Open Letter To Former Pitt Coach Todd Graham And Arizona State

Forget where I saw this posted, but after Graham was hired by Pitt, someone from the Tulsa area compared Graham to a dishonest used car salesman. Without knowing anything about Tulsa, I just assumed this was a sour grapes statement. I was impressed with Graham’s record with lower tier teams, and thought it was a good hire.

Guess I was dead wrong. Hope someone asks Graham about Pitt at his ASU press conference.

Well written, much better than the ‘EF YOU TODD’ I’d have written.

HAIL TO PITT!!

WE SHALL PREVAIL!!!

Alma Mater, wise and glorious,
Child of Light and Bride of Truth,
Over fate and foe victorious,
Dowered with eternal youth,
Crowned with love of son and daughter,
Thou shalt conquer as of yore,
Dear old Pittsburgh, Alma Mater,
God preserve Thee evermore!

First beyond the mountains founded,
Where the West-road opens free,
When twin rivers forest bounded,
Merge and journey toward the sea,
In the dawning of the nation
Ere the clouds of strife had cleared,
’Rose Thy rough-hewn habitation,
By our prophet fathers reared.

Close Thy mother-love embraces
All who gather at Thy knee,
Castes and classes, creeds and races,
Mother, are as one to Thee;
Thou who unto knowledge bore us,
In the good old days long gone,
Raise Thy Gold and Blue high o’er us,
Land and we will follow on.

Alma Mater, wise and glorious,
Child of Light and Bride of Truth,
Over fate and foe victorious
Dowered with eternal youth,
Crowned with love of son and daughter,
Thou shalt conquer as of yore,
Dear Old Pittsburgh, Alma Mater,
God preserve Thee evermore.

Shades of Richrod . I wonder if he will try to take recruits with him like richrod did.

Two snakes in one state.

is coming, and possibly a new AD, it’s a perfect time to return to the Pitt script helmets and uniforms of yesteryear.

Yeah, ASU’s a real powerhouse. You guys did Pitt a favor. Graham’s been living off the last 2 offensive co-ordinator’s reps. He’s a terrible game coach and blames everything on his players. The only worst pick you could have made was Jerry Sandusky.

-
“I was never really all that thrilled with your hire. But after a while, the readers (yes, I’m blaming them) reeled me in. I thought this could work.”

I know I’m spectacular, but I don’t always get everything right. With what dropped today like pigeon shit on my windshield, I have no problem saying Graham is a fraud.

Yeah, so blame me. I was wrong. But I don’t think I was wrong about the way Graham handled himself up to now. He over-hyped the program, but it was needed at the time. Do the people who think Graham lied to them really think there was no possibility that Pitt would go tits up this year? After all this time, who among us didn’t want to believe? And what, exactly, was wrong with it?

Nor do I think he “threw anybody under the bus.” Graham said nothing different than college coaches have been saying for 50 years.

Unless there’s a big raise in it, I see no way this move makes much sense for Graham. The only reason I can point to is that Graham was run out of town by the media and a large portion of the fan base. The complaints about both Tino and Graham have been way over the top since after the first game. Considering this year was the beginning of a rebuilding program, the criticism was ridiculous. No matter what Graham (or Tino) said, it was always spun in a way to make him look bad. Honestly, I thought Graham might resign about a week ago, when the assistants left. Not likely, but possible.

But Graham did what he’s always done, and it shows no class. It is again late to look for a coach. It leaves the recruiting class twisting in the wind. And what Pitt absolutely could not afford was one or two and done. That was why I didn’t want Bradley. I didn’t think we’d get it with Graham. Most coaches would have stayed the course, and it is to Graham’s discredit that he didn’t.

The sad part is that Pitt would have probably had a good team in a couple years. Now we start over. This could hurt Pitt for a long time.