with 64 yards and an interception (and a dropped interception from M.J. Devonshire that could’ve gone for six) didn’t inspire much confidence, but he wasn’t given much to work with as the offensive line was continually beaten down and Jaylon Barden struggled with some drops.

    Looks like this is NP12’s starting position heading to the summer.

    Go Nick!

    I’ll watch the replay on the ACCN at 9pm

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Unfortunately,Slovis will spend more time with his soccer girlfriend than film studies and practice. That’s what young kids do that are hormonal.

      Like

  82. It’s almost impossible to evaluate the QB play with two sub par OL’s taking the field against our very experienced DL’s. As I understand it they were both under pressure for most of all the game. That said Patti has one big advantage over Slovis IMO in that he is a much better scrambler with the ball when pressured.

    Like

    1. Correct Daniel Carter at 5′ 11″ 240 lbs gives Pitt a potential power back that we have not seen since Ollison and Hall graduated. Which if any of our 3 previously named RB’s does Carter take carries away from in 2022?

      Like

  85. High powered offenses scored often and sometimes easily on our D last season.

    I expected we’d score more than 17 points today.

    Our D isn’t that good but our Oline might be that bad?

    Anyone see that at the game today?

    I’m curious what others saw of Slow-vis today besides PSN.

    Like

  86. If Carter can produce in the Red Zone it will be a HUGE plus. How many times have we had to suffer through — The Panthers have the ball on the 3 //second down//no gain// Panthers try again// ball sits on the one and we go for a %$#%^ field goal. If Carter can be a bull dozer we might have an offense that can
    score points to lead us to a 10 win season.

    Liked by 2 people

  87. Couple spring game thoughts:

    —Was great to see Commander Reed at the tailgate! (Reed, you didn’t miss anything by skipping the game…)

    —Slovis didn’t show much, but as mentioned, he had no pocket at all. Has a nice quick release. Had at least three good passes dropped…. One would have been a nice TD.

    —Patti wasn’t “all that” either. Was off-target on a couple passes that could have been scores.

    —The good news was definitely the running by Carter. It looked like he has been studying film on “The Bus.” And I’m not exaggerating — He ran hard with pads low, showed some nifty feet, and was a load to tackle.

    —I just happened to watch Mumpfield on the first scrimmage play. Nice double move route and wide open…

    —Carter Warren looks enormous. Listed as 320 pounds. Hope he can move those feet.

    —One reason Slovis had no time was DE John Morgan. Goncalves couldn’t block him. Good for Morgan; big disappointment for Goncalves.

    —Baer? No sure of spelling but the true freshman OT looked pretty good – seemed to move well.

    A big thanks to Wolfe for having the tailgate. Great to see the POVers, and good to meet fellow CE grad “Mad Dog.” 👍

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 6 people

  88. Now, if it was “clarence carter, clarence carter, clarence carter, go oh oh Pitt”, we’d be on to something!

    Hammond izzy and clarence are my top three rb’s in the stable…and have been since the same time last year.

    Like

    1. Carter was listed at 5’10” and 235 pounds last season. I thought he looks way bigger now than he did last season, but they only list him at 240 pounds now. 🤔

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  89. Also remember that Kradel, Drexel and backup center Terrence Moore didn’t suit up. I may be have missed another one. Walk-on Altman was slated to start at center

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Like

    1. Is your source his soccer girlfriend. 🤠. I really don’t think much of five star QB’s who transfer across country to of all places Pitt. Red flags all over the field. He won’t be able to hold Kenny’s jock strap despite ten inch hands.

      Like

  92. I’m always impressed by the level of detail you see while watching these game, Majors. Bravo! If someone asked me if our linemen had feet, I’d have to say that I don’t know. I don’t pay that close attention.

    Like

  93. This is what PSN report regarding Slow-vis this morning prior to the Sprig Game poor effort:

    Kedon Slovis is going to be Pitt’s starter entering Week 1 against WVU. The USC transfer has shown the poise, the arm and, most importantly, the accuracy to succeed Kenny Pickett and begin to repair his NFL Draft stock.

    I’m hearing & reading that Nick outperformed the golden boy from the west coast.

    What do the POV attendees say about the QB battle?

    Like

    1. I didn’t think either one looked so great. Given a pocket, I’d give the nod to Slovis. The early concern with him, to me, is reading where to go, and where not to go, with the ball.

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  94. Just a reminder: The Pitt Spring Game will be broadcast on the ACC Network at 9 pm tonight.

    Like

  95. I’m watching the replay and clearly Patti has the better OL. Slovis has no time to throw. His quick release helps and he was throwing some nice sideline routes and a perfect corner fade route that was dropped.

    Like

  96. Ok … just got back to Baltimore thru a blizzard in the mountains.
    I stayed for the first half. I thought Patti was clearly the better and more talented QB. I hate to say this and agree w all that the O lines were a mess but….I thought Slovis looked like every W Coast QB that has come to Pitt. Soft, happy feet in the pocket, throws (all short throws)
    with little authority or arm strength, looked very anxious in the face of a brutal pass rush and at times looked utterly lost. I respect his game playing experience and his quick release. The only way is up for him and it was just a scrimmage.

    Thanks to all at the tailgate. It was wonderful seeing and talking with so many friends and Pitt fanatics. Got a great volleyball scouting report from Annie. A huge Capel update from Dave and son head BBall coach at TJ the last 17 years. . I’ve now had five separate people tell me that Heather went to Galleghar asking to fire Capel with cause.

    For those that that don’t know, Pitt (Capel and his brother)is being sued by Murphy, our former shooting guard, for a locker room racial incident where punches were thrown. He was then benched for the last games of the year with Capel telling everyone he was hurt. It’s been on the QT as Pitt’s tried to settle out of court.

    Does anyone else find Galleger’s resignation email explanation suspicious and greatly lacking as to why ?? As a Pitt person and alum (and one who’s written resignation letters) I wonder what’s really going on and what shoe is about to drop! It seemed very cryptic!

    I think this Pitt Football team is loaded and has the best talent and potential since the 76-77 teams. Yes, I’m cursed with the”dreaded Pitt Optimism!” Sorry!

    Great day, great visit and tons of fun! I miss The Burgh…. Home.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Gallagher will be ten years tenured at Pitt next year. He was always set up to be a middle reliever.

      Yes, it does seem suspicious his resignation now. But it has little to do with basketball. Look at federal funding, the endowment, academic ranking and most of all positioning for the future. He’s just not a strategic thinker or CEO type.

      The new chancellor will most likely take Pitt private and cut half the programs for starters. She will have a business background and an appreciation for athletics. I can provide a list of candidates for $100k which most likely will exceed any due diligence that a paid search firm could provide. See Barnes and the Stallings fiasco.

      And heather is reaching if she thinks she can fire Capel for cause over that incident. It literally would take a rape or murder charge these days.

      Like

  97. Not only is this team missing KP8, but coach Marion taught the proper catching technique.

    The new WR coach is a drop off and the drops prove that today in the first half alone.

    Like

  99. As expected the D line is strong and deep and really have the advantage against make shift lines. Other than that I don’t think you can make any pronouncements about much else.

    Liked by 2 people

  100. Even though the O-lines were substandard, it was great to see RB Daniel Carter have such a productive game. I’ve been waiting for him to make an impact; perhaps this is his year.

    Like

  102. This Capel report is very disturbing. I have struggled to understand how this BB team can beat UNC and then lose big to BC. And the whole player retention issue is a problem. And now we know that locker room issues were worse than was generally known. Tex is right that unless Capel is fired for cause, which is unlikely, they will need to pay the buyout. I wonder if any additional recruits will be coming in…

    Like

  103. The unfortunate result of pick up game is the QB’s get so little protection you can’t make a fair evaluation of their capabilities. I think that is by design. No good film for our early opponents.

    Like

  104. If Slovis is named the starter come fall I’m all for starting Carter at RB. Why? He is probably our best RB at picking up the blitz and believe me Slovis will be seeing a lot of blitzes when he is calling the signals. Also my OL will be focused on playing our best pass blockers and not so much of our best run blockers.

    Like

    1. Carter may have been the best rusher yesterday, but he did not pick-up the block well, sometimes not at all.

      Even though the OL should be better than we saw yesterday, on the other side, they may only face a DL as good as ours vs TN, VT, Louisville and Miami.

      wvcc had a compatible starting group until one entered the portal a few weeks ago.

      Go Pitt!

      Like

  105. When is the last time we had an entire O-line return with quality backups?
    One that won an ACC Championship to boot.
    They won’t be perfect, but they give the QB time and open holes for our runners.
    They will be better than last year just based on physical maturity and experience.

    While neither QB may be KP They should be better than good enough to win a bunch of games
    On a very talented team.

    Like

  106. Here is a clip of what Chris Peak observed from the Spring Game:

    “Still, the day was defined by offensive struggles. The Blue and Gold teams combined for 20 possessions; three of those ended in points – the two Carter touchdowns and a 41-yard field goal from Ben Sauls – but the other 17 drives featured seven punts, two interceptions, one fumble four turnovers on downs and three missed field goals.

    The three missed kicks included a miss from 49 yards by Sauls and two misses by Sam Scarton – one from 37 and one from 56 as time expired.”

    Liked by 1 person

  107. This is what The Pitt News had to write:

    The Gold offense outpaced Blue 141 to 44 in the first half, with Slovis struggling to make his reads and move the ball down the field.
    Slovis came back out to start the second half for Blue, but it was much of the same for the transfer from Southern California. The Blue offensive line failed to provide a clean pocket once again and Slovis couldn’t get much going on offense. Slovis said while he knows he’s in a battle for a starting job, he’s just trying to be the best player he can be.
    “My mindset is to be the best player you can be,” Slovis said. “You can’t control how well other people in the competition do. My mindset is ‘compete with yourself’… all the guys have been so great. It feels like we’re a bunch of friends out there playing football.”
    Slovis finished the game completing 10 of 21 passes for 64 yards and an interception. Patti attempted just nine passes but completed four of them for 108 yards. Narduzzi said he won’t make any snap judgments after the spring game regarding the quarterbacks.
    “It’s hard to tell,” Narduzzi said regarding how his quarterbacks performed. “We’ll go back and look at the tape. I know Nick had two nice passes… I thought Kedon was good with what he had out there… he had some drops.”

    My comment – I watched the “tape” last night and the offense looks like it will struggle and with all the missed FG’s, I’m hoping it was weather related. The new punter dropped a snap and was sacked.

    There is a lot to clean up – but the good news is, no one got hurt.

    Like

    1. The new punter, Vander Haar, has a lot of work to do this summer, IMHO. I watched him make a bunch of punts during half-time. His leg looked strong, but most of the punts were low spirals – they carried 50 yards, give or take, but with little hang time. (Maybe he was intentionally practicing punting into the wind, IDK. Of maybe 10 punts, 2 were very low clunkers…).

      Also, he didn’t look smooth or confident catching the ball and getting it ready for the drop.

      In warm-ups, R-So punter Cam Guess hit some nice high punts, of course with less carry.

      Could be a shaky fall – especially in bad weather- for the freshman Vander Haar. Like his fellow Aussie struggled a bit in his first season…

      Another area of concern – especially with no tune-up games…

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  108. Slovis, Patti, Carter, Kamara get lots of ink as they should, however, I am concerned about our kicking game. It is no secret that Heinz Field is a very difficult venue for kickers. Weather conditions always play a major factor at the Ketchup Field. Missed field goals have haunted us on too many occasions and we may need FG’s against the Vols, Hoopies and the U. Time will tell if Sauls and Scarton have what it takes to kick under game pressure.

    Punting//OUCH. I am a bit concerned that our Aussie punter may be overwhelmed by US style football. Yes, I know that there have been quite a few very successful Australian players kicking in college and in the NFL>>>it takes time to get accustomed to the American game….let us all hope that we have found Australian gold when September rolls around.

    Liked by 2 people

  109. Pulled this from a commenter on the Panther-lair:

    The bad for Slovis – he just doesn’t. seem to read the field well. The Simon INT, another pass hit Devonshire in the chest…like how does he not see these guys. They weren’t great D plays or anything like he literally throwing it into defenders.

    I guess the bottom line is Slovis looked like he can put the ball exactly where he wants / where needs to be, but flat out doesn’t see some of the impediments along the route.

    Like

  110. —I don’t know how they will play, but Solomon DeShields and Bangally Kamara sure look the part of super athletes.

    —Disappointing that Scarton missed a 37-yard FG. Didn’t miss by much, but zero points is zero points…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  111. I only heard a bit of this on the radio yesterday, but Chris Bickell, the alum who make the big donation to football (the one where Pitt named the head coaching position after him), was talking about doing something with NIL deals for Pitt…

    Anybody know more?

    Go Pitt.

    Like

    1. He’ll need to pony up another $1.5 million 💰 then. The market rate for four star 🌟 recruits is a minimum of $50k in cash. And that’s before the extras like cars 🚘, girls 👙 , and ‘O’ fries 🍟

      And I really don’t think Pitt would approve of these payments despite being totally accepted by the NCAA now. Mark my words, pitt has a chance to be a game changer with Gallagher’s resignation. Are there any woman candidates with a sports appreciation and business background out there?

      I’ve already searched. It’s slim pickings. Pitt might be best served by getting a younger male candidate and having him hire a diverse staff. I spent four hours today doing due dilegence and couldn’t find a suitable woman candidate. That’s not my problem. It’s academicas.

      Maybe my daughter in 20 years will be pitt’s first woman’s chancellor. However That would be an unacceptable timeline but at least the apple 🍎 didn’t fall far from the tree 🌳 with her. UT 👢 🌵 🌶 frosh this Fall.

      Pitt needs someone who is more than just lip service for the front porch. The BOT needs to step up their game.

      Like

        1. I liked Tressel ten years ago. He’s too old now. But Jim and I are cut from the same cloth. Mines a bit dirtier. I can’t speak for UPitts.

          Like

  112. I say this in jest every time I’m back home that I never know when this may be my last visit. Been saying it for years. Then I heard about Haskins yesterday. Life is precious
    Enjoy every second of it and find your peace! Cause you never know….

    Liked by 7 people

  113. New Penn President comes from a background at 2 major academic institutions that have high level sports.
    Penn is Ivy so sports picture will not change, however, there are exceptionally well-qualified women who can lead a great university. As a Penn Alum (M.A. Class of ’65) I say -“FIGHT ON PENNSYLVANIA”.

    Liked by 2 people

  117. I don’t know how any judgment can be made on the QB front based on yesterday’s scrimmage. Slovis had no time, he had new Freshman Baer playing at LT with Goncalves beside him and some unknown player at center. And Pitt’s experienced DL was attacking everywhere. How about that substitute OL to protect your backside?

    He still completed a number of passes after he was touched down that went incomplete but were good throws, including an excellent end zone corner fade route that was dropped. I thought he threw a better, more accurate long ball. Patti looked okay but with too much flutter on the ball most times. Those long completions were for good yardage but were not covered well by the secondary.

    Liked by 1 person

  119. While I don’t put much stock in a spring scrimmage with compromised lineups and many missing starters, I do put stock in the fact that in Slovis’s last 2 seasons, he had 28 TDs and 15 Ints

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Like

  120. Good news for JoeL

    Lafayette C Neal Quinn transferring to Richmond.

    His tweet below:

    Neal Quinn
    @NealQuinn8
    Super excited to announce that I have committed to play at Richmond‼️🕷 Beyond blessed for this opportunity

    Liked by 2 people

  121. Most companies do not allow a ceo that is leaving, extend contracts of people within the organization because it ties the hands of the incoming leader. Pitt just allowed Gallagher to do so with Nardstop and the AD. Pitt BoT got played!!

    Like

    1. I am sure the Board was well informed of the details of the contract and possibly voted on it.
      I am also pretty sure that Gallagher’s decision was reviewed by the Board before the announcement, and probably was in the works for some time.

      Like

  122. Huff, it is not likely that anyone knew that Gallagher was going to resign his post until he announced it. He was probably comfortable with the Narduzzi extension, but knows the Capel situation will blow up next year, and maybe he wants to deal with it on the way out. If Capel got fired in March after the BB season was over, they would likely fill it before Gallagher leaves in June. It sounds like he didn’t want to leave that dirty laundry for someone else.

    Like

    1. That was kind of my point. The BoT probably didn’t know he was going to resign. I will agree that the same BoT would be on board with supporting the extension as that is common practice. What I don’t think happened was that the extensions were a part of the master plan of extensions, plus resignation of gallagher, for the reasons stated above.

      Boards do not like to handcuff new ceo’s and chancellor’s and now the new chancellor is “stuck” with a coach and an AD of someone else’s choosing for a long period of time. Hoodwinked!

      He may as well extend the Provost next so that the new chancellor has noone on their senior leadership team of their choosing and will be there as a puppet, hamstrung!

      Like

      1. I find it difficult to believe that Gallagher would announce his retirement without approval by the Board.
        Same with the extensions of contracts when that much money is involved.
        Do you know this stuff or are you just making assumptions like me?
        Boards have compensation committees and lawyers would have been involved to work out the details.
        I find it much more believable that key board members would have been involved with all of these decisions than what you are saying.

        Like

        1. Since the retirement announcement came so early maybe the replacement will have been chosen by then and thus have input as to the MBB coaching situation.

          Like

        2. Assumptions only – outgoing leaders are typically not allowed to extend contracts once they inform the Board of decision to leave. That is why the timeline comes into question in my mind. Had he quit and then extended (the Board would need to approve). Doing it this way, the Board gives the Administrative power to the Chancellor.

          FACT – It is an NCAA violation for the Board to be involved in any contract negotiation with a Coach of any sport. The Chancellor must sign an attestation to that every year, so let’s not assume the Board knows and approves until after the deed or shenanigans takes place. .

          Like

          1. Being involved in contract negotiations is not the same as being aware/informed/approve of contract negotiations.

            Like

      2. “…now the new chancellor is “stuck” with a coach and an AD of someone else’s choosing for a long period of time. Hoodwinked!”

        Huff— I’m sure you know way more about this insider stuff than I do, but it would surprise me if a new Pitt Chancellor was all that concerned about getting “stuck” with someone else’s AD and football coach. Putting new people in those two positions would seem to me to be something far down on a new Chancellor’s “to do” list…

        Go Pitt.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. The new Chancellor will have several priorities>>>increasing donations to expand endowment and raising the ratings of the University. I recently noticed that Pitt’s Law School has dropped below #70 in the National Ranking//not good. Pitt currently is tied for 58th with Florida State in overall national ranking, so the new Chancellor will have his/her hands full to raise the academic position of the University. Basketball will be a minor problem.

          Liked by 3 people

          1. Well, no. All these positions and needs are inter-connected. For example, Isnore mentions donations and rankings as priorities. New Chancellors are being taught differently and more correctly in my mind. Rankings are controlled by many different criteria and the school can actually manipulate the data. If you watched march madness, it reinforced what I have put here for years. Successful sport teams, increases brand awareness, which increases applications (helps rankings), increases the talent pool of students applying (helps rankings), increases number of better scholars (helps rankings) which leads to more research (helps rankings), and if the sports teams can actually perform well during those student years, increases giving/fundraising because of the student experience. In addition, the better student pool typically equates to graduating on time (helps rankings), and future disposable income (helps fundraising).

            Universities that struggle to tie all of these things together, typically struggle. This is why the alabama’s and osu’s place such a high emphasis on sport. When sport is run well, it triggers the rest and naturally increases school rankings, etc. Look at Florida for example. It’s not about brown bags. It’s about executing a business plan at an institution that fights business…because they are free thinking academics that think they know better.

            The days of silo managing at universities is over. If you don’t understand how all programs are inter-connected you will not be a factor. I talked to a new AD last week and he was brilliant when he said to me, “huffy, I as an AD celebrate when a math professor wins a grant because when one wins, we all win”. He was taught well! I am still not sure our AD or the Pitt Admin knows how to tie it together. Say NO to silo’s.

            Liked by 1 person

            1. Pitt has almost double the number of applications for entry than last year so our potential for a stronger student body should be excellent. Yes, strong athletics increase awareness of a school, however, each situation is different. Pennsylvania’s major state-supported institutions (Pitt, PSU, and Temple) have high in-state tuition rates when compared to other states>>>end result the universities are increasing their efforts to recruit higher-paying out of state students.>>>a problem for Harrisburg to resolve.

              If have no idea as to why our Law School keeps dropping. Athletics have nothing to do with torts, contracts, or constitutional law.

              If athletics was a primary driving force in rankings (yes they can be manipulated) then Alabama, Oklahoma, Penn State, etc would be much higher than they currently are. I believe it was Tex who predicted that PItt would eventually go back to its roots and go private. We would have a smaller student body. increased standards and so, so athletic teams. Joel went to The University of Richmond, an excellent school and if the Spiders fail to win it is not the end of the world>>>YES< JOEL WANTS TO SEE THE SPIDERS WIN). The bottom line is that if you want top-notch sports you need big $$ donors to pay the freight…Tepper favored CMU for its Business School and passed on Pitt.

              Like

              1. isnore, we can go back and forth. Last year is not a measuring stick for universities as many interested students took gap years because they didn’t want to attend wearing masks. Those are the facts. If you want to argue in two years that we doubled 2022-23 rates, go for it. Demographics for available graduating high school seniors drop off a cliff in the 2024-25 year, so it will be an interesting numbers game shaping up.

                Fun fact on data – colleges receive extra ranking points if they report a students act or sat scores! Tell me what that has to do with the education you get. So many colleges want to do away with the score as it is inherently discriminatory (if you believe the pundits), but many will not eliminate it because they get points for rankings. The Cal System eliminated them due to litigation around discrimination. Others slow to follow because of the points. There are plenty of useless factoids surrounding rankings. Very few of them actually matter with respect to education.

                Factoid – you get points as well in the rankings if a certain percentage of students graduate and have a job within 6 months of graduation. Universities hire the ones that don’t have jobs, put them in meaningless jobs to help the rankings and the kids. A waste of money as the jobs are similar to tony dorsett turning the lights on and off in the 70’s. I can go on and on. People are hired to manipulate data and to appease the creditors with the higher learning commission. They also appease the alumni who think more of their school based on a ranking versus what it did for them personally!

                Like

            2. Could not agree with you more Huff. Pitt’s thinking in management is always years behind other schools!

              Like

  123. Thought Majors 4/9 6:21 pm comments on Saturday’s scrimmage summed it up fairly well. I will append a few more thoughts to that…

    It was a blustery day to say the least. Sun, wind, threatening clouds, light rain and sleet/snow. That did not show on the TV.

    Watching Slovis force throws into places he shouldn’t was a little concerning and made me appreciate Kenny’s decision-making. It was only a Spring scrimmage, so maybe he was testing himself and his receiver, but…

    Mumpfield appears to be a really good pick-p and an instant threat. He’s fast and the over the should catch at the beginning was impressive.

    Lots of work for these kids to do come fall camp.

    Liked by 2 people

  124. I missed it if listed above, but how was the crowd, given the weather? Sure missed seeing everyone on Saturday!

    Like

    1. Crowd was better than I expected given the weather. Too bad it wasn’t a sunny warm day…but too much to expect in WPa in early April. Would have been a better showing.

      Liked by 1 person

  125. Remember that all QB’s look immensely better with time to throw and receivers that have time to get open. Hopefully the line will be healthy and ready by fall. I don’t like that we don’t start with a tune up game but at least we have a very experienced group with a new QB, and both games at home.

    KP was exceptional on the road and we do have tough road ACC opponents this year. I think a better running game will help a lot.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. If I’m wvcc and Slow-vis is the starting QB, my DC better send the house on every down and get at least one player to the QB every time.

      Recipe for hoopies success verse Slow-vis.

      If I’m Duzz, I start NP12 and if he struggles for any reason to score early and often I bring in the reliever from USC.

      Like

      1. You don’t think the line Slovis played behind on Saturday will be the same one versus WVU? Is no one mentioning the three drops where Slovis put it right there, two of which should have been TDs? If I’m Barden after Saturday, I’d wake up because the WR room is crowded and dropping TDs won’t earn him PT this fall.

        The last WR coach was trashed on his way out the door, but the drops were dramatically cut last season. Will see what happens under the new coach.

        Like

  126. Those rumors about Capel are devastating if true. Also the fact that time is running out to get the best possible portal guys is not helping at all.

    Like

  127. 0stupid question– What happens if we only get 3 or 4 portal players and none of them are of high value?
    How many walk ons will we need? Capel’s train wreck is in full progress.

    Like

  128. Guys – I had a great time with my POV friends at the tailgate. Good conversations, got to see old faces and it just made me feel like the last six months never happened (almost).

    Thank you all for that – I needed it.

    I probably should have gone to the Spring Game itself. I Ubered to meet my daughter and friend at The Porch restaurant across from Hillman Library and they had blocked off that street for “Greek Sing Week” or some such. It was loud, crowded (also Parents weekend I believe) and the music pretty much sucked.

    Met them then went to the museum for lunch and a walkaround…packed to the gills but still spent two hours there. Then Ubered again to Highland park for dinner with my best friend (from 2nd grade) and his wife…then back to the William Penn for crashing out. Since I’m not used to packing three events into one day I was beat.

    What I did decide on the drive back home on Sunday is that I’m going to try to get back into Pitt football again and get to as many home games as possible – so you’ll probably see my face more.

    I hope I didn’t put the jinx on Slovis when I kept throwing out names of the California 5* QBs that ended up at Pitt in Max Brown and Ricky Town. But honestly our track records with transfer QBs isn’t very good save Nate Peterman. I just wish we could get a HS kid in that could take over his in his SO year and be a three year productive starter for us.

    Pickett had a great SR year but I think without him returning we may be starting from scratch offensively again in ’22 and have to rely on the D to win games – and that hasn’t worked out all that well for us when that lop-sided dependence is there.

    We’ll see – Spring games don’t mean much really. But whatever shakes out of the QB battle I really hope that whoever is the QB2 coming out of fall camp still gets lots of game reps in the early part of the season if we can do that. Might not be possible in those first two games with WVU and TENN but that is something that I think Narduzzi and others before him fall short on doing season after season.

    Thanks again – and when ALL the dust settles down here in Maryland I hope to see and be with all of you a lot more – both here on the POV and in-person.

    Liked by 6 people

    1. The Porch is a great addition to the Pitt campus. Had several meals there with my daughter when she was an undergrad there. Excellent brunch – the skillet bacon Im sure contributed to my need to take a statin these days (haha).

      Nice to see you and yes, you are jinxing Slovis. Please knock that off. 😉

      Liked by 3 people

  129. If Gallagher refused to fire Capel at Heather’s request, then he may feel obligated not to leave until the basketball coaching situation is resolved. Normally this type of termination would be the AD’s decision except for the large buyout which would make the university look bad. And eliminating the buyout for cause might be hard to win in court with Pitt’s prior track record of pulling it off with Stallings.

    Gallagher may have told Heather to tolerate the situation for another year and he would stick around long enough to clean up the mess. This report also appears to demonstrate that Heather may be a lot tougher than is being given credit for by some posters.

    Like

    1. Gallagher isn’t cleaning up the mess he created. No one should have confidence that he can. I wouldn’t want him making another basketball decision either.

      The buyout after next year is $12.3 million, so either way, Capel is laughing to the bank and the university is going to look bad in that regard. The only way out is a good season and Capel leaves for another job, which neither scenario is happening.

      Like

  130. Well it appears that the next time Erie has to eulogize another Nitter, there will be even more fodder. Stay tuned

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Liked by 1 person

    1. “The Penn State” rapist – and on JoePa’s watch. Have to feel sorry for PSU coeds in those years….

      Good thing they didn’t put the statue back up…

      Like

  131. Tracey Hueston is transferring from Pitt women’s basketball to Charlotte. She’s a 6-2 forward. She was a highly ranked recruit but didn’t play her senior year in HS due to an injury. Played only sparingly in her couple years at Pitt.

    With Hueston and 6’-4” Center Rita leaving, Pitt needs to bring in some height – probably from the portal…
    At this point, Pitt’s two incoming HS recruits are both shooting guards…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

    2. I have a collection of Oklahoma Blog Posts from Capel’s time there. If I knew how, I’d publish them here. Mostly I did not want to throw gas on an inferno!

      One of them is aimed at Pitt upon hiring of Capel. It’s a “you’ll be sorry” post.

      I’ll mention a summation of two others :

      Capel has no offensive floor game at all. He always starts with a high ball screen (which other teams have scouted and stop) and then it’s just pass the ball around chaos!
      Capel’s offense against the zone is awful. The other teams D just stands there with their hands up and Capel’s players run around Like chickens never overloading the zone or setting up shots.

      Another commenter talked about Capel’s offensive behavior during the National Anthem. I’ve never been to a game so I don’t know anything about that. I will tell you that many D1 teams do not even come on the floor for the National Anthem. I’m glad Pitt does!

      I do know who gave our mens Basketball Program $100,000 gift last year.

      Capel has an assistant call to thank him.

      You could go back over 4 years and they would match our comments to a tee! Maybe worse.

      Lots of smoke and flames here.
      Not sure Jeff makes it to summer at Pitt!

      Like

  133. Wow, finally some basketball news, and it’s pretty interesting if the rumor of Heather trying to fire Capel is true, and this would explain her tipid support of Capel when questioned at the end of the year. That said, this also means there’s undoubtedly a ‘death is in the air’ vibe with the hoops program right now, with us blatantly buying time until next season is over. In response, Capel fired a shot back across the bough this week, by targeting Jackson State forward Rod Brown, who averages 3.2 pts per game and 2.6 rebounds. Two can play that game.

    Like

  134. I thought the buy out dropped down to about $5 million after the 2022-23 season. How could those numbers be so big when Capel was extended after mostly average performance at the time? Maybe he was given another year because it would hurt Pitt’s defense in the lawsuit. If he was fired for cause it would look like he was guilty and the University was liable. Once the lawsuit is settled, we might see a termination for cause.

    Liked by 1 person

    3. I was told by a major booster that Capel took the first year without salary. Did not follow-up to ask about the mechanics of that, but perhaps adding a year of deferred salary helps explain that.

      Like

      1. I have a feeling that the major booster is wrong about the 1’st year without pay.

        Capel was hired on 3/17/2018 during Pitt’s FISCAL year of 7/1/2017 thru 6/30/2018. He is not on that tax return just like Narduzzi wasn’t on the Pitt tax return during his short period hire.
        Capel is on the tax return for the fiscal year of 7/1/2018 thru 6/30/2019 with a Right to Know (RtK) $ amount of $2,588,636. His RtK of $3,460,250 for period of 7/1//2019 thru 6/30/2020.

        Pitt’s next tax return for period 7/1/2020 thru 6/30/2021 should be available around 5/15/2022.

        Like

        1. This is a fairly good source and I didn’t ask any questions, but the chat related to the extension and buyout, so perhaps there was something in the extension that contained deferral. Not sure.

          Like

  135. A thought after watching the spring game:

    Opponents may consider brushing up on their power-running game when playing Pitt this season. I remember BC having good success – but they did have a good OL and an exceptional big back who’s doing well in the NFL. Forget his name but we struggled to tackle him…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

    1. A strong running game obviously extends time of possession giving a defense a chance to rest. I hope that our returning O Line can rise to the occasion and give our offense more balance. Coach Cignetti would clearly have more play calling options…time will tell.

      Like

  136. I think a big point in the discussion above is being missed. Gallagher’s replacement won’t begin until next summer, 2023. Furthermore, this is not a firing, he is stepping down. So any thought that Duzz’s extension was expedited doesn’t fit. In fact, it was a while in the making

    Thus, the new guy/gal will not be stepping into a bad situation that needs cleaned up, and will be well aware of what he/she is getting into.

    I would have to think that the FB coach would not be high on the list of issues to be addressed

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Liked by 1 person

    1. New President’s typically bring in their own people and establish their own cabinets. Gallagher did the same thing with cfo, ad, and others. I don’t mind oppositional thoughts and enjoy them greatly, but higher ed and private sector ceo’s tend to want to bring in their own people. These actions tie the hands of the new person.

      It’s not about inheriting a problem.

      Football coach hires and relationships are definitely high priority people to a president. All issues are intertwined in higher ed.

      Like

      1. Generally agree with your points, but really depends on what the organization’s Board wants. Sometimes, a new CEO is tasked with continuing the course set by the prior one.

        Whether or not a new CEO is inheriting a problem would seem to really depend on who the existing folks are and whether they are a fit for whatever plan the Board and the next CEO have.

        The earlier characterization that the BOT “got taken” suggests that Gallagher sprung this on them or deceived them, doesn’t it? You work in the higher ed sphere (and I don’t), but the last two Presidents at my undergrad alma mater did exactly as Gallagher… all three staying on in teaching positions. And the BOT had full and complete understanding of the decisions well in advance. One of them wanted to be able to devote much more time to studying and teaching history and was tired of the administrative aspects of his job.

        Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.