Some call him a genius. Others call him obtuse.
Some call him an innovator. Others call him predictable.
Some call him affable. Others call him a dictator.
And so it goes with Walt Harris, the enigmatic Pitt coach who has more identities than Secret Agent 007.
The question is: Who truly understands this 58-year-old coaching veteran⢠You'd probably need Dr. Phil to provide an answer to the eight-year riddle that is Walt Harris.
What we do know about Harris is that he likely won't be the coach of the Pitt football team after this season, despite having two years remaining on his contract. He has fallen out of favor with Pitt administrators, along with a portion of fans and boosters, prompting him to interview for the Stanford job two days ago.
He is considered the leading candidate for the Stanford position and could land an offer in the next 24 hours.
Norm Chow, the offensive coordinator at Southern Cal, is the other candidate in Stanford's search to replace the fired Buddy Teevens, who posted three consecutive losing seasons. Stanford would like to have a new coach in place as soon as today or Monday.
In eight seasons at Pitt, Harris has gone through ups, downs and all-arounds. He's won big games. He's lost big games. He's said the right things. He's said the wrong things. Some love him. Some hate him.
Because he's endured such highs and lows -- not to mention equal parts criticism and accolades -- the irony is not lost in the fact that Harris, who is enjoying his greatest season at Pitt, is likely on his way out the door.
He has guided the Panthers to an 8-3 regular-season record, a No. 19 national ranking, a trip to the lucrative Fiesta Bowl on New Year's night vs. unbeaten Utah and a share of the Big East title. He was named the conference's Coach of the Year, beating out Rich Rodriguez of West Virginia and Tom O'Brien of Boston College, and rallied his team to six wins in seven games after a shaky 2-2 start.
Pretty impressive stuff, right?
Maybe so, but despite this turnaround season and a fifth consecutive trip to a bowl game, Harris' days at Pitt appear to be numbered. Talk-show callers and message-board posters are already tossing out names for the next coach at Pitt.
How could this happen?
Why is it that Harris, who has a 52-43 record and brought respectability back to Pitt, appears to be on his way out the door?
It is a loaded question, and one that more and more folks are asking now that his Panthers are playing in a bowl game that will bring added revenue into the athletic department's coffers.
The answer, by those who oppose Harris, is that he should be judged by his entire body of work, not one season. They talk about the dalliances with Alabama and Ohio State not long after a contract extension was in place in 2000. They point to the 1-5 start in 2001 when Harris failed in an attempt to implement the no-huddle, spread offense. They cite the "Swinging gate" of 2002 -- in which two poorly executed extra-point attempts contributed to a two-point loss to Texas A&M -- and to the fact that Heisman runner-up Larry Fitzgerald was not on the field for four plays at the goal line in the 2003 Continental Bowl loss to Virginia.
Early this season, Harris was attacked mercilessly for instructing quarterback Tyler Palko to slide to set up a field goal instead of taking a shot at the end zone in a loss at Connecticut. Moreover, Panthers supporters -- and administrators -- have taken umbrage with a number of comments coming out of the Harris camp over the past year.
The two biggies are these: Harris said his summer football camps, which are designed to lure recruits, not only can't compete with top-level programs, but they attract mid-level players, essentially taking an unintended swipe at all the players who were participating in his camps. Then, in October, his agent publicly questioned the expectations of the program, saying Pitt administrators were delusional in thinking Pitt could restore its glory of the late '70s and 80s. He said it was a mid-level program and he also challenged the administration to either give Harris an extension or let him go.
Athletic director Jeff Long has made it no secret that agent Bob LaMonte's words were counterproductive.
Good situation or good coach?
Despite all of this static, Harris has put together five consecutive winning seasons after taking over a program that was a train wreck in 1996. Some tip their caps to Harris for the turnaround, while others say he had the benefit of state-of-the art facilities since 2000 and a home field that is about as good as it gets.
Harris has improved the recruiting effort during his tenure -- see: Rod Rutherford, Shawntae Spencer, Torrie Cox, Josh Lay, Tyler Palko, Larry Fitzgerald, Antonio Bryant, Greg Lee, Rob Petitti, Darrelle Revis -- but some believe he missed the boat on too many locals --- see: Steve Breaston, Ryan Mundy, Anthony Morelli, Andrew Johnson, Tyler Reed and Scott McClintock.
There is also the issue of producing top-level offensive linemen. Only one Pitt offensive lineman has been drafted during the Harris era. That player, Bryan Anderson, was taken in the final round of the 2002 draft. Harris has always said that the road to the national championship begins up front, but he has not landed -- or groomed -- enough quality linemen on either side of the ball.
There were discussions between Harris and athletic department officials about shaking up his staff before this season, but his loyalty won out. Some admire him for that characteristic, while others believe it is a fault.
Some believe Harris would have been fired after losing five games in 2003, particularly because it was the most talented Pitt team in 15 years. But he had two saving graces. One was a then-strong incoming recruiting class -- four key players, including local stars Antonny Morelli and Andrew Johnson, would eventually renege after the Big East was ravaged by the ACC. The other was the newness of AD Long, who had only been on the job for a couple months.
It could be worse (much worse)
Former athletic director Steve Pederson was just two months into his job at Pitt when he sought a replacement for Johnny Majors, whose second stint at Pitt (which produced a 12-32 record) was nowhere close to his first stint (which produced a national title in 1976).
According to reports, former Pitt quarterback Matt Cavanaugh (the offensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens) and Mark Richt (the coach of a highly successful Georgia program) were courted heavily for the job before ultimately bowing out. Pederson then turned his attention to Harris, a highly regarded offensive mind at Ohio State and the tutor of many great quarterbacks and wide receivers.
Pederson hired Harris nearly eight years ago to this day -- Dec. 16, 1996 -- and a new era at Pitt was about to begin. Harris quickly rolled up his sleeves and tried to clean up a program that was so bad that some were calling for the Panthers to drop out of Division I-A.
Consider this: The year before Harris arrived, Pitt was annihilated by Ohio State, 72-0, Miami, 45-0, West Virginia, 34-0, Notre Dame, 60-6, and Syracuse, 55-7. Can you say Temple⢠Yes, Pitt was a laughingstock in the east, much the way Temple is today. That should put things in proper perspective.
Instant results
Somehow, Harris found a way to energize the program in his first season, leading a large group of holdover seniors to a 6-5 regular-season record, including upsets of Miami on a Thursday night and WVU in the regular-season finale. Pitt landed a berth in a bowl game (the Liberty) for the first time since 1989.
Harris' magic touch with quarterbacks became crystal clear when he developed Pete Gonzalez, who had a non-descript career to that point, into one of the top passers in the nation. Harris earned Big East Coach of the Year honors and Gonzalez set a league record for 30 TD passes in a season.
Harris and the Panthers struggled when Gonzalez and his senior class departed -- they went a combined 7-15 the next two years -- but Pitt is 39-22 since the 2000 season and on its best sustained run in two decades.
Since 2000, Harris has produced two Biletnikoff Award winners in wide receivers Fitzgerald and Bryant, two high-level quarterbacks in Rutherford and Palko, been named the American Football Coaches Association Region I (Big East and ACC) Coach of the Year, along with being named the Big East Coach of the Year earlier this month.
Pitt has come a long way
This is where things get a little tricky, because Harris' credentials since 2000 (in addition to that '97 season) are impressive. It's true that he has not beaten a team that finished a season in the top 15. And it's also true that a good portion of those wins came against Mid-American Conference schools and Big East lightweights Temple and Rutgers. Of the 39 wins since 2000, 17 have been at the expense of Temple, Rutgers and MAC schools.
Still, when you think about where Pitt came from, every win should have some meaning. It also should be noted that Harris-led teams beat highly regarded Virginia Tech teams three consecutive years (2001-03), hammered a solid Oregon State squad in the 2002 Insight Bowl and defeated three teams this season that are or were ranked in Boston College, Notre Dame and West Virginia.
Harris has led Pitt to 31 victories in the past 42 games, for a winning percentage of .738. Not bad for an underappreciated coach, who has turned Palko into a Heisman Trophy candidate for the 2005 season. Palko, by the way, has publicly called on Pitt administrators to keep Harris.
Now what?
If Harris leaves on his own volition or his fired, his legacy will be strong once all the dust settles. There is no denying he revitalized a program on life support. And if you'd have asked most Pitt fans after that Ohio State debacle in 1996 if they would be happy with 8- and 9-win seasons, they almost assuredly would have said yes.
As it is, Harris has raised the bar -- maybe too high.
Perhaps a change will do the program good. Maybe a new man will come in and take Pitt to the "level" that so many followers are pining for. And maybe that next coach will be more charismatic in front of the media and recruits.
Or, maybe - just maybe -- the words of Harris' agent will haunt the Panther Nation for a long, long time.
"They want Walt gone because they think they can do better," Bob LaMonte said back in October. "Let me just say this on that topic: 'Be careful what you wish for.'"
| Harris through the years |
1996 -- Harris is hired to replace Johnny Majors on Dec. 16, after Matt Cavanaugh and Mark Richt reportedly remove themselves from consideration. Harris was an established quarterback coach and offensive whiz during stops at Tennessee, Ohio State and the NFL's New York Jets, among others. Pitt lured him from OSU.
1997 -- In his first season, leads Panthers (who had lost by an average of 50 points to five opponents in '96) to a shocking 6-5 regular-season record and first bowl game since 1989. QB Pete Gonzalez, whom Harris talked into coming back for a fifth year, throws the most TD passes in a season in Big East Conference history.
1998 -- Due to major graduation losses, Panthers struggle to a 2-9 record. They play a tough Penn State team close before dropping a 20-13 decision. Recruits take notice of Harris' program, and he starts to get commitments from some top local prospects.
1999 -- In February, a recruiting class led by PA's top player, Rod Rutherford, becomes the bedrock of the program for the next five years. The Panthers miss out on a bowl bid with a season-ending blowout loss at West Virginia, but they defeat Notre Dame, 37-27, in the final game played at Pitt Stadium.
2000 -- In March, Pederson gives Harris a contract extension that runs through the 2006 season. In August, the Panthers move out of Pitt Stadium and into their state-of-the-art practice facility on the South Side. They open the season with 5-1 record, with a benchmark win over rival Penn State in the final scheduled game of the series, then hold on to post a 7-4 mark, the best at Pitt in 11 years. They earn a berth to the Insight.com Bowl. In December, Antonio Bryant wins the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver. Also in December, Alabama courts Harris before Harris ultimately holds a press conference to say he's remaining at Pitt, just hours after Alabama hires Dennis Franchione. Houston Texans GM Charley Casserly also visits the South Side with reported interest in Harris for the expansion Texans job.
2001 -- In January, Harris' name is linked to the Ohio State opening. Harris does not comment for a week, which does not sit well with AD Steve Pederson. Their relationship becomes strained. The Ohio State job ultimately goes to Jim Tressel. The Panthers enter the season with high expectations, but start out at 1-5 due in large part to Harris' decision to implement the no-huddle, spread offense. After a 45-7 loss to BC, Harris gives his team an ultimatum to either leave or re-commit to the program. Pederson, at this point, considers a coaching change, but Pitt wins six in a row, including the Tangerine Bowl. In December, Bryant and safety Ramon Walker decide to turn pro a year early.
2002 -- A signature moment occurred in Week 2, when the "swinging gate" formation on extra points results in back-to-back penalties after Pitt scores a TD to make it 14-6 against Texas A&M. A third extra point attempt fails and it becomes costly in a 14-12 loss. Harris is criticized heavily for not having his players in sync. The Panthers go on to win seven of their next eight, including an overtime win over a BC team that smoked them a year earlier. Freshman WR Larry Fitzgerald led a comeback win over then-No. 3 Virginia Tech with three TDs and emerged on the national scene. The Panthers lost a close game at Miami in the waning seconds and went on to pummel a very good Oregon State team in the Insight Bowl. In December, Pederson leaves for Nebraska, but before he does, he tells the team, "Your goal should be nothing short of the national championship (in 2003)."
2003 -- In April, a report surfaces that the Atlantic Coast Conference is about to lure teams from the Big East. Ultimately, Virginia Tech and Miami agree to make the switch after the 2003 season and BC agrees to do the same after 2004. This affected the Panthers in recruiting and fueled the de-commits of four top recruits, including QB Anthony Morelli of Penn Hills and RB Andrew Johnson of North Hills. In June, WR Billy Gaines dies tragically in a fall through a false ceiling at a Homestead church. The team opens the season as a consensus top-15 program, but falls to Toledo in Week 3. That game defined a season of underachievement. The Panthers still had a chance for a BCS berth in the regular-season finale, but got dominated by Miami. The defense was awful the entire year and the Panthers finished 8-5, losing in the Continetnal Tire Bowl. Fitzgerald received the most votes ever for a sophomore in Heisman Trophy balloting and finished as the runner-up to Oklahoma QB Jason White. Fitzgerald won the Walter Camp, given to the nation's best player, and Biletnikoff Awards.
2004 -- In February, four recruits renege and put a damper on signing day. Harris spends much of his press conference talking about the players he didn't get. The team started out with a 2-2 record and Harris was criticized for his "slide" call in a loss at UConn. But the Panthers have won six of their final seven games and are currently ranked No. 19. At 8-3, they will play in the lucrative Fiesta Bowl vs. Utah on New Year's night. QB Tyler Palko has emerged as a bona fide star and will receive Heisman Trophy consideration in 2005. Two days ago, Harris interviewed for the Stanford job and his tenure at Pitt could be over.
