Mike Haywood Making All the Right Moves at Pitt during His Pre-Coaching Period

Mike Haywood, Pitt's new head football coach, doesn't officially take over the Panthers until January 9, 2011. In the two weeks since he has been named successor to Dave Wannstedt, he's been soaking in the culture of a proud program that has claimed two national championships in the Associated Press' era of ranking the best college teams.

Acknowledging that Pitt's once-acclaimed 2011 recruiting class has slipped down to just 10 recruits, Haywood believes he will have 19 or 20 on board by the February signing date.

Haywood has reached out to some of Pitt football's famous alumni, like Heisman winner Tony Dorsett and runner-up Larry Fitzgerald.

Capturing the allure of Pitt football from those who lived it will help him make a more persuasive sales pitch to those attracted to it.

Haywood is no stranger to Pitt football. He participated in one of the biggest games in recent memory for Panther fans.

In 1982, Pitt was ranked No. 1 in the nation when Haywood and his Fighting Irish teammates ventured into to Pitt Stadium as decided underdogs.

Pitt was 7-0 at the time with wins over North Carolina (8-4), Florida State (9-3), Illinois (7-5) and West Virginia (9-3) already on the books before Haywood and his struggling Irish teammates stormed into Pittsburgh to accomplish one of the biggest upsets of the 1982 season.

Haywood saw firsthand the "Pitt is it" spirit at its very best.

A crowd of 60,000+ fans, some sitting on the portable bleachers the Panthers brought in to place around the Pitt Stadium track, watched Gerry Faust's Irish beat the Panthers 31-16.

In 28 years of play after that fateful October date with Notre Dame, Pitt football has failed to reach the pinnacle that Haywood is now charged with achieving.

Haywood is having little contact with current Pitt players out of respect for ex-coach Dave Wannstedt, who is in charge of BBVA Compass Bowl preparations.

The players know Haywood is watching. They also know Haywood and Wannstedt are not in an adversarial relationship.

For Pitt fans who have tuned out to focus on the Panthers' 12-1 nationally ranked basketball team, a Pitt victory in the BBVA Compass Bowl will go a long way in restoring their faith in Pitt football.

The players have a rare opportunity to demonstrate their appreciation for ex-coach Wannstedt and begin the process of securing playing time for their new coach Haywood by playing a complete game against Kentucky—a feat they've accomplished only once this season at Syracuse—and bringing home Pitt's 12th bowl victory.