Pitt Football Recruiting-Perseverance; Pitt Special Teams-Upgrade

The Pitt football coaching staff has been relentlessly recruiting.

Tweets from linebackers coach Rob Harley, tight ends coach Tim Salem, and running backs/special teams coach Andre Powell have been non-stop from California to the Atlantic coastline.

While the numbers on commitments are not there yet, comparatively, most of Coach Paul Chryst’s commitments came in the summer when players came to camps and experienced the school and coaching staff firsthand, and when the coaching staffs were able to evaluate the players firsthand in football situations.

It has also been pointed out that this coaching staff is going after more high level targets, and so these recruits are seeing more high level offers to evaluate and taking longer to do so.

Pitt fans were looking for overt recruiting effort, and this group of coaches is giving exactly that.

Two observations:

1.The open line of communication from the current coaching staff with fans has brought about a much more favorable perception of the recruiting process.

2. The sacrifices these coaches are making, considering they and their families are probably still in the moving process with families settling into finding homes/new schools/new jobs for family members and so on, are probably considerable, and yet the coaches are out on the road incessantly. They are first class role models to the players  for team effort.

As mentioned previously, I came across an exceptional book called “Beyond the Final Score” by former Nebraska head coach Tom Osborne, and would highly recommend its insights.

Here are some comparisons I discovered from the book:

Coach Osborne mentioned three approaches to leadership.

Of the three types, while Coach Chryst and Coach Narduzzi appear to have some traits of each type, IMHO, Coach Narduzzi fits more traits of Coach Osborne’s transformational (servant) leader.

Coach Osborne mentions being a role model, displaying empathy, and sacrificing self-interest as some of the transformational leader traits. Both Coaches Chryst and Narduzzi fit this mold. There are other traits mentioned where the two seem to coincide.

IMHO, where Coach Narduzzi excels and stands out as a transformational leader from Coach Osborne’s definitions is in his communication abilities, foresight based on ability to dig out and pick up on problems and deal with them quickly and assertively,  and his ability to convince others to follow a path to Oz together.

One other brief note, and starting today, a coaching comparison.

Upgrade in special teams coaching.

Three years ago, Pitt had no special teams coach for the entire season, only a special teams coach by committee. Whether this was due to coaching philosophy or a budgetary consideration by the coach/athletic department is a moot point, but, needless to say, some games were decided negatively by special teams play.

The last two years. Coach Chryst had appointed Chris Haering, for years previous to college coaching the Mount Lebanon High School head coach, as special teams coach. To the best of my knowledge, he had no previous experience as a special teams head coach, and, in fact, I believe that almost no one,or perhaps no one, on the entire staff had ever head coached special teams.

Now, thanks to Coach Narduzzi, we are blessed with a special teams coach with experience, Coach Andre Powell from Maryland, who should take special team play to a new level. As we have seen the past couple of seasons, special teams can make a major difference in ACC play. Even the yard you start first down from can make a major difference. Coach Powell has major ACC experience and, in this regard, should provide a quantum leap in special teams play.

Pitt Wins Offseason Award; Update on Draftable Pitt Players

Another award for Pitt. The Pitt football sports information department, led by E.J.Borghetti, won the  2015 FWA award in the ACC.

See:    http://www.cosida.com/news/2015/5/4/GEN_0504152356.aspx

Linebacker Anthony Gonzalez is getting a rookie tryout with the Steelers. This on top of T.J. Clemmings getting drafted by the Vikings and Todd Thomas (Jacksonville), Matt Rotheram (Green Bay), Manasseh Garner (Kansas City), and Ray Vinopal (Dallas Cowboys) all getting undrafted free agent opportunities.

No word yet on the other five seniors, but IMHO Kevin Weatherspoon and possibly Isaac Bennett might get NFL opportunities.

Pitt Football-The Draft

Just some brief notes on Pitt football players regarding the draft.

Only one Pitt player was drafted, offensive tackle T.J. Clemmings in Round 4, to the Minnesota Vikings.

A few notes: Clemmings apparently did not show well in the Senior Bowl.

He also sustained a foot injury recently.

Prior to that, he was talked about as a first round pick.

Realistically, the offense he played on was a run-based offense, and he did an outstanding job run-blocking, which would lead to the conclusion that he would fit best in a more run-oriented team, such as Minnesota or Seattle.

Considering he has only played offense for two seasons, it was not surprising to  hear analysts say that he could use some technique tweaks, but they also felt he had a lot of potential.

Time flies. When Clemmings first came to Pitt, Louisville and Teddy Bridgewater were a Big East opponent. Now Pitt and Louisville are in the ACC, and Bridgewater and Clemmings are on the same pro team.

There were also some undrafted free agents from Pitt:

Offensive lineman Matt Rotheram has signed with the Green Bay Packers.

Linebacker Todd Thomas has signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Safety Ray Vinopal has signed with the Dallas Cowboys.

According to blogger Chris Dokish, wide receiver Manasseh Garner will be with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Good luck to these former Pitt players, and perhaps there will be more news regarding others in the next hours to days.

A Look Back at the Pitt Football Spring Game

Now that the Pitt spring football game is ten days past (although it seems like thirty), let’s take a look back at what happened and see where the team stands.

At quarterback, junior Chad Voytik started for the Blue (Larry Fitzgerald) Team.  Redshirt freshman Adam Bertke started for the Gold (Aaron Donald) team. Nate Bossory, a sophomore from Chelsea,Michigan, filled in for Bertke for a few plays.

Voytik started out in admirable fashion, including several deep throws with a lot more velocity than he showed last season (has offensive coordinator Jim Chaney perhaps been working on this aspect of his game?). Late in the game, the velocity faded some. The majority of the plays, decision making overall appeared good. There were a few plays where decisions needed to be made quicker.

One thing for certain, Voytik’s running velocity was excellent, and his decision making once he started running towards the sideline was stellar.

Overall, the outlook for Pitt’s starting quarterback is favorable and improved from last season.

Adam Bertke finally had the chance to show his powerful, long-distance arm. (Unfortunately, he rarely ran, so that is hard to evaluate. On his high school films, his running style is similar to that of Colin Kaepernick, running through tacklers).

Bertke’s throws often resemble an “old-time” long armed, almost side-arm style with flare-outs towards the sideline similar to Craig Morton (U. of California) or Roger Staubach sprinkled in with deep throws. Towering above many players, Bertke has the height that Pitt quarterbacks have been lacking recently. He still needs work on accuracy (this was mentioned in fall training last season), but, considering this was his first real game action and that receivers were probably being shuttled in and out to give the coaches more information on them, he made some strong throws.

The defense caught up with both offenses and both quarterbacks in the second half, but Bertke did show that he could be a creditable back-up quarterback to Voytik.

Nate Bossory was only in a few plays, so it would be difficult to rate him at this time.

In the fall, Tennessee graduate Nate Peterman will also join the quarterback corps. With his actual game experience at Tennessee, he should be a valuable back-up and another solid mentor for Bertke.

James Conner and Tyler Boyd had standout games. Conner showed that he can catch the ball and be very elusive after the catch. This was an aspect of the game the coaching staff has mentioned could come into effect. The other good point in this regard is that Conner would not be pounded by bigger linemen as much compared to when all plays started up the middle.

The catch and run by Conner was spectacular, as were some of Tyler Boyd’s catches throughout the game.

On one deep pass play to Lafayette Pitts, though, interference was called and Conner and Boyd  were questioning the referee from the bench. I assume the coaching staff has addressed this, because losing both on one play in a real game would be an issue.

Conner may opt to enter the draft next season, and, if so, Pitt proved they had a stellar pounding back-up in Quadree Ollison, a redshirt freshman from Buffalo.

Rachid Ibrahim had some nice elusive runs.

Chris James was finally unleashed (from last season) for outside (swing pass) plays as well as up-the-middle runs, and while he had to grind yards up the middle with the new defense, he showed his elusiveness on the plays to the side.

Another notable aspect of the game was that every quarterback drop back, especially in the second half, was a battle. Deep passes were thrown often, even to tight ends, who figured much more in pass plays. There were plays where the safeties were beaten, and no doubt this has been studied by the coaching staff, but yet every play was a battle unto itself.

There was no play where the offense was not challenged by the defense. In that way, head coach Pat Narduzzi and defensive coordinator Josh Conklin did achieve their goal of changing the mindset of the defense.

Considering many players who took part in this game were riding the bench most of last season, this should be an invaluable experience for them and definitely was an opportunity for the coaching staff to see where they are in their development on game films and how they can help each to improve their techniques. The other plus is that most of them will be returning for at least two more seasons.

The outlook for Pitt football this fall and for the foreseeable future, based on the spring game, is very favorable.

While preparing for this blog, I came across a very appropriate and fascinating book at a used book store, “Beyond the Final Score,” by Tom Osborne, former Nebraska coach and athletic director, that covered many aspects of his coaching life, that were, in fact, beyond the final (game) score. There were similarities to Coach Narduzzi’s persona and coaching style to this point that flew out at me from the pages of this book in a very positive (optimistic) way and so, next blog will cover these.

The Pitt Football Spring Game: Plusses and Minuses

Video footage from the Pitt spring football game should prove to be a valuable tool for Coach Pat Narduzzi and his staff to evaluate his new team.

There were many positives about the game, some minuses, but overall a solid performance by both Blue and Gold sides.

The main plus was the defense. There was definite improvement. Except for an early run by running back James Conner and a few runs later by Quadree Ollison, redshirt freshman from Buffalo, the run was basically stuffed. Some defensive backs were moved up towards the line, as promised, and the result was strong stops on the run.

Coach Narduzzi was apparently pleased with the defensive effort, including praise for interior lineman Tyrique Jarrett, who played football at  Allderdice prior to attending Milford Academy in New York state.

A minus that popped up was on both sides in the battle between receivers and defenders on deep patterns. Wide receivers were getting open behind the defense. Since defensive backs played up closer, they were more susceptible to deep passes, similar to hockey players moving in deeper toward the opponent’s goal. In general, speedwise, receivers can run faster (Avonte Maddox being an exception) and so defenders let receivers run to them.

Another plus that appeared was defensive pressure on the quarterback. For the first time since probably the middle Dave Wannstedt era, there was consistent pressure on the quarterback. To protect the quarterbacks, no tackles were allowed on sacks, but it was extremely refreshing to see consistent pressure, and from several players.

While receivers did get open fairly often on deep routes, a minus that occurred on the deep receivers’ side more than once was drops on passes. Tyler Boyd was generally solid on catches, including some unbelievable catches, as well as Zach Challingsworth.   Dontez Ford did show some elusiveness after catches.  Jester Weah got free deep at least twice, but, as last season, had issues catching the ball. No doubt receivers coach Kevin Sherman will be working with him, and once he perfects catching the deep pass, he is going to be difficult to tackle because of his size and power.  J.P. Holtz also showed he can catch the ball on deep routes.

Chad Voytik showed substantial improvement on arm strength from last season from the beginning of the game, and Adam Bertke proved he has a powerful arm and could stretch the field over fifty yards.

Both were accurate earlier in the game. Less accuracy later on could be improved, however, it is possible this was due to defenses putting increased pressure on the quarterbacks or receivers being switched to get a look at them.

The short passing game was solid, including passes to James Conner (a wrinkle promised by the coaching staff for the upcoming season) and Chris James. In fact, the pass to Conner allowed him to cut more ways after the catch than his standard run. James and Rachid Ibrahim exhibited their speed on run plays.

On special teams, there were two blocked field goals; both appeared to be defensive stops as opposed to offensive timing. Ryan Winslow’s punts were solid, and, after settling down on his first kick, Nick Goldsmith showed that he can punt inside the ten yard line

Most punts were fair caught.  Some were run back until the player was tagged by a defender (no tackling on punts),  and if it had not been for those rules, Avonte Maddox would probably have run for a touchdown on one of the punt returns.

Defensive back Lafayette Pitts showed prowess as an offensive receiver.

In short, the defense and special teams prevailed, but much of the starting team offensive line was on the opposite side from the starting backfield and receivers, so the offense should look different when the starting players are reunited.

And also, in short, the players showed a lot of talent and potential.

Head coach Pat Narduzzi had a ringside seat look as he stood about ten to fifteen yards behind the line on most plays. (On a few plays, Lesean McCoy’s infant son got a piggyback ride view with Coach Narduzzi.)

All-in-all, it looks like it should be an exciting season for Pitt football in the ACC.

Pitt Spring Football Game: A New Beginning, A Show of Strength

The return of the Pitt spring game was eventful. Coach Pat Narduzzi has been staging tug of war games between two players at a time that are documented on you-tube and have shown the “new intensity.”  Saturday, the Pitt spring football game was a team-wide tug of war, a show of strength between the two halves of a team that showed determination on the field and determined looks when they came off.

The game evoked a multitude of thoughts. This first article will concentrate mainly on how some similarities and differences in the transition between the Paul Chryst era and the current Pat Narduzzi era appeared in the spring game.

First, a little background.

The Pitt spring football game was held Saturday afternoon on a beautiful, sunny day at Highmark Stadium on Pittsburgh’s South Side. With a backdrop of the city’s skyline on the downtown shore, and occasional trains and boats rolling by (at one time one train on each side of the stadium simultaneously), an overflowing crowd of Pitt fans and friends filled the venue. For the overflow, Pitt offered tickets to the Youngstown game.

When the gates opened a little after 11:30 a.m., a sweltering crowd, including many that had stood in line and many still parking or walking towards the stadium, found a row of staff members handing out lineup sheets (two-sided: blue team listed on one side, gold team on the other) and cheerleaders handing out various sized t-shirts, some blue for the Larry Fitzgerald team and some gold for the Aaron Donald team. Seating was first-come, first-serve. Most seats filled in quickly, and a polite crowd of Pitt fans and friends found a smaller Pitt band version in the stands and a Roc Panther mascot roaming the stands.

Perception by the fan base has been a critical factor in the Pitt cause the last three years, the Paul Chryst era. Much was unspoken, and so there was much speculation. In contrast, the Pat Narduzzi era has started with a multitude of communication and information.

The transition to the ACC went smoothly under Coach Chryst, but when, in the very first actual game, the Florida State game, there were defensive backs playing far off receivers and being burned play after play, fans were shaking heads in wonderment. In addition, there was no one special teams coach, but instead a conglomerate of coaches watching special teams being loosely coordinated by the head coach.

While Saturday was a spring game and not a first actual game, there were few  receivers with space. Defenders were in receivers’ faces. While receivers did get beyond the pass defense several times, part of this could well be due to the tighter line coverage designed to stop the run first, and Coach Narduzzi and the defensive staff will undoubtedly discuss and decide how to balance this aspect.

One surprise was Lafayette Pitts playing defense and occasionally showing up as a deep wide receiver. Not only that, he showed good route skills and showed he could catch the deep ball. His defensive knowledge no doubt helped him on  the offensive side.

Last season, players looked confused on where to position themselves. At least one of last season’s players reportedly mentioned this confusion. Players on interviews this spring have been mentioning the simpler defenses. Apparently a main issue under Coach Chryst and Coach Matt House was not the defensive knowledge, but the complexity of the schemes. As we know, defense is reactive to offense, and Saturday Coach Pat Narduzzi obviously had the players in position to make stops. In the spring game Saturday, this reporter observed only one play where one player was unclear where to be.

One thing is certain,Coach Narduzzi has done his homework. He has apparently listened to people who are familiar with the issues Pitt football has had, both general and specific, and he and his staff are fixing the issues.

Much more on the spring game in future articles, but enough to say that it is remarkable how this staff has been assembled and the amount of training they have done one-on-one with the players in just a few months. The coaches are just settling into their new location in the process of moving their families and, with that as a backdrop, they and their families should be commended for the total dedication they have already put into this program in a short time. It definitely showed on the field Saturday.

The majority of players had never played in a game or had limited playing time, so this was really their first full game. In that regard, it was a total success. The advantage is that the majority of them will be around now for quite a while.

With the backdrop also of former outstanding Pitt players (Larry Fitzgerald, Aaron Donald, Lesean McCoy, Curtis Wright, Rod Rutherford, Jim Covert, Bill Fralic, Sam Clancy and many others) spurring them on, the players efused inspired play throughout the game, including intense tackling along the sideline.

Next article, we will explore the plusses  and minuses of the spring game.

For now, we want to wish Coach Chryst at Wisconsin best of luck with his new team, and to thank Coach Mark Dantonio at Michigan State for allowing Coach Pat Narduzzi the opportunity to coach at PItt and for giving apparently outstanding training to his assistants.

The Pitt ship was righted in the correct direction by Coach Chryst, and now Coach Narduzzi has sent the ship into warp speed.

Coach Pat Narduzzi and Pitt Football – A New Start

Coach Pat Narduzzi has made it clear that all Pitt football players had a clean slate heading into spring practice. The spring practices conclude on April 18, when the spring Blue-Gold game will be held at 1 pm E.T. at Highmark Stadium on Pittsburgh’s south shore. Aaron Donald and Larry Fitzgerald have agreed to be honorary opposing coaches for the spring game.

Here’s a sampling of the new attitude:

http://www.mlive.com/spartans/index.ssf/2015/03/former_michigan_state_defensiv_4.html

One trait that has distinguished this season from the previous three is the intensity and energy. While Coach Paul Chryst did help the program gradually grow, note the following contrasts in recent interviews:

First, Coach Chryst:

http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2015/4/9/8375191/wisconsin-badgers-football-spring-sojourn-shelton-alex-hornibrook

Now, note the interview (third frame from the top on Pitt’s Livewire)  with current Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi:

http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/blog/2015/03/

Some points for thought:

1. With Coach Narduzzi, everything is a competition.

Complacency is out the window.

2.  Coach Narduzzi has brought back the “fourth quarter” mentality of Johnny Majors.

What more could a Pitt fan ask?

For any Pitt fans who have watched Pitt football teams collapse near the end of the game so often, this is music to the ears.

3.Intensive individual instruction on technique is a critical part of the new coaching regime, and not only the players, but also the assistant coaches, have shown the same intense enthusiasm and enjoyment as head coach Pat Narduzzi.

4. The defensive issues seem to have been found out. Per player interviews, the main defensive problem was understanding the complexities of the defensive schemes under Coach House. Another issue we saw on the field was the lack of consistent intensity. Coaches Josh Conklin and Pat Narduzzi have simplified the schemes to the delight of the players (per video interviews), and Coach Narduzzi has upped the intensity to a fever pitch.

5. Coach Narduzzi is building a network by interacting with coaches and players everywhere.

6. We shouldn’t get so overly optimistic at this point, but it certainly looks now like the parts are in place for a surprising season.

Coach Narduzzi, Pitt Football – the Word is Energy

PItt football spring practice has begun, and many new looks are popping their heads out, even at this early time.

A main look of the new Pitt program under Coach Pat Narduzzi is energy. Another facet is enthusiasm.

Note in early spring videos from Pitt:

http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/blog/2015/03/video-coach-narduzzi-micd-up.html

Another hopeful step recently is the acquisition of two commits for 2016. One is from Brandon Ford, 6’5′ offensive tackle from Upper St. Clair. The other is from cornerback Tony Butler from Lakewood, Ohio.

Interviews with players have revealed that there has been a change in the teaching of defense. The more simple approach this year has been quicker for the players to grasp and caused less confusion.

Coach Narduzzi’s system is, simply spoken per him and linebacker Coach Rob Harley,  that they are going to line up in certain basic formations and challenge the offense to beat them, rather than going to more sophisticated, complicated sets.

Players are going to constantly be challenged, even the most gifted.

Speed and getting to the ball will be the main emphases on defense.

At this point, Nicholas Grigsby and Bam Bradley are heading the outside linebacker corps and Matt Galambos the middle linebacker spot.

So far interviews reveal the players are more focused on individual improvement and team improvement even than in recent seasons. Coach Narduzzi wants the players to stay energetic for all four quarters, especially the last quarter. This brought reminders of Coach Johnny Majors’ system of players keeping some in the tank for the last quarter, and then going all out at that time.

Again, I would compare Coach Narduzzi to the Chef Robert Irvine of Pitt football.

If the videos of practices and interviews are any indication, the spring game at Highmark Stadium on Saturday, April 18 should bring out some high energy and great plays and excite Pitt coaches, players, and fans alike.

Pitt Basketball – NIT Preview

The Pitt men’s basketball team takes on George Washington tonight at 7 PM E.T. at the Peterson Center in downtown Pittsburgh. The game has been upgraded on tv to the real ESPN.

Rundown:

George Washington relies heavily on its starters. There are four juniors that are involved in most of the scoring and rebounding. That could be an issue if Pitt’s younger starting team’s inexperience shows.

The leading scorer, with a 12.4 average, and strong in offensive rebounds is Patricio Garino, a guard/forward.

Guard Kethan Savage, who averages 11.2 points, forward Kevin Larsen, who averages 10.7 points,  guard Joe McDonald, the leading defensive rebounder and averages 10.2 points, round out the rest of the top scorers.  Other players each average under 8 points a game.

In order to advance in the tournament, Pitt needs to hit baskets and increase their per-game scoring average. The defensive mistakes that have plagued the team, the lack of rebounding consistency, and the poor scoring percentages are concerns.

This is a favorable matchup for PItt they should be able to win. Defensive guard play for Pitt could be a factor.

Offensive keys:   Shooting percentages for Michael Young, Jamel Artis, Cameron Wright, and Chris Jones. If any two of them can light up the basket, Pitt could come out a solid winner. If PItt’s bench can show some scoring muscle, Pitt could coast.