Editing (section) Dave Wannstedt 0 You are not logged in. The rich text editor does not work with JavaScript switched off. Please either enable it in your browser options, or visit your preferences to switch to the old MediaWiki editor <h3 data-rte-spaces-before="1" data-rte-spaces-after="1"> University of Pittsburgh </h3> <p data-rte-fromparser="true">When University of Pittsburgh head coach <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Walt%20Harris%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Walt%20Harris%20%28coach%29%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BWalt%20Harris%20%28coach%29%7CWalt%20Harris%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" class="new" title="Walt Harris (coach) (page does not exist)" rel="nofollow" data-uncrawlable-url="L3dpa2kvV2FsdF9IYXJyaXNfKGNvYWNoKT9hY3Rpb249ZWRpdCZyZWRsaW5rPTE=">Walt Harris</a> was forced to resign, Wannstedt, with NFL experience and a proven college recruiting record, immediately became a candidate to replace him. As a Pittsburgh area native, former Pitt player (offensive tackle from 1971–73), Pitt graduate (B.S. in 1974; M.Ed. in 1976), and previous graduate assistant coach at the university under <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Johnny%20Majors%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Johnny%20Majors%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BJohnny%20Majors%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/Johnny_Majors" title="Johnny Majors">Johnny Majors</a> and <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Jackie%20Sherrill%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Jackie%20Sherrill%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BJackie%20Sherrill%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/Jackie_Sherrill" title="Jackie Sherrill">Jackie Sherrill</a> (1975–78), Wannstedt had strong ties to both the university and the city. Wannstedt was initially interested in the job but pulled back over salary issues and concerns about his ability to keep a quality staff. After working out several issues with the Pitt athletic department including pay raises for assistant coaches, Wannstedt agreed to Pitt's offer and was named head coach on December 23, 2004. </p><p data-rte-fromparser="true" data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">Wannstedt said that recruiting would be a top priority under his leadership. Harris had been roundly criticized during his tenure for not recruiting top <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22high%20school%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22high%20school%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5Bhigh%20school%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/High_school" title="High school">high school</a> talent, especially in the crucial and talent-laden <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22western%20Pennsylvania%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22western%20Pennsylvania%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5Bwestern%20Pennsylvania%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" class="new" title="Western Pennsylvania (page does not exist)" rel="nofollow" data-uncrawlable-url="L3dpa2kvV2VzdGVybl9QZW5uc3lsdmFuaWE/YWN0aW9uPWVkaXQmcmVkbGluaz0x">western Pennsylvania</a> area. Wannstedt retained some of Harris' staff including <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Paul%20Rhoads%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Paul%20Rhoads%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BPaul%20Rhoads%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/Paul_Rhoads" title="Paul Rhoads">Paul Rhoads</a>, the defensive coordinator, but made several key changes including bringing in former <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Baltimore%20Ravens%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Baltimore%20Ravens%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BBaltimore%20Ravens%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/Baltimore_Ravens" title="Baltimore Ravens">Baltimore Ravens</a> <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22offensive%20coordinator%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22offensive%20coordinator%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5Boffensive%20coordinator%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/Offensive_coordinator" title="Offensive coordinator">offensive coordinator</a> <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Matt%20Cavanaugh%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Matt%20Cavanaugh%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BMatt%20Cavanaugh%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/Matt_Cavanaugh" title="Matt Cavanaugh">Matt Cavanaugh</a> to run his offense. Cavanaugh was Pitt's starting quarterback in 1976 and 1977 when Wannstedt was a graduate assistant coach. </p><p data-rte-fromparser="true" data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">In his first season, Wannstedt inherited a Pitt team that won a share of the <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Big%20East%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Big%20East%20Conference%20%281979%5Cu20132013%29%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BBig%20East%20Conference%20%281979%5Cu20132013%29%7CBig%20East%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/Big_East_Conference_(1979%E2%80%932013)" title="Big East Conference (1979–2013)">Big East</a> Championship and played in the <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Fiesta%20Bowl%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Fiesta%20Bowl%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BFiesta%20Bowl%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/Fiesta_Bowl" title="Fiesta Bowl">Fiesta Bowl</a> the previous year under Harris, and was ranked 21 in the first <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22AP%20Poll%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22AP%20Poll%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BAP%20Poll%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/AP_Poll" title="AP Poll">AP Poll</a> of 2005. However, defeats by <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Notre%20Dame%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22University%20of%20Notre%20Dame%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BUniversity%20of%20Notre%20Dame%7CNotre%20Dame%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/University_of_Notre_Dame" title="University of Notre Dame">Notre Dame</a> and <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Ohio%20University%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Ohio%20University%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BOhio%20University%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/Ohio_University" title="Ohio University">Ohio University</a>; and a last second loss (by a score of 7-6) to <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Nebraska%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22University%20of%20Nebraska-Lincoln%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BUniversity%20of%20Nebraska-Lincoln%7CNebraska%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/University_of_Nebraska-Lincoln" title="University of Nebraska-Lincoln" class="mw-redirect">Nebraska</a> kicked off a disappointing 5-6 season that also saw Pitt get humiliated 45-13 by arch rival West Virginia. This campaign was Pitt's first losing record since 1999. </p><p data-rte-fromparser="true" data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">Wannstedt's recruiting prowess led <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Scout.com%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Scout.com%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BScout.com%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/Scout.com" title="Scout.com">Scout.com</a> analysts to rate the Panthers' class of 2006 the eleventh best in the country. </p><p data-rte-fromparser="true" data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">Wannstedt followed his touted 2006 class by bringing in the #8 recruiting class in 2007. The class included blue-chip players such as RB <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22LeSean%20McCoy%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22LeSean%20McCoy%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BLeSean%20McCoy%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/LeSean_McCoy" title="LeSean McCoy">LeSean McCoy</a>, QB Pat Bostick, and OG Chris Jacobson. On December 1, 2007, just days before an upset win at <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22West%20Virginia%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22West%20Virginia%20University%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BWest%20Virginia%20University%7CWest%20Virginia%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/West_Virginia_University" title="West Virginia University" class="mw-redirect">West Virginia</a>, Wannstedt was given a contract extension through 2012;<span data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22ext%22%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%3Cref%3E%5Bhttp%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fwww.bloomberg.com%5C%2Fapps%5C%2Fnews%3Fpid%3D20601079%26sid%3Da2bILTgGxvKE%20Pitt%20Football%20Coach%20Wannstedt%20Gets%203-Year%20Extension%5D%2C%20bloomberg.com%2C%20accessed%202007-12-02%3C%5C%2Fref%3E%22%2C%22lineStart%22%3A%22%22%2C%22placeholder%22%3A1%2C%22extName%22%3A%22ref%22%7D" class="placeholder placeholder-ext" contenteditable="false"><sup data-rte-washtml="1" id="cite_ref-0" class="reference" data-rte-attribs=" id=cite_ref-0 class=reference"><a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22%3Cspan%20data-rte-instance%3D%5C%2224816-328856295f280c50977ac%5C%22%20data-rte-meta%3D%5C%22%257B%2522type%2522%253A%2522ext%2522%252C%2522wikitext%2522%253A%2522%253Cnowiki%253E%255B%253C%255C%252Fnowiki%253E%2522%252C%2522lineStart%2522%253A%2522%2522%252C%2522placeholder%2522%253A1%252C%2522extName%2522%253A%2522nowiki%2522%257D%5C%22%20class%3D%5C%22placeholder%20placeholder-ext%5C%22%20contenteditable%3D%5C%22false%5C%22%3E%7F%27%5C%22%60UNIQ734f84b7203406de-nowiki-00000001-QINU%60%5C%22%27%7F%26%23x0200B%3B%3C%5C%2Fspan%3E1%3Cspan%20data-rte-instance%3D%5C%2224816-328856295f280c50977ac%5C%22%20data-rte-meta%3D%5C%22%257B%2522type%2522%253A%2522ext%2522%252C%2522wikitext%2522%253A%2522%253Cnowiki%253E%255D%253C%255C%252Fnowiki%253E%2522%252C%2522lineStart%2522%253A%2522%2522%252C%2522placeholder%2522%253A1%252C%2522extName%2522%253A%2522nowiki%2522%257D%5C%22%20class%3D%5C%22placeholder%20placeholder-ext%5C%22%20contenteditable%3D%5C%22false%5C%22%3E%7F%27%5C%22%60UNIQ734f84b7203406de-nowiki-00000002-QINU%60%5C%22%27%7F%26%23x0200B%3B%3C%5C%2Fspan%3E%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22%23cite_note-0%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5B%23cite_note-0%7C%3Cext%20_rte_wikitextidx%3D%5C%2248%5C%22%3E%3Cname%3Enowiki%3C%5C%2Fname%3E%3Cattr%3E%3C%5C%2Fattr%3E%3Cinner%3E%5B%3C%5C%2Finner%3E%3Cclose%3E%3C%5C%2Fnowiki%3E%3C%5C%2Fclose%3E%3C%5C%2Fext%3E1%3Cext%20_rte_wikitextidx%3D%5C%2249%5C%22%3E%3Cname%3Enowiki%3C%5C%2Fname%3E%3Cattr%3E%3C%5C%2Fattr%3E%3Cinner%3E%5D%3C%5C%2Finner%3E%3Cclose%3E%3C%5C%2Fnowiki%3E%3C%5C%2Fclose%3E%3C%5C%2Fext%3E%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="#cite_note-0"><span data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22ext%22%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%3Cnowiki%3E%5B%3C%5C%2Fnowiki%3E%22%2C%22lineStart%22%3A%22%22%2C%22placeholder%22%3A1%2C%22extName%22%3A%22nowiki%22%7D" class="placeholder placeholder-ext" contenteditable="false">[​</span>1<span data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22ext%22%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%3Cnowiki%3E%5D%3C%5C%2Fnowiki%3E%22%2C%22lineStart%22%3A%22%22%2C%22placeholder%22%3A1%2C%22extName%22%3A%22nowiki%22%7D" class="placeholder placeholder-ext" contenteditable="false">]​</span></a></sup>​</span> he had previously been signed through 2009. The 13-9 upset win in the annual <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Backyard%20Brawl%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Backyard%20Brawl%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BBackyard%20Brawl%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/Backyard_Brawl" title="Backyard Brawl">Backyard Brawl</a> denied the Mountaineers a chance to play in the <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22BCS%20National%20Championship%20Game%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22BCS%20National%20Championship%20Game%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BBCS%20National%20Championship%20Game%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/BCS_National_Championship_Game" title="BCS National Championship Game">BCS National Championship Game</a> and was the start of a turnaround that subsequently lifted Coach Wannstedt and the Panthers to a 9-4 season in 2008. </p><p data-rte-fromparser="true" data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">The Panthers started the 2008 season ranked in the top 25 for the first time under Wannstedt's leadership (although the Panthers were ranked #25 in the pre-season before Wannstedt's first game in 2005). Starting 0-1, Pitt soon defeated Buffalo and then beat Iowa with a 21–20 victory. On Thursday, October 2, 2008, the Panthers scored an upset win over the then-ranked and undefeated #10 <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22University%20of%20South%20Florida%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22South%20Florida%20Bulls%20football%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BSouth%20Florida%20Bulls%20football%7CUniversity%20of%20South%20Florida%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/South_Florida_Bulls_football" title="South Florida Bulls football">University of South Florida</a> in a game nationally televised by <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22ESPN%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22ESPN%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BESPN%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/ESPN" title="ESPN">ESPN</a>. Then on Saturday, October 18, 2008, the Panthers easily defeated <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Navy%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Navy%20Midshipmen%20football%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BNavy%20Midshipmen%20football%7CNavy%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/Navy_Midshipmen_football" title="Navy Midshipmen football">Navy</a>. Upset by <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Rutgers%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Rutgers%20Scarlet%20Knights%20football%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BRutgers%20Scarlet%20Knights%20football%7CRutgers%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/Rutgers_Scarlet_Knights_football" title="Rutgers Scarlet Knights football">Rutgers</a>, however, Pitt rebounded with a 36-33 overtime victory the following week at Notre Dame. The game, which lasted four overtime periods, was the longest game ever for both Notre Dame and Pittsburgh. After a 41–7 rout of visiting <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Louisville%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Louisville%20Cardinals%20football%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BLouisville%20Cardinals%20football%7CLouisville%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/Louisville_Cardinals_football" title="Louisville Cardinals football">Louisville</a>, the Panthers improved to 7–2 and were bowl-bound for the first time under Wannstedt. </p><p data-rte-fromparser="true" data-rte-empty-lines-before="1"><img data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22broken-image%22%2C%22title%22%3A%22PittTrophy_2009MeinekeBowl.jpg%22%2C%22placeholder%22%3A1%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BFile%3APittTrophy%202009MeinekeBowl.jpg%7Cthumb%7C200px%7Cright%7CDave%20Wannstedt%20addresses%20the%20crowd%20during%20the%20trophy%20presentation%20following%20the%20%5B%5B2009%20Meineke%20Car%20Care%20Bowl%5D%5D%2C%20in%20which%20%5B%5BPittsburgh%20Panthers%20football%7CPitt%5D%5D%20defeated%20%5B%5BNorth%20Carolina%20Tar%20Heels%20football%7CNorth%20Carolina%5D%5D%2019-17%20for%20Wannstedt%27s%20first%20bowl%20victory%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" class="placeholder placeholder-broken-image" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIABAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAEALAAAAAABAAEAQAICTAEAOw%3D%3D" type="broken-image" /> <!-- RTE::{"spaces":0,"type":"LINE_BREAK"} -->A loss to eventual Big East champion <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Cincinnati%20Bearcats%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Cincinnati%20Bearcats%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BCincinnati%20Bearcats%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/Cincinnati_Bearcats" title="Cincinnati Bearcats">Cincinnati Bearcats</a> eliminated the Panthers from BCS contention. However, Coach Wannstedt stayed upbeat, and worked with defensive coordinator <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Phil%20Bennett%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Phil%20Bennett%20%28American%20football%29%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BPhil%20Bennett%20%28American%20football%29%7CPhil%20Bennett%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/Phil_Bennett_(American_football)" title="Phil Bennett (American football)">Phil Bennett</a> to devise a gameplan to defeat West Virginia for the 2nd time in four years in the annual Backyard Brawl. Pitt defeated West Virginia 19-15 on the day after <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Thanksgiving%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Thanksgiving%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BThanksgiving%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/Thanksgiving" title="Thanksgiving">Thanksgiving</a> in a national telecast on <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22ABC%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22American%20Broadcasting%20Company%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BAmerican%20Broadcasting%20Company%7CABC%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/American_Broadcasting_Company" title="American Broadcasting Company">ABC</a>. The following week the Panthers won at <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22UConn%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Connecticut%20Huskies%20football%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BConnecticut%20Huskies%20football%7CUConn%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/Connecticut_Huskies_football" title="Connecticut Huskies football">UConn</a> to improve to 9-3 on the season and clinch a bid to the <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Sun%20Bowl%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Sun%20Bowl%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BSun%20Bowl%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/Sun_Bowl" title="Sun Bowl">Sun Bowl</a>. Dave Wannstedt improved his record at Pitt to 25-22. </p><p data-rte-fromparser="true" data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">On December 31, 2008, Pittsburgh was defeated in the <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Sun%20Bowl%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Sun%20Bowl%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BSun%20Bowl%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/Sun_Bowl" title="Sun Bowl">Sun Bowl</a> by <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Oregon%20State%22%2C%22link%22%3A%222008%20Oregon%20State%20Beavers%20football%20team%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5B2008%20Oregon%20State%20Beavers%20football%20team%7COregon%20State%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/2008_Oregon_State_Beavers_football_team" title="2008 Oregon State Beavers football team">Oregon State</a> 3-0 in a defensive struggle. The Oregon State team that defeated <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22USC%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22USC%20Trojans%20football%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BUSC%20Trojans%20football%7CUSC%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/USC_Trojans_football" title="USC Trojans football">USC</a> in 2008 had remarkably shut out the Pitt Panthers for only the first time in twelve years. </p><p data-rte-fromparser="true" data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">In 2009, Wannstedt led Pitt to a 3-0 start before losing on the road to <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22North%20Carolina%20State%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22North%20Carolina%20State%20Wolfpack%20football%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BNorth%20Carolina%20State%20Wolfpack%20football%7CNorth%20Carolina%20State%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/North_Carolina_State_Wolfpack_football" title="North Carolina State Wolfpack football">North Carolina State</a> in the fourth quarter. Wannstedt's Panthers then won their next 6 games, raising Pitt's record to 9-1 and the team cracked the Top 10 in the rankings, their best mark since the <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Dan%20Marino%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Dan%20Marino%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BDan%20Marino%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/Dan_Marino" title="Dan Marino">Dan Marino</a> led <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22team%20in%201982%22%2C%22link%22%3A%221982%20Pittsburgh%20Panthers%20football%20team%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5B1982%20Pittsburgh%20Panthers%20football%20team%7Cteam%20in%201982%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/1982_Pittsburgh_Panthers_football_team" title="1982 Pittsburgh Panthers football team">team in 1982</a>. The Panthers faltered in their final two games, however, losing to both West Virginia 19-16 and Cincinnati 45-44 in the Big East Championship game to fall to 9-3. After the regular season, Pitt went on to defeat the North Carolina Tarheels in the <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Meineke%20Car%20Care%20Bowl%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Belk%20Bowl%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BBelk%20Bowl%7CMeineke%20Car%20Care%20Bowl%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/Belk_Bowl" title="Belk Bowl">Meineke Car Care Bowl</a> to finish the season with 10 wins for the first time since 1981. </p><p data-rte-fromparser="true" data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">On March 30, 2010, Wannstedt received a two-year contract extension through the 2014 season.<span data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22ext%22%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%3Cref%3E%7B%7Bcite%20web%7Curl%3Dhttp%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fsports.espn.go.com%5C%2Fncf%5C%2Fnews%5C%2Fstory%3Fid%3D5040484%7Ctitle%3DPittsburgh%20Panthers%20coach%20Dave%20Wannstedt%20has%20contract%20extended%7Caccessdate%3D2010-03-30%7Clast%3DBennett%20%7Cfirst%3DBrian%20%7Cdate%3D2010-03-30%20%7Cpublisher%3D%5B%5BESPN.com%5D%5D%7D%7D%3C%5C%2Fref%3E%22%2C%22lineStart%22%3A%22%22%2C%22placeholder%22%3A1%2C%22extName%22%3A%22ref%22%7D" class="placeholder placeholder-ext" contenteditable="false"><sup data-rte-washtml="1" id="cite_ref-1" class="reference" data-rte-attribs=" id=cite_ref-1 class=reference"><a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22%3Cspan%20data-rte-instance%3D%5C%2224816-328856295f280c50977ac%5C%22%20data-rte-meta%3D%5C%22%257B%2522type%2522%253A%2522ext%2522%252C%2522wikitext%2522%253A%2522%253Cnowiki%253E%255B%253C%255C%252Fnowiki%253E%2522%252C%2522lineStart%2522%253A%2522%2522%252C%2522placeholder%2522%253A1%252C%2522extName%2522%253A%2522nowiki%2522%257D%5C%22%20class%3D%5C%22placeholder%20placeholder-ext%5C%22%20contenteditable%3D%5C%22false%5C%22%3E%7F%27%5C%22%60UNIQ734f84b7203406de-nowiki-00000004-QINU%60%5C%22%27%7F%26%23x0200B%3B%3C%5C%2Fspan%3E2%3Cspan%20data-rte-instance%3D%5C%2224816-328856295f280c50977ac%5C%22%20data-rte-meta%3D%5C%22%257B%2522type%2522%253A%2522ext%2522%252C%2522wikitext%2522%253A%2522%253Cnowiki%253E%255D%253C%255C%252Fnowiki%253E%2522%252C%2522lineStart%2522%253A%2522%2522%252C%2522placeholder%2522%253A1%252C%2522extName%2522%253A%2522nowiki%2522%257D%5C%22%20class%3D%5C%22placeholder%20placeholder-ext%5C%22%20contenteditable%3D%5C%22false%5C%22%3E%7F%27%5C%22%60UNIQ734f84b7203406de-nowiki-00000005-QINU%60%5C%22%27%7F%26%23x0200B%3B%3C%5C%2Fspan%3E%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22%23cite_note-1%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5B%23cite_note-1%7C%3Cext%20_rte_wikitextidx%3D%5C%2254%5C%22%3E%3Cname%3Enowiki%3C%5C%2Fname%3E%3Cattr%3E%3C%5C%2Fattr%3E%3Cinner%3E%5B%3C%5C%2Finner%3E%3Cclose%3E%3C%5C%2Fnowiki%3E%3C%5C%2Fclose%3E%3C%5C%2Fext%3E2%3Cext%20_rte_wikitextidx%3D%5C%2255%5C%22%3E%3Cname%3Enowiki%3C%5C%2Fname%3E%3Cattr%3E%3C%5C%2Fattr%3E%3Cinner%3E%5D%3C%5C%2Finner%3E%3Cclose%3E%3C%5C%2Fnowiki%3E%3C%5C%2Fclose%3E%3C%5C%2Fext%3E%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="#cite_note-1"><span data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22ext%22%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%3Cnowiki%3E%5B%3C%5C%2Fnowiki%3E%22%2C%22lineStart%22%3A%22%22%2C%22placeholder%22%3A1%2C%22extName%22%3A%22nowiki%22%7D" class="placeholder placeholder-ext" contenteditable="false">[​</span>2<span data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22ext%22%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%3Cnowiki%3E%5D%3C%5C%2Fnowiki%3E%22%2C%22lineStart%22%3A%22%22%2C%22placeholder%22%3A1%2C%22extName%22%3A%22nowiki%22%7D" class="placeholder placeholder-ext" contenteditable="false">]​</span></a></sup>​</span> </p><p data-rte-fromparser="true" data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">On December 7, 2010, Wannstedt resigned as head coach, reportedly under pressure following a disappointing 7-5 regular season and having failed to advance to a <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22BCS%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Bowl%20Championship%20Series%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BBowl%20Championship%20Series%7CBCS%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/Bowl_Championship_Series" title="Bowl Championship Series">BCS</a> bowl during his tenure.<span data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22ext%22%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%3Cref%20name%3D%5C%22resign%5C%22%3E%7B%7Bcite%20web%7Curl%3Dhttp%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fsports.espn.go.com%5C%2Fncf%5C%2Fnews%5C%2Fstory%3Fid%3D5896191%7Ctitle%3DDave%20Wannstedt%20resigns%20at%20Pitt%7Caccessdate%3D2010-12-16%7Clast%3DAssociated%20Press%20%7Cdate%3D2010-12-07%20%7Cpublisher%3D%5B%5BESPN.com%5D%5D%7D%7D%3C%5C%2Fref%3E%22%2C%22lineStart%22%3A%22%22%2C%22placeholder%22%3A1%2C%22extName%22%3A%22ref%22%7D" class="placeholder placeholder-ext" contenteditable="false"><sup data-rte-washtml="1" id="cite_ref-resign_2-0" class="reference" data-rte-attribs=" id=cite_ref-resign_2-0 class=reference"><a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22%3Cspan%20data-rte-instance%3D%5C%2224816-328856295f280c50977ac%5C%22%20data-rte-meta%3D%5C%22%257B%2522type%2522%253A%2522ext%2522%252C%2522wikitext%2522%253A%2522%253Cnowiki%253E%255B%253C%255C%252Fnowiki%253E%2522%252C%2522lineStart%2522%253A%2522%2522%252C%2522placeholder%2522%253A1%252C%2522extName%2522%253A%2522nowiki%2522%257D%5C%22%20class%3D%5C%22placeholder%20placeholder-ext%5C%22%20contenteditable%3D%5C%22false%5C%22%3E%7F%27%5C%22%60UNIQ734f84b7203406de-nowiki-00000007-QINU%60%5C%22%27%7F%26%23x0200B%3B%3C%5C%2Fspan%3E3%3Cspan%20data-rte-instance%3D%5C%2224816-328856295f280c50977ac%5C%22%20data-rte-meta%3D%5C%22%257B%2522type%2522%253A%2522ext%2522%252C%2522wikitext%2522%253A%2522%253Cnowiki%253E%255D%253C%255C%252Fnowiki%253E%2522%252C%2522lineStart%2522%253A%2522%2522%252C%2522placeholder%2522%253A1%252C%2522extName%2522%253A%2522nowiki%2522%257D%5C%22%20class%3D%5C%22placeholder%20placeholder-ext%5C%22%20contenteditable%3D%5C%22false%5C%22%3E%7F%27%5C%22%60UNIQ734f84b7203406de-nowiki-00000008-QINU%60%5C%22%27%7F%26%23x0200B%3B%3C%5C%2Fspan%3E%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22%23cite_note-resign-2%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5B%23cite_note-resign-2%7C%3Cext%20_rte_wikitextidx%3D%5C%2260%5C%22%3E%3Cname%3Enowiki%3C%5C%2Fname%3E%3Cattr%3E%3C%5C%2Fattr%3E%3Cinner%3E%5B%3C%5C%2Finner%3E%3Cclose%3E%3C%5C%2Fnowiki%3E%3C%5C%2Fclose%3E%3C%5C%2Fext%3E3%3Cext%20_rte_wikitextidx%3D%5C%2261%5C%22%3E%3Cname%3Enowiki%3C%5C%2Fname%3E%3Cattr%3E%3C%5C%2Fattr%3E%3Cinner%3E%5D%3C%5C%2Finner%3E%3Cclose%3E%3C%5C%2Fnowiki%3E%3C%5C%2Fclose%3E%3C%5C%2Fext%3E%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="#cite_note-resign-2"><span data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22ext%22%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%3Cnowiki%3E%5B%3C%5C%2Fnowiki%3E%22%2C%22lineStart%22%3A%22%22%2C%22placeholder%22%3A1%2C%22extName%22%3A%22nowiki%22%7D" class="placeholder placeholder-ext" contenteditable="false">[​</span>3<span data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22ext%22%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%3Cnowiki%3E%5D%3C%5C%2Fnowiki%3E%22%2C%22lineStart%22%3A%22%22%2C%22placeholder%22%3A1%2C%22extName%22%3A%22nowiki%22%7D" class="placeholder placeholder-ext" contenteditable="false">]​</span></a></sup>​</span> With his resignation, Wannstedt was offered a position as Special Assistant to the Athletic Director at the university.<span data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22ext%22%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%3Cref%20name%3D%5C%22resign%5C%22%5C%2F%3E%22%2C%22lineStart%22%3A%22%22%2C%22placeholder%22%3A1%2C%22extName%22%3A%22ref%22%7D" class="placeholder placeholder-ext" contenteditable="false"><sup data-rte-washtml="1" id="cite_ref-resign_2-1" class="reference" data-rte-attribs=" id=cite_ref-resign_2-1 class=reference"><a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22%3Cspan%20data-rte-instance%3D%5C%2224816-328856295f280c50977ac%5C%22%20data-rte-meta%3D%5C%22%257B%2522type%2522%253A%2522ext%2522%252C%2522wikitext%2522%253A%2522%253Cnowiki%253E%255B%253C%255C%252Fnowiki%253E%2522%252C%2522lineStart%2522%253A%2522%2522%252C%2522placeholder%2522%253A1%252C%2522extName%2522%253A%2522nowiki%2522%257D%5C%22%20class%3D%5C%22placeholder%20placeholder-ext%5C%22%20contenteditable%3D%5C%22false%5C%22%3E%7F%27%5C%22%60UNIQ734f84b7203406de-nowiki-0000000A-QINU%60%5C%22%27%7F%26%23x0200B%3B%3C%5C%2Fspan%3E3%3Cspan%20data-rte-instance%3D%5C%2224816-328856295f280c50977ac%5C%22%20data-rte-meta%3D%5C%22%257B%2522type%2522%253A%2522ext%2522%252C%2522wikitext%2522%253A%2522%253Cnowiki%253E%255D%253C%255C%252Fnowiki%253E%2522%252C%2522lineStart%2522%253A%2522%2522%252C%2522placeholder%2522%253A1%252C%2522extName%2522%253A%2522nowiki%2522%257D%5C%22%20class%3D%5C%22placeholder%20placeholder-ext%5C%22%20contenteditable%3D%5C%22false%5C%22%3E%7F%27%5C%22%60UNIQ734f84b7203406de-nowiki-0000000B-QINU%60%5C%22%27%7F%26%23x0200B%3B%3C%5C%2Fspan%3E%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22%23cite_note-resign-2%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5B%23cite_note-resign-2%7C%3Cext%20_rte_wikitextidx%3D%5C%2266%5C%22%3E%3Cname%3Enowiki%3C%5C%2Fname%3E%3Cattr%3E%3C%5C%2Fattr%3E%3Cinner%3E%5B%3C%5C%2Finner%3E%3Cclose%3E%3C%5C%2Fnowiki%3E%3C%5C%2Fclose%3E%3C%5C%2Fext%3E3%3Cext%20_rte_wikitextidx%3D%5C%2267%5C%22%3E%3Cname%3Enowiki%3C%5C%2Fname%3E%3Cattr%3E%3C%5C%2Fattr%3E%3Cinner%3E%5D%3C%5C%2Finner%3E%3Cclose%3E%3C%5C%2Fnowiki%3E%3C%5C%2Fclose%3E%3C%5C%2Fext%3E%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="#cite_note-resign-2"><span data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22ext%22%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%3Cnowiki%3E%5B%3C%5C%2Fnowiki%3E%22%2C%22lineStart%22%3A%22%22%2C%22placeholder%22%3A1%2C%22extName%22%3A%22nowiki%22%7D" class="placeholder placeholder-ext" contenteditable="false">[​</span>3<span data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22ext%22%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%3Cnowiki%3E%5D%3C%5C%2Fnowiki%3E%22%2C%22lineStart%22%3A%22%22%2C%22placeholder%22%3A1%2C%22extName%22%3A%22nowiki%22%7D" class="placeholder placeholder-ext" contenteditable="false">]​</span></a></sup>​</span> He did not coach the <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%222011%20BBVA%20Compass%20Bowl%22%2C%22link%22%3A%222011%20BBVA%20Compass%20Bowl%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5B2011%20BBVA%20Compass%20Bowl%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="24816-328856295f280c50977ac" href="/wiki/2011_BBVA_Compass_Bowl" title="2011 BBVA Compass Bowl">2011 BBVA Compass Bowl</a>. </p> <br /><strong data-rte-washtml="1" class="error" data-rte-attribs=" class=error">Cite error: <code data-rte-washtml="1"><ref></code> tags exist, but no <code data-rte-washtml="1"><references/></code> tag was found</strong><p /> <!-- Saved in parser cache with key footbal:rte-parser-cache:16965 --> Loading editor Below are some commonly used wiki markup codes. 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