Coach's Q&A: Dave Wannstedt

Pitt's coach talks NFL, low expectations, and that mustache

June 27, 2007

By Steve Brauntuch

Special to CSTV.com

	Steve Brauntuch Steve Brauntuch is a researcher for CSTV and contributor to CSTV.com. E-mail here!

        ---   Column Archive   --- COACHES Q&A 8/22: Frank Solich 8/15: Sean Miller 8/08: Jerry Moore 8/01: Jeff Capel 7/25: Tim Floyd 7/18: Sylvester Croom 7/11: Paul Johnson 7/3: Kelvin Sampson 6/27: Dave Wannstedt 6/20: Chris Lowery 6/13: Chris Petersen 6/6: Reggie Theus 5/28: Wayne Graham 5/23: Rich Brooks 5/16: A Volunteer Family 5/9: Rich Rodriguez 5/2: Tommy Amaker 4/25: Tim Corbin 4/18: John Beilein option value="javascript:void(0);"> SOCCER 8/23: Short Commute, Big Jump

Last year, Dave Wannstedt was in his second season manning the sidelines for his alma mater, and Pittsburgh was on the verge of making an enormous leap.  The Panthers had not contended for a national title in two decades, but they had started the season 6-1 and were in prime position to win the Big East title.  Then, the injury bug bit the Panthers at the wrong time, and they dropped their final five games, missing the postseason.

Still, Wannstedt believes his squad made great progress in the 2006 campaign.  And with the top recruiting class in the Big East, the Panthers are one of this year's biggest sleepers entering the season.  Wannstedt spoke about low expectations for his squad, his NFL history and his Steeltown mustache.

SB: Your team got off to a really fast start last season, but you struggled down the stretch and lost your last five games.  What do you think was the biggest difference between the first and second half of last season for you?

DW: Well, it was two things really.  It's pretty clear to me.  The first thing was we lost our two starting defensive ends and a starting offensive guard, and we were forced to put true freshmen into the lineup.  So we ended up playing two true freshmen on the defensive line and two freshmen on the offensive line.  And in the last five games of the season, we had one sack from our defensive line as compared to 20-some in the first half of the season.  So the inability to get a player hurt, which is going to happen every year... the problem is rather than putting in a redshirt sophomore or junior or senior, we were forced to put in freshmen because of lack of depth, and that was a problem.  The second part of the answer is that the teams we played down the stretch were not only some of the better teams in our conference, they were a couple of the better teams in the whole country.  We played Louisville, West Virginia and Rutgers, and then South Florida, who ended up beating West Virginia.  So we played some really good football teams, and we were in those games.  We were ahead of West Virginia at the half.  We were tied or in a four-point game with Louisville and Rutgers.  And down the stretch we got worn down and weren't physical enough to hold off the offense.

SB: As you enter the new season, are you worried about any carryover from last season's struggles down the stretch?

DW: No, not at all.  We've had a very good offseason.  You know, we're such a young team - I think we only had six seniors starting for us total last season.  We'll probably have five this year.  We're a sophomore/junior team, and we've made some changes on the staff.  And we made a change in the weight room.  I think one of the lessons that I learned since I've come back the last two years is that the difference in the amount of time spent with players as a coach compared to the amount of time that your strength and conditioning coach spends with them is probably threefold.  So we made some change in that area, which I believe will be a positive force and give us a little bit of a different edge for the future.

SB: You also have some major holes to replace among your seniors as well, with the losses of Tyler Palko and H.B. Blades.  But Tom Lemming says you have the best incoming class in the Big East.  Are you expecting some of your freshmen to step in and play right away this year?

DW: Oh I think LeSean McCoy has to make an impact on our team, the running back.  I think that Tommie Duhart, the top defensive lineman, may make an impact.  And then the rest of the team may get a little bit of special teams work.  But when you look at our team, the only guy we lose of major contribution on offense is Tyler Palko, and that's a big position to fill.  But the offensive line is basically all back, all of our receivers are back, all of our [running] backs are back, and all of our tight ends are back except for Steve Buches, who was an alternate starter.  And then on defense, we lost some linebackers.  But our two deep across the board on our defensive line is all back, and two of our four secondary guys are back.  You know, I like our position right now.  Nobody's talking about us, and that's good - they shouldn't be.  But we may be better than what some people think.

SB: Do you think you've gotten a free pass from some of the fans in Pittsburgh because of your history there?  Do you think the press takes it easier on you in some cases?

DW: You know what, no.  I would say no.  I think they know that they haven't recruited as well as we've recruited probably in 25 or 30 years here.  We've had two great classes.  We've been in the top 10, top 15 each year.  And the coaching part speaks for itself.  I've got a really qualified, great coaching staff.  Our guys have a lot of experience at the college and the NFL level.  And I think the fans are kind of realistic.  I think they're seeing what the other teams in the conference are doing - not just in the conference, but nationally - and they know that we have a lot of work to do.  I think they're knowledgeable and understand that we're doing things the right way and we're making progress.  It never happens as fast as anybody would like, but sometimes that's not all bad either.  So as long as we keep moving in the right direction, that's the bottom line really.

SB: What do you think is the biggest difference in the college game between the time you played at Pittsburgh in the 1970s and today?

DW: I would say the amount of time, the limited amount of time has changed.  There are so many more restrictions today as far as practice times, meetings times, recruiting times.  That would be the number one thing that would jump out at me.  As far as the football part, there's nothing different.  It's still blocking and tackling.  It doesn't matter what kind of offense you run, it still comes down to blocking and tackling.

SB: What do you think is the biggest difference between coaching in college football and coaching in the NFL?

DW: The biggest thing is I'm enjoying the college experience because of the kids.  You know, you get an 18-year-old kid, I don't care what position he plays or where he came from, you're going to have an influence on his football career and his life.  And I like that.  I think in the NFL, the players are better, but most of the time you're coaching veteran players.  By the time they're 26, 27, 30 years old, there's not the personal side that there is at the college level.

SB: You could easily have stayed in the NFL as a coordinator or even a head coach instead of taking the Pittsburgh job.  What made you decide you wanted to go back to the college game after being away from it for a really long time?

DW: Well, the number one thing is, I was at Pitt when we won our last national championship.  I was on the coaching staff, and I've always believed with our tradition and history that if we get the players that this could be a top job.  And it was a top 10 job back then.  And I've always kind of in the back of my mind wanted to come back here and do this.  I enjoy living in the city.  I've got a lot of Harrisburg friends here, I've got my family here, I've got all my college buddies here.  So I've really enjoyed the whole process.  And to be quite honest with you, I'm not really doing this because I want to do it.  And my motivation... I'm not motivated to get to the NFL.  I'm not motivated to get another college job or financial salary.  I'm doing this to make a difference at my school and that's a neat thing to be able to do.  As long as I feel we're making progress and headed forward, I'll continue to do it.

SB: So you don't have your sights set on returning to the NFL at all?

DW: No.  I have my sights set on bringing Pitt back to the top of the Big East and doing this for about 10 years and then calling it a career.

SB: So what is the biggest difference between the lifestyle of a college and an NFL head coach?

DW: I'll tell you what, if you think you're working fewer hours in college than you do in the NFL, you're nuts.  I'm getting up at the same time.  I'm going to bed the same time.  There's a real difference in traveling in the college game because of recruiting, but as far as days worked, hours worked, there's no difference.  And that energizes me, to be honest with you.

SB: When did you decide you were going to adopt the mustache as your signature look?

DW: Well, I always thought the Charles Bronson look was the way to go, and I didn't realize it would take off.  The biggest problem I have is that I don't have much skill with a razor in my hand.  I've butchered that thing up more times than not.  I had never really given it any thought until someone told me I was on the 10 most viewed mustaches on some Internet service, up there with Charles Bronson and Tom Selleck and myself.  So it's crazy.  I've been at games in stadiums with students who have pictures drawn up, and that's all they talk about.  It's hilarious.  I don't plan on shaving it off, that's for sure.

SB: So is your mustache the source of all your power?

DW: I don't know.  You'd have to ask my wife.