The Pitt Panthers will begin the 2014-15 season on Friday with an exhibition contest against Indiana University (PA.).
With the beginning of every Panthers season, it also begins the catcalls of fans who believe that Pitt would be better off with someone other than Jamie Dixon leading the program.
I tend to always get a laugh out of that because Dixon has done a heck of a job as the Pitt head coach and while he has yet to lead the Panthers to the Final Four, you still have to believe that Dixon will crash through that NCAA Tournament ceiling one day.
For those that still want Dixon gone, who better would be available to replace him.
That guy isn’t out there right now.
You can make the case that Dixon is the nation’s best coach not to make a Final Four.
Plenty of coaches have held that moniker in the past couple of decades and like all the others before him, Dixon will one day exercise his NCAA Tournament demons.
Keep in mind that last season, Pitt advanced to the NCAA tournament for the 12th time in the past 13 years. The first two seasons in that span were with Ben Howland as head coach (with Dixon as an assistant). The final 11NCAA appearances have with Dixon as head coach.
Now while many may not view that as much of a compliment, keep in mind that only six other coaches have taken teams to the NCAA Tournament as much in that span.
Only six.
Those six schools are: Duke, Kansas, Michigan State, Texas, Wisconsin and Gonzaga.
Not many would associate Pitt with some of those powerhouse programs, but that just speaks to the job that Dixon has done.
Among all BCS programs, the Panthers have the third-best record over the course of the past 12 seasons, trailing only Duke and Kansas.
That’s pretty good company for Pitt to be in and also says that Dixon has been doing something right.
Keep in mind that he has had the success he has had without a flurry of McDonald’s All-Americans or an early exit NBA team like John Calipari gets at Kentucky.
Dixon has gotten much better talent in as a recruiter lately and while he will still look for guys that are unselfish, fit the system and will outwork the opposition, to think that Dixon doesn’t have the talent to win is flat out wrong.
Pitt may not have Kentucky, Duke or Arizona type of talent, but they are a very talented team nonetheless.
No coach in the nation has done more with less than Dixon and that still further speaks to why he should be mentioned among the nation’s top coaches.
That won’t happen until he eventually takes Pitt to a Final Four.
That may not happen this season and until it does Dixon will remain both underappreciated and the nation’s best head coach yet to reach a Final Four.
Photo Credit: Associated Press
