...And why I'm not sure. He hasn't done any better at Tulsa than Steve Kragthorpe did before him. I'm guessing the pickings were kind of slim considering how late in the game it is.
But still, I think they could have done better. I think it's a square peg in a round hole. Graham has run wide-open offenses at both Rice and Tulsa. He doesn't have the talent to do that at Pitt. They are built for power running. It feels a little bit like a poor man's Rich Rod to Michigan. Not only is it a complete change in offensive philosophy, but Graham doesn't really fit what their fans traditionally want. They want a "Pitt man" to come in and coach "Pitt football." That being said, if Graham wins 10 games next year, all is forgiven.
I must say I'm impressed with your knowledge on an issue pertaining to Pittsburgh sports, jdh008. Everything you've said is accurate. I'm a bit puzzled by this hiring and so is the rest of the city. Supposedly, the athletic department's stance was that they wanted a "character guy" and Michael Haywood (Yes, you all should be asking: WHO?!!) was apparently the guy that fit the bill. Fans were unhappy about this signing -- and I mean they were unhappy BEFORE the arrest and subsequent firing after 2 1/2 weeks on the job. You would think after laying a massive egg with the Haywood incident and seeing how the fan base reacted before/after just might influence the AD's decision on which type of coach to pursue. Somebody like, say, Tom Bradley from Penn State. Apparently, the AD has other ideas. I mean, this Todd Graham guy deserves a chance and he will receive that from me. Admittedly, I know nothing about him and perhaps he is this elusive "character guy" they've been searching for. To me, he does sound like a poor man's Rich Rod (somebody Pitt immediately dismissed as a candidate) to come in and run their gimmick systems in a conference where apparently that type of stuff works. I just think Pitt deserves better -- a historic program with a team that plays in an NFL stadium in a major conference. Big time recruits want to play for a coach that can put players in the NFL. Can Graham do that? I mean, Dave Wannstedt was a long time assistant under fricken Jimmy Johnson and coached twice in the NFL before -- not to mention he's a Pittsburgh guy. So Pitt is going to bring in Graham and pay him twice as much as Wannstedt? This whole situation is puzzling to me but I guess I can say I'm glad it's finally over.
I think he'll do a decent job, given about 3 years. I don't think the team will be competing for a national title with him, but I think they'll be in the lower half of the top-25. That said, it is puzzling to me, also. It seems Pitt football is really starting to fall off the radar.
Didn't he screw Rice over pretty good when he left? I remember he had just signed some extension and said all the right things but like a day later took the Tulsa job, at least that is what I remember. I have a few friends of mine in Pittsburgh and they basically concur with jdh008 and baller4life315, just an odd fit. The personnel there doesn't fit his scheme so it might be a year or two before Pitt makes some noise again, luckily the Big East outside of TCU isn't any good.
This. I was a freshman at Rice when this was all happening. It hurt. Next year when he came to Rice, the MOB (Rice's "marching band") straight up said "Todd Graham is a douchebag" as part of their show and got some heat for it. http://www.sundaymorningqb.com/2007/11/27/174948/40
Basically, Todd Graham was Lebron to Rice. Except he actually broke a contract to leave for more money.
