Pitt Coaching Candidates: Will immediate expectations be too high with the next Pitt coaching hire?

Yesterday, Pat Forde mentioned that Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi could be Pitt's next head coach. With a lot of speculation that a coaching hire could happen soon (even as early as today), Pitt fans are readying themselves for the next guy to come in and lead the program.  The potential hire of Narduzzi is gaining steam over the last 24 hours, and whether that happens or not, one question has been on my mind: Are Pitt fans expecting too much too soon?

It's easy to look at next season and expect a big year. Narduzzi has a strong background and many years as a coordinator. When you throw in the fact that stars James Conner and Tyler Boyd are dynamic players on offense, expectations could be high.

Everyone wants to win as soon as possible, but this simply isn't an elite program right now. Can it be? As Johnny Majors and Bill Fralic recently said, yes. These two are surely biased, but there is a lot of truth in their statements. Pitt does have the capacity to be among the elite, but the right hire has to be made and that is where Pitt fans seem to split.

There is one group that seems fine with a hire like Narduzzi, or other rumored candidate, Doc Holliday. Then, there's another side that believes anything less than a Nick Saban type hire is a failure, and that is unfair. If there is a match that works out and someone like Dan Mullen has an obsession with the Pitt job (and Pitt can afford him), that's awesome. But while there are reports out there about Pitt putting more money into the program, bringing in a big name just doesn't seem all that likely.

There's a lot to like about a Narduzzi hire and I feel like if they put the money needed behind him and his staff, good things can happen. However, when Football Scoop continues to say things like Pitt is "going big" it raises expectations. Unfortunately, for half of the fan base, if Narduzzi is hired, they will demand excellence from the get go and that's not exactly fair to him.

Ben Howland and Jamie Dixon proved to be good hires and it'd be nice to see the football program have that kind of success in finding a coach as well. But even if Narduzzi is the right guy, he should be given time to get the program to the next level.

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