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Coaching Carousel: Peters out at Pitt

kind of makes you shake your head.

Peters was an assistant at Pitt for 10 years, and was in his 4th year as head coach.

Things have not been going well with the program, but it's hard to know where to point fingers. It could be a variety of things.

I would not have been surprised if Pitt had made a change at the end of the season. That they made it now, in the middle of the wrestling season, really makes me wonder what precipitated the move.
 
Remembering the banners they had and the giant rings they got for winning the ACC.....Peters Out!

They should have some scholie money laying around.

Teasdale to sPitt would be fun to talk about............
 
This is like Iowa fans throwing out David Taylor's name. One of the last things Pitt needs is someone with no experience as a head coach or top assistant.

Their problems are basically the trifecta:
1. Poor recruiting -- Virginia and VT have done a better job of recruiting PA.
2. Poor development -- they guys they have gotten haven't done well. Morelli has developed the best, by leaving.
3. Discipline and retention -- kicked Racciato off the team last year. Wiercioch left school this year. Bright ... some other issues ...

Also, the "Pitt Wrestling Club" is not an RTC. That needs to change.

What they need is either a top assistant who runs an RTC (like Rosselli last year) or a successful head coach at an under-funded school (Flynn, Stutzman, Moore, etc.). Must have good connections in PA, particularly the western half of the state. And must coach a more aggressive style.

Chances of them hitting on all of those criteria? Well, they're Pitt ...
 
This is like Iowa fans throwing out David Taylor's name. One of the last things Pitt needs is someone with no experience as a head coach or top assistant.

Their problems are basically the trifecta:
1. Poor recruiting -- Virginia and VT have done a better job of recruiting PA.
2. Poor development -- they guys they have gotten haven't done well. Morelli has developed the best, by leaving.
3. Discipline and retention -- kicked Racciato off the team last year. Wiercioch left school this year. Bright ... some other issues ...

Also, the "Pitt Wrestling Club" is not an RTC. That needs to change.

What they need is either a top assistant who runs an RTC (like Rosselli last year) or a successful head coach at an under-funded school (Flynn, Stutzman, Moore, etc.). Must have good connections in PA, particularly the western half of the state. And must coach a more aggressive style.

Chances of them hitting on all of those criteria? Well, they're Pitt ...

I forgot my sarcasm emoticon, 100% agree
 
With the program in free fall, you had to see this coming. The poor performance was a bit of a head-scratcher, as you would have thought (at least I did) that a long-time assistant being groomed to take over as head coach would have led to a smooth transition with little drop-off in the program. Didn't work out that way at all.
 
This is like Iowa fans throwing out David Taylor's name. One of the last things Pitt needs is someone with no experience as a head coach or top assistant.

Their problems are basically the trifecta:
1. Poor recruiting -- Virginia and VT have done a better job of recruiting PA.
2. Poor development -- they guys they have gotten haven't done well. Morelli has developed the best, by leaving.
3. Discipline and retention -- kicked Racciato off the team last year. Wiercioch left school this year. Bright ... some other issues ...

Also, the "Pitt Wrestling Club" is not an RTC. That needs to change.

What they need is either a top assistant who runs an RTC (like Rosselli last year) or a successful head coach at an under-funded school (Flynn, Stutzman, Moore, etc.). Must have good connections in PA, particularly the western half of the state. And must coach a more aggressive style.

Chances of them hitting on all of those criteria? Well, they're Pitt ...

VA and VA Tech have done a WAY better job recruiting Western PA. I'm a season ticket holder since it is my backyard and I just like to support wrestling in general. I went to the WVU vs. Pitt match and it was like watching a glorified high school match. There were kids there that no business wrestling for a D1 program, especially one in the ACC & Big 12.
 
kind of makes you shake your head.

Peters was an assistant at Pitt for 10 years, and was in his 4th year as head coach.

Things have not been going well with the program, but it's hard to know where to point fingers. It could be a variety of things.

I would not have been surprised if Pitt had made a change at the end of the season. That they made it now, in the middle of the wrestling season, really makes me wonder what precipitated the move.

Problems at Midlands. Not just performance.
 
(Apparently) some serious discipline problems there.

Only 1 wrestler was named in the article. Peters kicked him off the team last year, let him return this year. Seems like that was a mistake.

Another high-profile Pitt wrestler quit school this semester.

Yet another high-profile Pitt wrestler got kicked off the team last year after being arrested for fighting a couple women, and OBTW selling drugs and having a stolen gun.

Guess we'll find out soon enough if Midlands were a firing offense or a final straw.
 
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Hate to be a wet rag here ... Pitt should be a perennial top 5 team nationally (not just top 5 ACC). Ignore Kolat's wrestling career, focus only on his coaching career, is he at that level yet?

I'm not sure 2 national qualifiers and 0 All-Americans is enough of a resume, yet. Might be the next go-around. Or maybe he backfills the guy who does get the job.
 
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(Apparently) some serious discipline problems there.

Only 1 wrestler was named in the article. Peters kicked him off the team last year, let him return this year. Seems like that was a mistake.

Another high-profile Pitt wrestler quit school this semester.

Yet another high-profile Pitt wrestler got kicked off the team last year after being arrested for fighting a couple women, and OBTW selling drugs and having a stolen gun.

Guess we'll find out soon enough if Midlands were a firing offense or a final straw.

As I understand it, Peters knew but did not report it to the Administration. Call it what you want: naïveté or stupidity. He had to be one or the other to think this wouldn't get back to Pitt--particularly if the police were involved. He got what he earned.
 
Hate to be a wet rag here ... Pitt should be a perennial top 5 team nationally (not just top 5 ACC). Ignore Kolat's wrestling career, focus only on his coaching career, is he at that level yet?

I'm not sure 2 national qualifiers and 0 All-Americans is enough of a resume, yet. Might be the next go-around. Or maybe he backfills the guy who does get the job.
Would never consider that being a wet rag. This board is at it's best when we are exchanging ideas and your feedback is appreciated.
 
He might be able to tap into the Young Guns talent in Pitt's backyard.
Why Not go after Jody - Young Guns becomes training center. I'm sure elite still goes to PSU, Iowa, etc but he could keep best of rest and have a program like Lehigh that's easier to get into. Which brings you to John Hughes as another good candidate. I like Cary as well but acknowledge his coaching career to date is lack luster. He is coaching at Campbell - not sure how many of you have ever been there but its not a happening place.
 
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Hate to be a wet rag here ... Pitt should be a perennial top 5 team nationally (not just top 5 ACC). Ignore Kolat's wrestling career, focus only on his coaching career, is he at that level yet?

I'm not sure 2 national qualifiers and 0 All-Americans is enough of a resume, yet. Might be the next go-around. Or maybe he backfills the guy who does get the job.

Theres something that keeps Kolat from a major mid major job and its not credentials.
 
Huh. Hadn't thought of that. He may enjoy his current gig and being his own boss but it's certainly worth a try.

Yes. He's at UPJ. He just might be interested in staying there and, possibly, succeeding Pecora. Right now, that's probably the better gig.
 
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Huh. Hadn't thought of that. He may enjoy his current gig and being his own boss but it's certainly worth a try.
I thought of Strittmatter too, but then the nagging question comes up: he's gotta be making some pretty good money from Young Guns, on top of being an assistant at UPJ, right? With stability and a lot fewer headaches of being a D1 head coach.
 
I thought of Strittmatter too, but then the nagging question comes up: he's gotta be making some pretty good money from Young Guns, on top of being an assistant at UPJ, right? With stability and a lot fewer headaches of being a D1 head coach.
For similar reasons, it's hard to picture Terry Brands leaving Iowa.
 
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