Pitt Football: Chancellor Takes Charge of the Team and That's Great for Fans

The University of Pittsburgh is in full crisis management mode right now, a sure sign that things are about to get better.

Chancellor Nordenberg appears to be giving Pitt football his undivided attention and even better still: the problem-solving power of his intellect.

Certainly, the guy who helped keep the Big East Conference together can move Pitt past its current crisis to a new beginning.

Curiously, Nordenberg is taking actions as a solo act, no athletic director Steve Pederson at his side.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports in today's paper that Nordenberg met with the football team yesterday to apologize to them for the way Wannstedt's forced resignation and Haywood's hiring had been handled.

The implication is that Pederson hadn't met with the team through the recent tumult. According to the Post, he observed some practices, but that was it.

Pederson met with the remaining assistant coaches yesterday. A coach reported to the Post-Gazette that Pederson apologized to them for not calling a meeting sooner.

The Post-Gazette noted that the Pitt players were very cognizant of Pederson's absence. Pederson is persona non grata for most of them.

Bill Fralic, a former Pitt All-American and NFL player, publicly called out Pederson in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

"This is all about Steve Pederson trying to make a mark, and he's made a black eye...I would take a long, hard look at how we come to make this decision. I think there's a lot of people who have supported that program who are very disillusioned. I just don't know how we could be so wrong" (triblive.com, Jan. 3, 2011).

Dave Wannstedt will officially end his media black-out today at noon when he conducts a news conference. He will announce his decision about coaching in the BBVA Compass Bowl on Jan. 8.

According to unnamed Pitt officials, Wannstedt will not talk about his termination or any of the events of the past month including Mike Haywood's termination.

I wouldn't bet on it. The kind of anger Wannstedt has built up inside based on his resignation that was not in lieu of a termination is like jet fuel for a public speaker.

His news conference should be very interesting.

Marvin Lewis, head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, has been mentioned as a prominent candidate in the search.

In addition to praying for a coach Pitt will not need to fire in a couple of weeks, fans should pray that Pitt doesn't hire a coach who was recently fired.

Marvin Lewis is supposed to get his pink slip from the Cincinnati Bengals' organization any day now.

Some Pitt fans are so frustrated by the whole coaching mess they are asking the university to rehire Dave Wannstedt.

Let's not even go there.