Dave Wannstedt is out as Pittsburgh football coach following a disappointing season in which the Panthers were big favorites to win a weak Big East Conference, only to finish 7-5 and qualify for a minor bowl.
Pitt called a news conference to announce that the former Bears and Dolphins coach was stepping down, under pressure from athletic director Steve Pederson. Wannstedt, highly respected by Pitt's administration, will continue to work for the athletic department, serving as special assistant to the athletic director.Pitt apparently chose to change coaches now, rather than after the Jan. 8 Compass Bowl in Birmingham, Ala., because most top candidates would have been hired by then. Also, the national letter-of-intent signing day would be less than a month away.
"The past six years have been among the most gratifying of my entire career," Wannstedt said in a statement. "To be the head coach at my university was the realization of a lifelong dream. It has been an honor and privilege to serve Pitt and its football program."
Wannstedt's tenure was marked by upset losses to teams such as Ohio University and Bowling Green and a failure to play in a BCS bowl -- something the Panthers did under lame-duck coach Walt Harris before Wannstedt took over in 2005. Wannstedt went 42-31 in six seasons.
The Panthers didn't have a winning record during Wannstedt's first three seasons, then failed to meet expectations even while going 9-4 in 2008 and 10-3 in 2009. Last-minute losses to West Virginia and Cincinnati to end the 2009 regular season cost Pitt the Big East title and a BCS berth after the Panthers moved into the AP Top 10.
This season was marred by the arrest of four players in a short span of time. The Panthers also blew a two-game lead in the Big East race, losing at Connecticut before an embarrassing 35-10 defeat at home to West Virginia that may have convinced Pederson a change was needed.
Pederson, who returned to Pitt in 2007 after first serving in the job from 1996-2002, also was concerned about the numerous no-shows at Heinz Field. The announced attendance often was far lower than the actual attendance, and the Panthers had few sellouts under Wannstedt.
This will be Pederson's first national coaching search since his failed hiring of Bill Callahan at Nebraska in 2004. Callahan and Pederson were fired weeks apart in 2007, with Pederson returning to Pitt shortly after that. Wannstedt was hired in late 2004 by former Pitt AD Jeff Long, who is now at Arkansas.
Pitt's highlight moment under Wannstedt's tenure was a 13-9 upset victory in 2007 at West Virginia, a 28-point favorite that needed to win to qualify for the national championship game. After Wannstedt used that victory to accelerate recruiting, the Panthers began the following season by losing to Bowling Green, a three-touchdown underdog.
Wannstedt, a former Panthers player, tried to return Pitt to its roots by emphasizing local recruiting. Wannstedt succeeded in doing that, but with decidedly mixed results since the area turns out far fewer impact players than it did during the 1960s and 1970s, when Tony Dorsett, Dan Marino and Bill Fralic all came from the region.
The top Pittsburgh-area high school player during Wannstedt's tenure, Terrelle Pryor, never seriously considered Pitt before signing with Ohio State.
Offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. is expected to be Pitt's interim coach for the bowl.
Pitt called a news conference to announce that the former Bears and Dolphins coach was stepping down, under pressure from athletic director Steve Pederson. Wannstedt, highly respected by Pitt's administration, will continue to work for the athletic department, serving as special assistant to the athletic director.Pitt apparently chose to change coaches now, rather than after the Jan. 8 Compass Bowl in Birmingham, Ala., because most top candidates would have been hired by then. Also, the national letter-of-intent signing day would be less than a month away.
"The past six years have been among the most gratifying of my entire career," Wannstedt said in a statement. "To be the head coach at my university was the realization of a lifelong dream. It has been an honor and privilege to serve Pitt and its football program."
Wannstedt's tenure was marked by upset losses to teams such as Ohio University and Bowling Green and a failure to play in a BCS bowl -- something the Panthers did under lame-duck coach Walt Harris before Wannstedt took over in 2005. Wannstedt went 42-31 in six seasons.
The Panthers didn't have a winning record during Wannstedt's first three seasons, then failed to meet expectations even while going 9-4 in 2008 and 10-3 in 2009. Last-minute losses to West Virginia and Cincinnati to end the 2009 regular season cost Pitt the Big East title and a BCS berth after the Panthers moved into the AP Top 10.
This season was marred by the arrest of four players in a short span of time. The Panthers also blew a two-game lead in the Big East race, losing at Connecticut before an embarrassing 35-10 defeat at home to West Virginia that may have convinced Pederson a change was needed.
Pederson, who returned to Pitt in 2007 after first serving in the job from 1996-2002, also was concerned about the numerous no-shows at Heinz Field. The announced attendance often was far lower than the actual attendance, and the Panthers had few sellouts under Wannstedt.
This will be Pederson's first national coaching search since his failed hiring of Bill Callahan at Nebraska in 2004. Callahan and Pederson were fired weeks apart in 2007, with Pederson returning to Pitt shortly after that. Wannstedt was hired in late 2004 by former Pitt AD Jeff Long, who is now at Arkansas.
Pitt's highlight moment under Wannstedt's tenure was a 13-9 upset victory in 2007 at West Virginia, a 28-point favorite that needed to win to qualify for the national championship game. After Wannstedt used that victory to accelerate recruiting, the Panthers began the following season by losing to Bowling Green, a three-touchdown underdog.
Wannstedt, a former Panthers player, tried to return Pitt to its roots by emphasizing local recruiting. Wannstedt succeeded in doing that, but with decidedly mixed results since the area turns out far fewer impact players than it did during the 1960s and 1970s, when Tony Dorsett, Dan Marino and Bill Fralic all came from the region.
The top Pittsburgh-area high school player during Wannstedt's tenure, Terrelle Pryor, never seriously considered Pitt before signing with Ohio State.
Offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. is expected to be Pitt's interim coach for the bowl.
