Pitt Hires Wannstedt

[WPIAL~Titan]

What does everyone think of Pitt hiring Wanny as head FB Coach?

[Coach]

I think that Wannstedt is going to come in and HELP Pittsburgh right away. I was talking to a few buddies the other night about this, and they think it will be a major boost to recruiting because he has been in the NFL. He can use that with these kids and tell them he knows what it takes, etc. etc. I'm not Pitt fan, but I'd say this is a good hire regardless of how well he did in the league.

[Head Roadie]

I think Wannstedt was the best choice and I'm so glad he reconsidered. I know there was a faction for Matt Cavanaugh and the Sunseri law firm in Oakmont is PO'ed as they were lobbying hard for Sal Sunseri (My bro in law works for them) but neither of those two were as experienced or known entitites as Wannstedt. Larry W. was the guy people were quietly talking about way back in Sept. when it became apparent that Harris had overstayed his welcome.

Harris brought the Pitt program back to a national level...give the man credit...he was never a fav with the media but he did get the job done and I wish him the best at Stanford.

[Coach]

I heard today that Wanny said he'd consider the LSU job. I don't think LSU will really consider him though. I think I saw it on ESPN earlier or something.

[THE CHOPS]

Well,

My take on this is that, I'd rather had Mat Cavanaugh. I like him because he's a proven winner just a bit more & he knows the flow of inter -crap that can go on at a school such as PITT. There are turbulances that some of you can only begin to imagine.

Being an ex-Pitt Man. That & fifty cents will get me a hot chocolate at the old swuirrling winds of Pitt stadium. :lol:

"THE CHOPS".

[fleaflicker]

Dave was the right guy, as he has lots of experience with both football and Pittsburgh. He was pretty successful in Miami until Ricky Williams bailed on him, and he definately knows how to run the ball. He has experience in both college and NFL football, and I think he should be able to get Pittsburgh to a 9 or 10 win season next year (which would almost certainly win the Big Weak, but that's besides the point). He might be able to get Pitt national respect despite the conference they play in.

[voncap]

Wannstedt is a good fit for Pitt. They got a guy with a 'ton' of experience and he is a hometown boy. He will also put more emphasis on defense which is a good thing.

I am wondering if Pitt was Wannstedt's first choice. Anybody hear any word as to why he pulled out originally and then reconsidered? If he was waiting for another offer before considering the Pitt job, then that would concern me about his commitment to the Pitt program.

[El-Moldo]

What if the other offer he was waiting for was a cushy TV job? Would you blame him for waiting to see how that would unfold first? Would that concern you too? Do you think he would take a job he was not 100% committed to?

[Heaven&Hoops]

The main reason Wannstedt did not take the job when first offered wasn't a question of his commitment. It was Pitt's commitment that Wannstedt wasn't sure of. DW wanted to be sure that Pitt was financially committed to making things happen. He wanted to ensure that he would have the kind of money it takes to attract top-notch assistant coaches and specifically coordinators. Pitt will paytheir offensive and defensive coordinators $250,000 which puts them on the high end of D1 football when it comes to coordinator's salaries. I believe position coaches will make $100,000.

[The Ancient Enemy]

250,000 dollars to a defensive coordinator who did a bad job this year. Last year, Pitt lost 5 games. As for offensive coordinator, have we (the board) realized yet that Palko is the sole and only reason why Pitt even won 8 games, or is the jury still out?

I'm not saying Palko is some kind of Michael Vick, I'm talking leadership and morale here.