Pitt Selects Committee to Choose Head Football Coach; Bradley Still in Front

The column I wrote yesterday, "Tom Bradley inches closer..."  is still the gist of what's happening now as Pitt searches for its third head football coach in the past 30 days.

There is, however, one verified piece of information from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The head coach will be determined by a senior committee at Pitt led by Steve Pederson and includes Jerry Cochran, a long-time heavy hitter in the upper Pitt administration who serves as chief legal counsel for the university, Donna Sanft, associate athletic director who deals primarily with women's athletics, and some other members of the senior staff.

Pitt chancellor Mark Nordenberg has the final word. 

Paul Zeise, Pitt's football beat reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, has reported that the general consensus around Pitt is Tom Bradley, Penn State's defensive coordinator and de facto head coach, is the new coach, but there is still time for Sal Sunsersi, former Pitt associate head coach and current Alabama defensive coordinator, or Todd Graham, Tulsa head coach, to win the job (Red Shirt Diaries, post-gazette.com, Jan. 6, 2011).

A new name under consideration is Mario Cristobal, current head coach at Florida International University.

Cristol's base salary with the FIU Panthers is around $300,000. Even a low ball Pitt offer would be an upgrade.

Todd Graham was a top choice of Pederson's in the last search (before or after Al Golden?) but he and Pederson could not come to agreement on salary.

Chancellor Nordenberg let it be known that this time the university would find the funds it needs to hire a quality head coach, or at least one who will not end up in jail two weeks after being hired.

 With an endowment of $1.87 billion, Pitt can certainly find the funds it needs to pay its first choice.

Hovering over the coaching discussions in a good way is the reputation of Tom Bradley. Fans and alumni generally agree he is the guy who will out-recruit any rival candidates and will earn an abundance of good will for the Pitt program.  Depending on his choice coordinators, Bradley has as good a chance as any to lead Pitt to Big East titles and BCS bowl births.

Last night WTAE, Pittsburgh local television, ran a story that Bradley had already been named head coach. Their proof? Several text messages Bradley had allegedly sent to several Penn State players.

"Two Penn State players said Wednesday night they have been text-messaged by Tom Bradley..he has been offered Pittsburgh job....and will accept..."

Bradley is under orders from the Pitt administration to avoid the press, as all of the candidates to replace Mike Haywood are. It would be totally out of character for Bradley to violate that edict by text-messaging. 

Quickly after going public with the story, WTAE retracted it.

Contrary to what had been reported this week, Pederson is not M.I.A. He was in Atlanta yesterday, possibly to meet with Parker, the search firm that botched the Haywood job. Today Pederson is participating in a meeting of Pitt's senior leadership.

He might be M.I.A. soon if several prominent alums have their way.

One alum went so far as to ask for student assistance in dumping Pederson through his plea in the student daily newspaper, The Pitt News. Today Paul Helsel wrote:

“I’m not a multimillion-dollar donor, but I’ve given the University a lot of money in my years with no strings attached, and I don’t know if that will continue,” Helsel said. “I’ve been in touch with some of the biggest names in Pitt football history, and there is serious concern" (Pitt News, Jan. 6, 2011).

Yesterday, Helsel made his goal crystal clear in the student newspaper:

"I am making an appeal to the Student body to become very active, and resist the temptation of 'apathy'; and to also form a group to 'oust' Steve Pederson. We are in need of your generation to take up the '“gauntlet', and get the Athletic Dept on a more positive ground. Please respond to my request, as there are good meaning 'ALUMS' who want the bets for Pitt, not seeking a vendetta!" (Pitt News, Jan. 5, 2011).

In fact the newspaper's banner headline today reads, "Donors threaten to leave if Pederson stays."

Bill Fralic, Pitt All-American, Outland Trophy winner, former Atlanta Falcon, and currently Pitt's game-day radio announcer, also stated Pederson no longer deserves to keep his job.