Pitt announced the hiring of Troy Douglas today, and also reported that Matt House will move from defensive backs to linebackers, and that Chris Haering will work with the outside linebackers and will head up the special teams. I guess the middle linebackers are on their own.
Is there expected to be another departure from the staff? If we bring in another Assistant to take engram WR job won't we be over the limit on coaches? Love the Douglas hire though.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention that Desmond Robinson is gone.
DeleteChris,
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean by "House will move from DBs to Linebackers?". Middle LBs if Hearing has outside?
For some strange reason Haering will coach just the outside linebackers and House will coach the middle linebackers.
DeleteNothing strange - it is just that Haering is an incompetent high school teacher in over his head at Pitt. So Chryst, not having the balls to axe him, takes away some of his responsibility.
DeleteSame thing happened with Desmond Robinson last year. Chryst afraid to admit he was a bad hire just moved him to a full time recruiting position. We saw how well that worked - and as of today Robinson is gone. Alas a year or two too late. I suspect the same may happen with Haering in a few years given the glacial pace Chryst moves in to make changes
Haha. Any word on Soup Campbell
DeleteIs Hank Protest gone?
DeletePoteat is a grad assistant for another year. He's not gone and he doesn't count as a coach.
Deletethere are 2 coachs coaching the D line one for DT one for DE would you not have one coach the whole D line and move one off the staff or move him to the office for paper work or something what do you think chris becuse we will be one over unless they dont hire a WR coach and i dont think they are dumb enought to do that.
ReplyDeleteChris,
ReplyDeleteAre you hearing any other names for WR coach? So far, I've read that Campbell is a possibility but that's about it. Thanks.
Just unverified names.
DeleteAm I the only one who doesn't find this that odd? The MLBs will likely be charged with making play calls, and understanding how to switch up defenses. Being coached by the DC makes sense... it's not like the LBs will be practicing in different buildings? But if this is just to put training wheels back on Haering, sure it's an odd move.
ReplyDeleteI just find it weird. It's not a big deal. It's just that I'm old school when coaches were responsible for an entire unit and not just one spot.
DeleteHaering was responsible for MLB last season and Palermo OLB + DE's.
DeleteAt least Pitt now has a special teams coordinator. Is that a promo for Haering?
Is that true? Who was named special teams coordinator?
Delete"I guess the middle linebackers are on their own" - LOL!!!
ReplyDeleteJamie Dixon has 282 wins in 11 years of coaching. Jim Boheim in his first 11 years 260. Coach K 196 in 11 years. Roy Williams has 305 total wins. Jim Calhoun 173 total wins in his first 11 years. Of all these great coaches he is in 2nd place right now. I know I am missing some great coaches in here so feel free to look it up and add it up. Pretty impressive for a guy who doesn't know how to recruit NBA talent. He is doing more with less than any of these guys would and the NBA talent is coming!! Look out!!
ReplyDeleteI bet Jamie would trade some meaningless OOC wins for some of those coaches' jewelry. Dixon will never recruit like those coaches. That said, I can live with the level of success Dixon has brought to Pitt. He made Pitt hoops a national program. It is Pitt. Don't expect too much. And Jamie will always be famous for developing the "Quicksand" offense in CB.
ReplyDeleteHis classes in '15 and '16 are shaping up to be exactly like those top programs so clearly he can recruit like them.
DeleteSB nation picked Pitt to finish second to last place next year. Lots of excitement going into next season.
ReplyDeleteWhatever that is.
DeleteAmazing. Chryst is going into his 3rd year as HC and FINALLY decides he needs a special teams coordinator.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt Pederson behind some of these changes/hirings.
Would that be the same Pederson who was behind the Haywood & Graham coaching hires?
DeleteDixon: 10 complete years of coaching. 0 Final Fours
ReplyDeleteJim Boeheim: First Final Four (11th year), Championship (27th year)
Coach K: First Final Four (5th year at Duke, 10th year as head coach), First Championship (11th year at Duke, 16th as head coach)
Roy Williams: First Final Four (3rd year), First Championship (17th year)
Jim Calhoun: First Final Four (13th year at UConn, 27th as head coach), First Championship (13th year at UConn, 27th as head coach)
Suddenly, I don't feel as bad about Pitt's lack of post-season success. Roy is the only one of this elite group that had immediate tournament success as a head coach. All the others took 10+ years to reach a Final Four (and 16+ to win a championship!). Hard to believe.
Yeah, it only took Roy Williams 3 years but he did it at Kansas, who was a power for 50 years before he got there!!!
DeleteAs a fan, I reserve the right to always criticize a game or scheduling strategy, but that does not mean that I think the coach is incomptetent. Just the opposite, this coach has raised the expectations of this program to the point where we would expect deep NCAA runs.
DeleteI fully endorse JD as a coach even though I may not always sound like it.
bill
It is amazing what Dixon is doing in Pittsburgh which we all know is not a CB hotbed for recruits.
DeleteDoke,
DeleteWhat's the back story on Robinson?
Kansas is no hotbed for college basketball recruits either.
DeleteBeing in the middle of a hotbed doesn't guarantee success. Otherwise, Rutgers, Seton Hall, St. Johns should be dominate every year.
Brad Stevens. Final 4 in his 3rd year.
DeleteShaka Smart. Final 4 in his 2nd year.
Billy Donovan. Final 4 in his 6th year of coaching. 4th at Florida.
Rick Pitino. Final 4 in his 7th year of coaching.
Nothing like rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic. Happy VDay to all.
ReplyDeleteJohn Wooden was a head coach for FIFTEEN YEARS before he went to his first Final Four in 1961-1962 at the age of 52. He is generally considered one of the greatest coaches of all time. I think we can cut Jamie a little slack....
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteChris, you seem to be missing the point of House cointinuing to coach the Middle Backers while delegating responsibility for the Outisde Backers to Haering.
House puts the majority of the responbility for calling his Defenses, including PASS DEFENSES... on the Middle Backer.
If you remember this was identified as a HUGE PROBLEM in the Florida State game last year where it became known after the game that Shane Gordon had a lot of trouble identifying the CORRECT Pass Protections and communicating them effectively to the D-Backs... and then knowing where to go himself. Confusion reigned.
House concentrating on the Middle Backers makes sense.
PittofDreams.
Or they can just hire a competent linebackers coach to coach one extra position like they've done in football for a hundred years.
DeleteThat goes with the Dline also.
DeletePitt must be the only program with 2 Dline coaches.
Only need 1 competent coach.
Well said Chris.
DeleteMark my words, Haering will be gone next year. Too bad Chryst doesn't hire someone competent in his place this year
DeleteChryst's problem isn't that he lacks the nerve necessary to fire staff and move on.
His weakness is LOYALTY... although some might call that a strength. Guess it can work both ways.
PittofDreams
ReplyDeleteFrankly, all of Chryst's (or House's) Coaching moves make sense.
Of special note is Haeriing handling Outside Backers while being handed the responsibility of improviing Pitt Special Teams.
Outside Backers, especially the ones who can run, can be the MOST VALUED contributors to Kick Off and Punt Coverage. And goodness knows there were problems there last year.
PittofDreams
Coordinating for special teams is a huge job - stop and think how many different facets there are to special teams (kickoffs/kickoff coverage/on-side kicks kicking and receiving/punting/punt protection/punt coverage/field goal protection/ field goal blocks/fake plays...).
ReplyDeleteSo coordinating for special teams and then coaching even just the outside backers is still be big job.
Go Pitt.
That said, This latest move to push Bollinger out the door and bring in Settle I think is an upgrade overall.
ReplyDeleteBollinger was nothing special
Settle is more accomplished
Have you any evidence that Bolling was, "pushed out the door?"
DeleteI'm glad Dixon's 2015 and 2016 classes look good now - and depending on how many of them show up and how many can deal with constantly being badgered by a coach who loves the slo down, that may make up for the 119th ranked class he has coming in now. Sorry Dixon diehards. Can we live in the here and now just for once?
ReplyDeleteDixon has a very good record in the regular season. No one denies that.
Now get angry like you guys always do.
I feel great about all of the coaching moves...except one. MOVE D.Coordiantor House.......out of the equation :-(
ReplyDelete