published in category: Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, March 29th, 2016 – 4:01 pm
Right now the Penguins are in a tenuous position that could end with them finishing as high as second place in the Metropolitan Division, or as low as out of a playoff spot. The latter is probably the more unlikely of the two, and the general consensus is they will probably fall somewhere in between.
Mix in the expected return of Brian Dumoulin, Evgeni Malkin and Scott Wilson from injury, and you have even more fun scenarios to play with.
But head coach Mike Sullivan doesn’t appear worried about that right now, and nor should he be.
The Pens haven’t put together a record of 30-15-5 since Sullivan took over as head coach by wondering what could be if certain things fall into place down the road. They did it because Sullivan is only concerned about the here and now.
Sullivan has mastered the skill of making the most of what he has, despite injuries, lackluster performances on certain nights and multiple disappearing acts from certain players that you could almost set your watch to. But what makes it compelling isn’t how he has limited these circumstances; it’s how he has gotten the team to respond to them.
The captain isn’t playing to his capabilities? Remind him how good he is when he does all the little things and displays the relentless motor he’s known for and watch Sidney Crosby play leap frog with the league scoring leaders every night.
The Norris Trophy caliber defenseman is letting emotions get the better of him and take him out of his game? Have a private chat with him about controlling those emotions and witness Kris Letang help to carry the team offensively and set the tone for a season-saving turnaround.
The star right winger with a reputation for taking nights off and general laziness isn’t pulling his weight? Mention how much of an asset he is when he’s going full-steam and behold Phil Kessel recording multiple points in four of his last nine games, all while (gasp) playing defense?!
One would create a strong argument on either side in crediting the coach or the players for driving this three-month surge. But what tips the scales is Sullivan’s ability to reach the players with not only what he needs them to do collectively, but helping them realize how they can still improve individually. That alone puts him in a separate category from his predecessor, Mike Johnston, and even from the latter days of Dan Bylsma’s tenure.
Sullivan’s focus on game-to-game urgency and his slightly passive-agressive method of positive reinforcement has helped transform a team that formerly languished against division opponents into one that out-skated the New York Rangers, strangled the Philadelphia Flyers and suppressed the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Washington Capitals into complete frustration; all within the last two weeks.
With five of their seven games remaining against teams currently in the playoff race, there’s no time to ease up. They learned that the hard way when the New Jersey Devils shut them out, 3-0, on March 24, one of only two losses in the last ten games.
There’s also no time to answer all the questions looming down the road…
What happens to the second line when Malkin comes back? It doesn’t matter.
Can the power play be fixed before the playoffs? Not important.
Which is the best matchup for them in the first round of the playoffs? Objection, Your Honor. Irrelevant.
For this team and this coach, the only focus should be on the here and now.
published in category: College Sports on Tuesday, March 29th, 2016 – 9:42 am
Before Kevin Stallings’ introductory press conference on the Petersen Event Center floor, Roc (The Pitt Panther Mascot) tried climbing on a chair to clown around with a media member.
He fell flat on his ass.
This symbolism cannot be ignored.
It was that kind of event for Pitt. They tried to stage a party to celebrate a new basketball coach most of its fans don’t really want to celebrate. They did it in front of a media corp that largely doubts the best possible hire was made, and is skeptical of how the process played out.
And the school let it unfold in front of players who (according to alumnus Tray Woodall) prefered assistant Brand Knight. One of those players seated in fold out chairs, Sheldon Jeter, was initially blocked from coming here by the new coach while they were both still at Vanderbilt.
But there they sat, along with the band. The Cheerleaders. Every athletic official under the sun. And people that appeared to be donors or general university muckety-mucks.
And oh yeah, the new coach’s family. I felt sorry for them. And him. Because this is what happens when you try to mix a pep rally with a press conference featuring reporters who want answers: Awkwardness. Tension. And a general lack of pep.
Imagine attending the homecoming parade with 30 members of the student body asking why Tommy & Tammy got elected king & queen when Jimmy & Jane are clearly so much more of a cute couple. All this while their parents and the homecoming court looks on shifting in their shoes.
That’s what it felt like. But Jamie Dixon got a big party at TCU. So if Pitt didn’t roll out equal pomp and circumstance, it’d come off that they got the lesser of this swap, right? So, you know, optics n’at.
Well, if “the look” is what the Panther brass was going for…they missed. Any attempt to create a jubilant scene was gone before the echo of the final note from the fight song stopped in the rafters of the Pete. Any hope that the presence of all those friends and family members would mollify inquiries from the media was eliminated when the first questioner asked athletic director Scott Barnes to “come clean” about the decision to use a search firm to hire Stallings. And the second questioner probed with pointed follow ups on the now infamous Jeter-transfer block (with Jeter a sitting just a long chest pass away).
It didn’t get any easier from there. To paraphrase many of the next few questions:
“You say you want to run an up tempo offense. But the adjusted tempo statistics rank in the 200’s and 300’s…..”
“Last I checked, you could’ve made the Final four at Vanderbilt too. Why did you decided to come to Pitt now after 17 years of trying there. Were you told you’d return at Vandy or no?”
“Scott, you had a coach here that had a lot of success in the ACC. He had a better resume than the guy you are bringing in who came from a lesser league. What makes you think after talking to him that he will have success?”
“ESPN reported that Pitt was spurned by a number of candidates, was that accurate?”
“Do Brandin Knight and the rest of the assistants have a role going forward?”
“What are you going to do about recruits. You’ve already had two kids re-open their process?”
Not exactly cream puffs. Those questions were handled with various degrees of candor. Sometimes evasive. Sometime back tracking. Other times frank. At least both men handled themselves with poise.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say Barnes and Stallings “won the press conference”, as the cliche goes. But that’s only because it was lost before they were given a chance to speak. Maybe that is Barnes’ own fault for giving a green light to the dog and pony show.
The concerning part is how tone deaf the athletic department appears to be throughout this hire. Don’t create a party atmosphere and invite 30 people who don’t think they are attending a party. Don’t let Jamie Dixon walk out the door, just so you can replace him for a slightly lesser copy of Jamie Dixon. Don’t preach about giving the fans what they want, then just give them who the search firm tells you to hire.
Eventually Roc got off of his ass and dusted himself off. For the sake of the basketball program, I hope Stallings and Barnes can do the same.
published in category: College Sports on Monday, March 28th, 2016 – 9:31 am
Chris Peak on Pitt hiring Kevin Stallings to be their new basketball coach. Most negative reaction to a Pitt hiring that he has seen.
From Pitt PR- Kevin Stallings has been named the head coach of the University of Pittsburgh men’s basketball program as announced by Pitt Athletic Director Scott Barnes Sunday afternoon.
“Coach Stallings and I share the same vision for Pitt — playing in the Final Four,” said Barnes. “Kevin has a successful track record recruiting the ACC footprint and beyond, and is one of the best coaches in the country at building an offense around his talent. He plays a fun up-tempo style that players love and fans will enjoy. Kevin runs his program with impeccable character and has a high care factor and connection with his student-athletes. He is a Power Five conference coach whose experience and success will be immediate assets for our program.”
Stallings has compiled a 455-283 record with nine NCAA Tournament appearances over a 23-year head coaching career. He began his head coaching career at Illinois State in 1993 before taking control of the Vanderbilt program prior to the start of the 1999-00 season.
“I am extremely excited to join the University of Pittsburgh family,” said Stallings. “Pitt has a tremendous basketball tradition and I am looking forward to building on the excellent foundation that is in place on the court and in the classroom. The city of Pittsburgh is outstanding and I have a great deal of respect for the people that make it such a special place. I look forward to seeing their support along with that of the Oakland Zoo next season at the Petersen Events Center.”
A two-time SEC Coach of the Year, Stallings spent the past 17 seasons at Vanderbilt compiling eight 20+ win seasons en route to a 332-220 record overall. His teams advanced to seven NCAA Tournaments, including six in the past 10 years and three consecutive tournaments (2010, 2011, 2012) for the first time in program history. He also became the first coach to take two Vanderbilt teams (2004 and 2007) to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament since the field expanded to 64 teams. In all, Stallings coached in 12 postseason tournaments during his time at Vanderbilt with seven NCAA Tournament bids and five NIT appearances.
In 2011-12, he led Vanderbilt to the SEC Tournament Championship, marking the first time a Commodore team won the tournament in 60 years. His team reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament and concluded the season 25-11 overall.
Stallings coached three SEC Players of the Year (Dan Langhi, Derrick Byars, Shan Foster), seven NBA Draft picks, 37 All-SEC performers and 53 SEC Academic Honor Roll members during his tenure in Nashville. He also coached the top three scorers (Foster, Jeffrey Taylor and Matt Freije) in program history.
Success has followed Stallings over 38 years in the college ranks as a player at Purdue, an assistant at both Purdue and Kansas and his previous head coaching positions at Illinois State and Vanderbilt. During that time span, he has been a part of 25 seasons with 20-or-more victories and a basketball season that concluded during postseason play 30 times.
Along with the success on the court, Stallings has also witnessed his players excel in the classroom. At Vanderbilt, all 45 of his seniors either have earned or are currently working toward their college degree. While at Illinois State, five Redbirds achieved Academic All-America status; and all but two seniors earned their degree.
“The University of Pittsburgh’s tremendous reputation as an elite academic institution added to the appeal of this position,” Stallings added. “I believe we can achieve a great deal of success on the court and in the classroom, while developing complete student-athletes.”
As an assistant coach, Stallings worked with two of the nation’s most well-known and respected mentors – Gene Keady, his college coach at Purdue, and Roy Williams at Kansas.
After helping lead the Boilermakers as a player (1980-82) to three postseason tournament appearances, including a NCAA Final Four appearance in 1980, Stallings served as an assistant coach under Keady from 1983-88. On Keady’s staff, Stallings helped direct Purdue to six NCAA Tournament appearances and three Big Ten championships while tallying a 140-44 overall record.
Stallings left Purdue to join Williams’ coaching staff at Kansas in 1989. Over the next five seasons, the Jayhawks made four NCAA Tournament appearances, enjoyed two trips to the Final Four, finished as the 1991 national runner-up and accumulated a 132-38 mark during Stallings’ stay.
A 1978 graduate of Collinsville High School outside of St. Louis, Stallings played under the legendary Vergil Fletcher, who was inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2004. Stallings earned his undergraduate degree in business management and marketing at Purdue in 1982 before receiving a Master’s degree in counseling from Purdue in 1985. Stallings and his wife Lisa have three children: Jacob, Alexa and Jordyn.
Stallings is the 15th head coach in program history and takes over a team that went 21-12 overall and 9-9 in the ACC a year ago. The Panthers reached the NCAA Tournament for the 13th time in the past 15 seasons before falling to Wisconsin, 47-43, in an opening round game in St. Louis.
published in category: Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, March 24th, 2016 – 10:23 am
Steelers Beat Writers Mark Kaboly, Chris Adamski and Ralph Paulk on replacing Martavis Bryant, what impact will Ladarius Green have on the offense? Money spent on offensive line. Steelers Secondary issues and lack of depth.
S13, Ep 20: 2x PGA Tour Winner David Peoples on Q-School Pressure, The Masters & Mental Game + Scott Petersen Founder of Scott Golf on Creating Custom Clubs That Lower Scores
S13, Ep 19: Pitt Johnstown Men's Golf Head Coach Cody Trabert on College Golf Success, Player Development & Winning Team Culture + Pro Football Hall of Fame Insights & Stories with James Allen
S13,Ep 18: Rory McIlroy’s Historic Masters Win | Augusta National Insights, Amen Corner Strategy & Expert Analysis with John Patrick, Frank Nobilo, & Rob Strano
