New Coach at Pitt? (Bye Bye Wannie aka "The Stach")

[BullDoug]

Is Wannstedt error over?

8:04

AM ETPittsburgh Panthers TopEmailShare20We told you on Friday how one local columnist said that the losing coach in the Pittsburgh-West Virginia Backyard Brawl likely would be fired at season's end. Well, after Dave Wannstedt's team was pounded 35-10, Pittsburgh writers are treating his removal as a fait accompli.

Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes: "One thing has become abundantly clear: Wannstedt is done. You know it, I know it and perhaps even Wannstedt knows it. While Wannstedt hasn't run out of ways to lose meaningful games, he has run out of answers. ... The final chapter should end with an expression Wannstedt likes to use about making cuts in the NFL. Pitt didn't fire you, Dave. You fired yourself."

Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes: "The 35-10 licking Pitt took from West Virginia won't be remembered for the many mistakes the seemingly unprepared Panthers made. It should be remembered as the day the Wannstedt era at Pitt ended. ... . This performance -- this 6-5 season, actually -- is unacceptable for a coach in his sixth year on the job. In just three weeks, Pitt has wasted a two-game lead in the Big East crawl and handed over the title to Connecticut or West Virginia for the taking."

There are two mitigating factors: 1) Wannstedt is under contract through 2014 (he was given a two-year extension last spring), so his buyout will be hefty. 2) Cook says that there is a school of thought that the next coach might treat the Panthers as a steppingstone program, while everyone knows that Wannstedt isn't going to leave his alma mater.

But Cook concludes: "Regardless, one final question needs asked: Are those fears about what might happen with the next coach so great that Pitt should continue to live with the mediocrity of the program under Wannstedt? I don't think so."

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http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/features/rumors/_/date/20101127#5634

[jstewholymoly]

And people here laughed when I said his job was in jeopardy.

[thebouncer1898]

He's like a twin of Leavitt. He always won the games he wasn't supposed to win, lost the game he shoulda won, been over-rated at the beginning of the year and a disappointment when the season ended.

[SANJAY]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the only big game he ever won was against WVU in 2007 to finish the season 5-7.  Wait there was a win over ND one year too.  I think the wins over Auburn, FSU, UL (top 10), WVU (top 10) were better than most of what Wansteddt has done.  Also, we did not lose to non-BCS schools after 2004, but Pitt has lost to Ohio and another MAC school (not counting Utah as they are pretty **** good).

[dh5158]

I hope he doesn't get the boot.  His coaching is definitely an advantage for the opposing team.

[HappyHourHero]

I persnally have been wondering how he stayed around so long. He was able to pull in some good recruiting classes but they are prennial underachievers.

[Triple B]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the only big game he ever won was against WVU in 2007 to finish the season 5-7.  Wait there was a win over ND one year too.  I think the wins over Auburn, FSU, UL (top 10), WVU (top 10) were better than most of what Wansteddt has done.  Also, we did not lose to non-BCS schools after 2004, but Pitt has lost to Ohio and another MAC school (not counting Utah as they are pretty **** good).

**** it ... There goes those pesky facts getting in the way again.  

[Guest nybullsfan]

Great Recruiting Coordinator.

Head Coach? Not so much.

Thanks for the memoriesj

[Ricky the Bull]

I've always had the impression that he recruited well, but then never got the team to perform to the level of that talent.

If true, I guess this means more competition for Miami in a coaching search.

[nobull.Bulls]

I think wannstache never really won games we wasn't suppose to, except 07 at WVU.

What he did was recruit big names and then coach to mediocritiy. I would not be surprised if he is gone after the season is done...or next week