Pitt Football: Michael "Freddy Krueger" Haywood Takes Control Of The Panthers

Update: ESPN's Joe Schad had reported Haywood's annual salary to be $1.6 million. In today's Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Joe Starkey refutes that figure and comments:

"Haywood reportedly will make about the same as Wannstedt, who was the 58th highest-paid coach among BCS coaches at around $1 million annually — and the sixth-highest of the seven Big East coaches named in a recent USA Today report" (triblive.com,December 19, 2010).

No one will confuse new Pittsburgh Panthers coach Michael Haywood with Denzel Washington.

Nature gave Haywood a mean look that could scare the bejesus out of anyone it’s focused on.

Haywood, former Miami, OH Redhawks head coach, uses his physical gifts to full advantage, staring down the press corps and pulling out Freddy Krueger analogies.

When asked what kind of football player he was looking for, Haywood responded:

“Are you familiar with Freddy Krueger ... I’m looking for guys who are dangerous and relentless for 60 minutes." (Espn.com, December 17, 2010).

How that quote affects a recruiting class no longer ranked in the top 25 and a current roster of players accustomed to former coach Dave Wannstedt’s more laid back style remains to be seen.

It’s easy to understand now why Dana Holgorsen, who described West Virginia as a “cool” place, didn’t impress Pitt athletic director Steve Pederson. Pitt chancellor Mark Nordenberg ordered Pederson to hire a black shirt—a take no prisoners tough guy.

Haywood represents a throwback mood swing in Pitt football history, and if the past is any guide, the results will be mixed at best.

Paul Hackett replaced Mike Gottfried in December, 1989 and coached Pitt in the John Hancock Sun Bowl. Hackett was a strict disciplinarian and took the players’ names off the uniforms. He went 3-7-1 in 1990, 6-5 in 1991, and 3-9 in 1992.

Like Gottfried in 1989, Hackett was not allowed to finish the ’92 season. San Sunseri, father of current Pitt quarterback Tino Sunseri, coached the Panthers in the season finale, a 36-23 loss at Hawaii.  

Walt Harris was also a disciplinarian. His best record in eight seasons at Pitt was 9-4 in 2002.

Discipline tactics like making players practice at 6 a.m. and sitting in the front of their classes may have worked in small town Ohio. In a big city like Pittsburgh with a metro population of over 2 million, it’s a much harder sell.

As news filtered out about this hire, some myths have been disproved.

Pitt did not hire Haywood on the cheap, as many suspected. He signed a five-year $1.6 million per year deal, topping the $800,000 Dana Holgorsen will earn as the West Virginia offensive coordinator in 2011.

Holgorsen also has a five-year contract as head coach beginning in 2012 and will earn $1.4 million per year plus incentives.

Pitt did not hire Haywood to win national championships and Big East titles. Whereas West Virginia’s athletic director Oliver Luck clearly stated the Mountaineers’ title goals, Pederson emphasized character, integrity and discipline.

The change from Wannstedt to Haywood may not produce a much different looking product on the field.

According to SBRforum.com, the Redhawks' offense scored 27.1 points per game and ranked 57^th in the nation.

Pitt scored 26.3 points per game, ranking 67^th.

Despite Heyward’s emphasis on disciplined play, his Miami team was flagged with 8.1 penalties per game, 1.1 penalties more than Pitt.

According to statistics at NCAAfootball.com, Wannstedt’s team ranked an impressive 11^th in the nation for total defense, yielding an average of 304.25 yards per game.

Miami’s defense was more porous than Pitt’s, giving up 335.77 yards per game and ranked 29^th.

Zac Dysert, the Miami Redhawk quarterback, threw for 2,406 yards with a 64.7% completion rate.

Pitt quarterback Sunseri threw for 2,476 yards with a 65.4% completion rate and a 139.3 rating, 10 points higher than Dysert’s.

More disciplined play with fewer miscues and more victories will keep Pitt fans content.

No offensive fireworks appear to be in Pitt’s future under Haywood.