Dave Wannstedt is a class act!

[HB Pony Dad]

Just wanted to comment on Dave Wannstedt after Pitt's victory over West By Gawd Virginny !

Dave Wannstedt went out of his way to seek out Pat White after the game to congratulate him on his play and then give him an affectionate pat on the tush for emphasis!

Gotta love College Football when played with such sportsmanship!

[Dubbya]

Some of his teams have been better than others, of course, but I've always gotten the sense that Coach Wannstedt does things the right way.

[Stallion]

amazing how much better a Coach he becomes each year after another successful recruiting class. Amazing. Recruit well for at least 2-3 years and Count to 3 or 4.

[J.T.supporta]

i think its PB

[PoconoPony]

amazing how much better a Coach he becomes each year after another successful recruiting class. Amazing. Recruit well for at least 2-3 years and Count to 3 or 4.

You make a very valid point re the amout of recruiting time it takes to start turning a program around. Wannestedt has been the subject of bitter criticism and malignment for the program's minimal success the past several years. There was even talk in the media last season that he had had enough time, that he could not bring the program back and was a bust as a coach. Lesson here is that he has busted his butt since he arrived at Pitt and he is just now ( last 2 years plus 2009) getting the recruits he needs to start winning. His early classes were average and the last several classes have really raised the level of the kid he can now interest in his program. He was saved last year from a tense off season by upsetting WV in the final game and has done it again this year. Biggest problem he and PB face is that the program still lacks classroom/ academic and over all discipline. Next year Pitt will finally be in a postion to start winning and be considered a force in the Big East. Mustang fans take note.

[Stallion]

that's not really my point. Wannstead was an immediate success on the recruiting front getting the No. 19 class in the Country in his first full recruiting class and the No. 26 Class in his second including their star RB Lesean McCoy. No. 28 last year.

[PoconoPony]

that's not really my point. Wannstead was an immediate success on the recruiting front getting the No. 19 class in the Country in his first full recruiting class and the No. 26 Class in his second including their star RB.

Classes did not pan out as rated.

[Stallion]

He took the job late in the 2005 recruiting season. The 2006 and 2007 Classes he recruited are slowly turning the program around. Recruit well for at least 2-3 years and count to 3 or 4 from the first highly recruited class. He recruited well-much better than his predecessor in 2006 -2008. Count to 3 or 4 from the first recruiting Class of 2006-let's see they were eligible in 2006, 2007 and look its magic 2008 -Pitt is ranked!!! It works. Those classes DID pan out. Wannstead is the Poster Boy for recruiting making a Coach look like a genuis when he couldn't coach is way out of a paper sack without talented recruits.

[orguy]

Coaching and talent are both important.

Its the combination.

Difficult to work a turnaround without smart, talented and motivated athletes. (We have none of those currently)

[mr. pony]

Funny that pro coaches rarely speak of needing 3-5 years to install "a system" or get "his" players in.

[mrydel]

Funny that pro coaches rarely speak of needing 3-5 years to install "a system" or get "his" players in.

Funny that in his post game interview June Jones talked about Tom Landry, Bill Walsh, and Chuck Noll and the time it took them to turn their programs around.

[Stallion]

Chuck Noll's Pittsburgh Steelers, Jimmy Johnson's Dallas Cowboys and Walsh's San Francisco 49ers. 3 of the greatest dynasties in NFL History-go look at what their records were in Year 1 enabling them to bunch Top Draft Choices who formed the nucleus of their revival. This is just off the Top of my head. Its a pattern repeated over and over again.

[Stallion]

Games Won in First Seasons

Chuck Noll - 1, 5, 6, 11
Bill Walsh- 2, 6, 13
Jimmy Johnson 1, 7, 11 (Johnson had more No. 1 and No. 2 Draft choices of any Coach in NFL History at the time)

Lets add Tom Landry as Dynasty No. 4- 0, 4, 5, 4, 5, 7, 10

Draft well for 2-3 years and count to 3 or 4 from the first great Class. Now would you like me to name the NFL Hall of Famers who were drafted with those HIGH Draft picks who made those dynasties great. You know guys like Bradshaw, Aikman, Mean Joe Green, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Bob Lilly, Don Meredith, Mel Renfro, Lee Roy Jordan, Ronnie Lott, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, Mel Blount, Jack Ham.

Jimmy Johnson turned his unprecedented bundle of top picks (mostly from Steve Walsh and Herschel Walker trades) into another group of All Pros like Darrly Johnson, Mark Stepnoski, Russell Maryland, Alvin Harper-all with first or second round choices.

Now what exactly are you babbling about?

The fact is that recruiting in College is even more important than the Draft in the NFL because in recruiting you can theoretically sign 25 Blue Chippers while in the NFL you generally get one pick each round thereby evening out the talent.