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Is there such a thing as a Big East coach being hated because he wins too much?

The answer is clearly no when you look at the current group of head coaches. Three of them have never coached in a Big East game. Three are going into their third seasons in the league and are barely above .500. Paul Pasqualoni has a bushel-full of victories, but nearly all of them came at Syracuse two decades ago.

So let us take a dip back into history to find an answer. Here are the all-time winningest coaches in Big East history, by overall percentage. I am using this statistic because many of the biggest winners do not stick around the Big East for long.

• Larry Coker, Miami: 35-3 (.921)
• Dennis Erickson, Miami: 42-6 (.875)
• Brian Kelly, Cincinnati: 34-6 (.850)
• Bobby Petrino, Louisville: 21-4 (.840)
• Butch Davis, Miami: 51-20 (.718)
• Bill Stewart, West Virginia: 28-12 (.700)
• Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia: 60-26 (.698)
• Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech: 108-48-1 (.691)

The conclusion is an easy one: Much more than one hated coach, Miami was a hated team because of all the wins it racked up while playing in the Big East from 1991-2003. That includes two national championships and seven Big East titles, more than any other school. Coker was never vilified or hated. The man is impossibly nice.

Davis' image took much more of a hit at North Carolina because he left the place in scandal, with two major investigations hanging over the program. While at Miami, he was lauded as the man who saved the program from NCAA sanctions. It is hard to hate a coach who won 10 games only once in his career.

Erickson simply took over for Jimmy Johnson and continued what was started.

But the assignment is to find a coach hated for winning. Let's look at some of the other names on the list. Kelly and Petrino were hated much more for the ways they left their programs. Kelly only coached three years in the Big East; Petrino only two in the Big East. I can't imagine their short stays struck fear into the hearts of opponents, despite all the victories.

So let's turn the focus to Rodriguez. He, more than any of the aforementioned coaches, probably fits the bill. In his final three seasons in Morgantown, Rodriguez won two league championships and had three 11-win seasons. His team went undefeated in league play in 2005, one of only two teams to accomplish the feat in the past seven years. He won with swagger and style, and some of the best athletes in Big East history.

But I used the word probably. Because as great as Rodriguez was, his on-field coaching career in the Big East will be defined by what he didn't do in 2007. West Virginia was ranked No. 2 in the country going into the regular-season finale against Pitt in the always-heated Backyard Brawl. Win, and the Mountaineers would be playing for the school's first national title. Pitt was already out of the bowl picture, entering the game at 4-7. West Virginia was a 28 1/2-point favorite.

Slam dunk, right? Well, you guys know what happened. Pitt pulled one of the biggest upsets in the series, and Rodriguez went packing to Michigan. The loss will always follow Rodriguez, despite all of his wins in the league. On the day he needed a win most of all, he failed. But that loss did not make him a villain in Morgantown. Leaving did.

That is why it is hard to anoint any Big East coach as somebody hated for winning.

Current Big East coaches' career records in the league:

• Paul Pasqualoni, Syracuse and UConn: 112-63-1
• Doug Marrone, Syracuse: 17-20
• Butch Jones, Cincinnati: 14-11
• Charlie Strong, Louisville: 14-12
• Skip Holtz, USF: 13-12
• Steve Addazio, Temple: 0-0
• Paul Chryst, Pitt: 0-0
• Kyle Flood, Rutgers: 0-0

It is well documented that coaches leave the Big East -- in less than graceful ways.

But I contend that nobody left their program more in the lurch than Todd Graham at Pitt.

What he did was cold and callous, resigning after he was not given permission to interview at Arizona State last December. Refusing to open the door when Pitt officials came knocking. Sending out a goodbye text to his players, the very ones he sold on honor, loyalty, trust and commitment. Now, this does not make him different than many other head coaches, who say one thing today and are gone tomorrow.

What makes his situation different are the circumstances surrounding his departure. Yes, Greg Schiano left Rutgers in the lurch for the Tampa Bay Bucs, less than a week before signing day. But he had been at Rutgers for 11 seasons and built a successful program on his own. Maybe you overlook some of the more unsavory details about the way he left because you can appreciate what he did while in New Jersey.

Graham? He stuck around for one miserable 6-6 season. He did nothing but hurt Pitt. Because his one-year tenure left the Panthers looking for their fourth head coach in a two-year span. No other program has had to deal with that type of coaching turnover. Most importantly, no player has had to deal with that type of coaching turnover.

If college football is supposed to be about the student-athlete experience, then I cannot imagine anybody at Pitt can say they have had an unbelievable time when you consider the drama.

Dave Wannstedt recruited this group of seniors. Then he got fired after delivering a share of the Big East title. New coach Mike Haywood came along from Miami (Ohio). He was then fired after less than three weeks on the job after an arrest on domestic violence charges. In came Graham, who arrived selling high-octane football in a blue-collar Pennsylvania town. Was he all about the Pitt student-athletes?

Not if you consider billboards around the city with his face on it. Not when you consider the way he criticized his players for failing to pick up his prized system. Not when you consider the way he treated quarterback Tino Sunseri. It was always about Graham, which is why he ultimately left. The job was a mistake, he says now. His kids did not like Pittsburgh, he says now. Yet during the season, his wife proudly posted photos of herself and her kids in Pitt jerseys before games and practices.

He failed Pitt, and he failed his players, who came out on Twitter to blast him publicly for the way he left. Not one player ripped into Schiano. That shows you the big difference between the two.

Now, the Panthers players have to start over again. Sunseri has to learn his third offensive system in three years. Who can blame him for being slow to pick it up this spring? Changing playbooks once in four years is hard enough. Doing it three times in three years is almost too much to ask. Credit the Pitt players for not complaining about the lot they have been given.

They are happier to have new coach Paul Chryst, a man who at least seems to want to put roots down in Pittsburgh. He is going back to the way Pitt likes to play offense, another positive step. If hindsight is 20/20, Pitt should have just hired Chryst instead of Haywood when it had the chance. Instead, the Panthers went through an unnecessary and overly straining rigmarole.

Pitt is hoping all that is in the past. It cannot afford to have another coach leave it in the lurch yet again.

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. -- Pitt coach Paul Chryst came right out and said what had become obvious this spring -- Tino Sunseri is his starting quarterback going into fall practice.

Chryst said Tuesday during the ACC spring meetings, "He was the best quarterback we had out of spring. That's why he's the starter."

Sunseri had been competing with Mark Myers and Trey Anderson for the starting job after a pretty brutal 2011 season. The truth is that Sunseri was not really a match for the spread offense under former coach Todd Graham. But he was inconsistent the season before under Dave Wannstedt, so there are those Pitt fans probably scratching their heads wondering what Sunseri can do to be better entering his third season as a starter.

"The biggest thing for quarterbacking is being able to do it and doing it on a consistent level," Chryst said. "That’s your normal progression. He clearly was the best this spring that we had. You’re aware of the history but it doesn’t really matter for us. What do you have right now? It’s our job to coach them and how can you help everyone get better? He’s got a great opportunity. He has played in a lot of games, he does have experience. He’s got room to grow. If he chooses to grow, and I know it’s easier for us to say last year or two years before that doesn’t matter. It matters in the sense that you should learn from all of it, positive or negative. But it doesn’t matter going forward.

"Right now, if you were to say who gives you the best chance to have success, it would be him. So coach the heck out of him."

Chryst said nobody grabbed the backup quarterback job. As for what he anticipates for Chad Voytik once the four-star prospect arrives this summer, Chryst said, "First he's got to get here. Then we've got to see how he picks up things. I anticipate him getting work. Legitimately getting work and then we'll see."

Now here is a quick update on running back Ray Graham, coming off a knee injury. Chryst said Graham is "progressing" and anticipates his star back will be ready for the start of fall camp.

"The plan is he will be ready," Chryst said. "We’ll have him practice. He needs it. They all need it. I’m not going to project too much until it’s time. But we’re planning on it. We’re going full steam ahead."

Chryst anticipates he will have all his players available for practice when fall camp opens.

With nearly every Big East team having wrapped up spring practice, one constant remains -- open quarterback competitions.

Unless coach Kyle Flood makes a last-second decision following the Rutgers spring game Saturday, four schools will go into the summer without a starter at perhaps the most important position on a team. Here is a quick look at how those competitions stack up:

Cincinnati. Munchie Legaux and Brendon Kay are the top two players vying for the job. Coach Butch Jones has decided not to name a starter, but all indications point to Legaux as winning the job once the fall rolls around. Legaux said during an interview this spring he had been taking most of the reps with the first team.

UConn. Five players remain in the competition -- Junior college transfer Chandler Whitmer, freshman Casey Cochran, Michael Nebrich, Scott McCummings and Johnny McEntee. Nobody distinguished himself through the spring or in the spring game, though Whitmer had the "best" performance of the three. Don't be surprised if Whitmer is the starter, Cochran is redshirted and McCummings continues in his role as Wildcat quarterback.

Pitt. Coach Paul Chryst has not named his starter, either, but he has indicated that incumbent Tino Sunseri has separated himself from Mark Myers and Trey Anderson. Now we'll see what happens when true freshman Chad Voytik enters the mix when he arrives in the summer.

Rutgers. Chas Dodd and Gary Nova went back and forth at quarterback last season for the Scarlet Knights, and neither one has really stood out this spring. Defense has dominated the scrimmages so far. Flood has said he would not make a decision until one player stood head and shoulders above the rest, but would like a starter in place a week to 10 days before the start of the season.

Pitt coach Paul Chryst has not definitively declared Tino Sunseri as his starting quarterback headed into fall practice.

Does he need to?

Chryst said last week that Sunseri had separated himself from Mark Myers and Trey Anderson, which seemingly points in the direction of Sunseri winning the starting job. True freshman Chad Voytik enrolls this summer, so there is a chance that he could come in and blow everybody away with his amazing talent and grasp of the offense.

But right now, it appears Sunseri will go into his third straight season as the starter.

That is hard to believe for many, considering the lackluster results along the way. It is no secret that Sunseri has struggled with the deep ball, and clearly cannot run a spread offense. He should never be asked to do that again. I truly believe Sunseri should be given a pass for what happened last season, and I think the longer time goes on, perhaps more Pitt fans feel the same way. Todd Graham deserves the blame for what happened last season.

The point is that Chryst must believe Sunseri truly gives his team the best chance to win, given his experience and current understanding of the new offense. While the passing game was nothing to write home about -- Sunseri went 13-of-27 for 147 yards with a touchdown and interception in the spring game -- you wonder how much of an ask is going to be made of the quarterbacks with the potential for such a strong running game.

Perhaps the quarterback for Pitt this season will be more of a game manager. Sunseri has been good at times throughout his career. Look back to the USF, UConn and Louisville games for recent examples. Give him time in the pocket, and he does not implode. I can guarantee the offensive line will be miles better this season.

The short passing game works for him, along with play action. Does he need to make 80-yard throws every game? Obviously a home run ball is nice every once in a while, but there have been quarterbacks without the greatest command of the deep ball that have fared just fine.

With the development of Isaac Bennett and Corey Davis, along with the return of Ray Graham and the arrival of Rushel Shell, Pitt has the perfect opportunity this season to just ground and pound, and let Sunseri throw it as a change of pace. Obviously, any great team wants to have balance with their running and passing attack. Obviously, teams will want to stack the box to force Pitt to throw. Sunseri has to learn how to beat the blitzes and make the clutch throws with games on the line.

But Ray Graham was so good last season, teams loaded the box and still couldn't stop him. The potential exists for the same to happen again this season with so much talent in the backfield. Pitt needs its ground game to work for Sunseri to work.

"(The run game) has a chance to be good," Chryst said after spring ball wrapped. "But it all starts with the line. The line made some improvements this spring. Ray's working, we need to get him back healthy and Rushel, we all know what he is ... There's also a lot of quesitons, but that will be a good problem if we have a bunch of running backs."

Especially if it takes pressure off Sunseri.

Ray Graham might be on the sideline this spring for Pitt, but the running game has looked outstanding anyway.

Isaac Bennett has taken charge.

Given all the headlines he has made, he has to be a real candidate for spring MVP for the Panthers headed into their spring game Saturday. During practice Thursday, Bennett busted another 70-yard score -- his third this spring that went for 50 or more yards.

Bennett, ever humble, insisted on giving all the credit to his linemen and fullbacks during a phone conversation earlier this spring -- as grateful running backs tend to do.

"My position is just to play the game, do what I can, do what I'm coached to do and go from there," he said. "I just want to show Coach [Paul] Chryst he can trust me."

There is plenty to trust about Bennett, a tough back who rarely goes down on first contact. He got game experience last season after Graham went down with a torn ACL. The initial plan was to redshirt him, but he still traveled with the team.

When the time came to lift his redshirt, at least Bennett had an idea of the routine on the road and what should be expected out of a featured back. He did admirably filling in, with 58 carries for 237 yards and two touchdowns.

"I am glad I got experience that early," Bennett said. "I went from still studying the plays to getting more work during practice so I could get up to speed quickly."

This spring he has seemed like a natural, especially with the scheme change and the way Chryst is emphasizing the run. That did not go unnoticed in the running backs room. Bennett also has noticed a change in the mind-set of his offensive linemen as well.

"I've seen them have a greater passion this year," Bennett said. "I just see the looks in their eyes when they line up for the huddle. Everybody is getting up there properly, they have a new motivation. That is the vibe I'm getting from them."

Though Graham is on the sideline, he has still been able to help Bennett, who is working on his speed, agility and reading defenses this spring.

"I always tell Ray to watch me, to see what I'm doing wrong," Bennett said. "Sometimes he just comes up and tells me you should have read the play a different way, or just to follow my instincts, or make a different cut. He has been a real big help."

Whenever Graham does come back, you can bet the two will be a big help to the Pitt offense.

To have a workhorse back or to split reps? That is the question.

And it certainly is a question on the minds of Big East coaches around the league. With five starters gone headed into 2012, and Ray Graham coming off ACL surgery, this is a position of intrigue during the spring. The ultimate decision has to be made about whether to rely on one back a lion's share of the time, or whether to get a nice rotation going to provide yourself some depth and versatility.

Two league coaches offered their opinions recently on the matter, and both are in favor of finding a workhorse back. Louisville offensive coordinator Shawn Watson pointed to 2010, when Bilal Powell had 229 carries and 1,405 yards. Victor Anderson had the next-highest carries total with 64. Last season, the Cardinals distributed the ball more evenly among its backs -- Anderson and Dominique Brown each had over 100 carries -- and did not fare as well in the ground game.

But it is important to keep in mind the offensive line had its share of struggles as well.

Still, Watson said he wants to find a go-to guy among the four players competing for the starting running back position. “We need someone to be the war daddy at that position, like Bilal Powell was in (Charlie) Strong’s first season,” said Watson. “Biggest thing we look back at is not having a go-to guy. We have to find a go-to-guy. That creates competition in the room and makes everyone better.”

At UConn, Lyle McCombs returns after putting up 1,000 yards his freshman season, but there is some nice competition at the position this spring with D.J. Shoemate returning from injury, in addition to Joe Williams, Martin Hyppolite and Max DeLorenzo. But coach Paul Pasqualoni wants one go-to guy as well.

“I don’t want a guy that’s got to come out of the game," Pasqualoni told reporters in Connecticut. "I don’t want a guy that’s saying I’m tired, take me out. I don’t want a Jaguar. Do you know what a Jaguar is? The Jaguar is always in the shop, always breaking down so I don’t want a Jaguar. I want a durable guy and if we put him in the game he stays in the game and he stays in the game. We’re trying to develop the depth we have but I’m all for one guy staying out there. Now we’re going to use the talents and ability we have but I want them all to be able to do it if you know what I mean.”

Last season, four running backs had over 200 carries. Had Graham been healthy, that number would have been five. Rutgers and Cincinnati also went with one back primarily. This season, that may not be the case. Rutgers coach Kyle Flood already has talked about the value of having more than one back consistently produce, while coach Butch Jones has talked about trying to get more backs involved to make up for the loss of Big East Offensive Player of the Year Isaiah Pead.

USF had three players with over 100 carries last season. The last time USF had a back with over 200 carries was Andre Hall in 2005, but even then the Bulls had another player with over 100 carries as well.

Pitt coach Paul Chryst has shown a proclivity to get multiple backs involved as well, but some of his offenses at Wisconsin did rely on one workhorse. If Graham returns on schedule, one would expect him to get the majority of the carries, but Isaac Bennett has had a nice spring game, and freshman Rushell Shell arrives in the summer.

As for Temple, the Owls relied on Bernard Pierce in recent years, though Matt Brown got his share of the carries. That load falls to him this season, with the hope that other backs can get involved as well.

Wisconsin fans probably got worried Monday when photos of Danny O'Brien wearing a Penn State jacket at the Nittany Lions' first spring practice began making their way around the Web.

Sure, O'Brien reportedly had enjoyed his visit to Madison during the weekend. But the coveted quarterback transfer was making his second trip to Penn State, which could show off a straight-from-the-NFL offense and a head coach (Bill O'Brien) who weeks ago was working with Tom Brady. Two SEC schools, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt, also reportedly courted Danny O'Brien, the former ACC Rookie of the Year who decided to transfer from Maryland last month.

Wisconsin had some nice selling points, too: a Heisman Trophy candidate at running back (Montee Ball), Big Ten championship trophies from the past two seasons and a path to success blazed by another ACC quarterback transfer (Russell Wilson). A great college town doesn't hurt, either.

But the Badgers also had four new offensive assistants, including a new coordinator in Matt Canada. They were losing three stud offensive linemen and their top receiver. Despite three consecutive seasons of 10 or more wins, Wisconsin looked like a team that might have missed its window to become elite.

In many ways, Wisconsin had a tougher sell with O'Brien than it had with Wilson.

But by late Wednesday morning, any angst in Badger Land had turned to joy. Danny O'Brien will suit up for Wisconsin in 2012 and 2013.

O'Brien's decision to pick Wisconsin, first reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, confirms that the program remains an appealing destination despite the recent transition. While some fans grumbled when Wisconsin signed only 12 recruits in February, they were giddy about the 13th. Penn State would have been a good spot for O'Brien. He had ties to Vanderbilt because of head coach James Franklin. But in the end, he picked Wisconsin.

Here's coach Bret Bielema's statement on O'Brien's arrival:

"We're excited that Danny has chosen to attend Wisconsin. The first thing we did when we were aware of Danny's interest was to try and find out what type of person he was and if he would fit into our program. From our dealings with him and all the things I have heard from those who have been around him, he is a tremendous person and has great character. He had a fantastic visit and our current players who met him came away impressed. Having graduated from Maryland in just three years, you know right away that he is a smart kid.

"As is the case with any player who joins our program, we have not promised Danny anything other than the chance to come in during the fall and compete for the starting quarterback position. He understands that and is excited for that opportunity."

There are several reasons Wisconsin should be excited -- and relieved -- about this addition.

• The Badgers currently have only two healthy quarterbacks practicing this spring in Joe Brennan and Joel Stave. Neither is proven in games, and there are no guarantees that Jon Budmayr or Curt Phillips will be ready to go by the fall. People will mock Wisconsin for taking another transfer quarterback, but there's really no downside to this move. The Badgers need bodies at the quarterback spot.
• Unlike Wilson, who played just one spectacular season in Madison, O'Brien has two years of eligibility left after graduating from Maryland in three years. Should he win the starting job this fall, he could establish some continuity under center for a team that hasn't had too much of it in recent years other than Scott Tolzien.
• Wilson said former Badgers offensive coordinator Paul Chryst was a huge factor in his decision to pick Wisconsin over Auburn. Chryst is no longer at UW, leaving to become Pitt's head coach, but the program still appealed to O'Brien more than several others in major conferences. This is a good sign.

Moments after Wisconsin announced O'Brien's signing, Ball tweeted, "Danny o brien just messaged me this.. 'let's do this'... it shall be done then my man. #wiscONsin."

The Wilson comparisons will be made, but it's unfair to expect O'Brien to replicate what No. 16 did. O'Brien is a different type of quarterback. He struggled last season at Maryland, throwing 10 interceptions and seven touchdowns and lost his starting job. Then again, he thrived for the Terrapins under coach Ralph Friedgen in 2010 and didn't seem to fit with what the new staff wanted.

O'Brien clearly is a sharp guy, and he'll have to quickly absorb Wisconsin's offense, as Wilson did last summer.

It's not ideal for a program to take graduate quarterback transfers in consecutive years. But injuries have left Wisconsin in a unique position, and you can't fault the coaches for trying to get better. The Badgers undoubtedly got better Wednesday.

While it's unlikely the transfer trend continues beyond 2013, Wisconsin has reached a level of success as a program that when it needs personnel help, it can attract good prospects.

We have already seen Twitter and social media make a significant impact in college football.

Athletes have the ability to speak their minds in 140 characters, free from the watchful eyes of their coaches and sports information directors. Some have forced their coaches to bar players from using Twitter because of their irresponsible actions. Others have lambasted outgoing coaches, or announced transfer decisions.

But in several recent cases, players have congratulated prep football athletes on recruiting decisions. That is a big no-no and constitutes a secondary NCAA violation. As Mitch Sherman of ESPN Recruiting Nation points out, the NCAA generally has a difficult time catching up with the changing times, and rules regarding Twitter are no different:

In general, according to one senior Division I administrator who formerly directed compliance, implementation of NCAA bylaws require three to four years to catch up to society.

Nothing that impacts recruiting has changed as fast and dramatically as social media. And while several proposals under consideration this year address electronic correspondence between institutions and prospects, NCAA legislation continues to lag in trying to apply old rules to new venues like Twitter.

As long as the NCAA treats a mention on Twitter or post on a Facebook wall no differently than a quote in the newspaper, headaches will remain. Somewhere in this process -- and there's no easy remedy -- social media needs its own rules. Because it's a different animal.

Sherman goes on to clarify what players can and cannot say to prospective student-athletes. But can we really expect these athletes to remember all these rules, when coaches have a hard enough time doing the same?

None of the eight current Big East schools prohibit their athletes from using Twitter. Some teams have players more active than others. Pitt receiver Devin Street, for one, made headlines last year when he took to his Twitter feed and blasted outgoing coach Todd Graham.

New Pitt coach Paul Chryst was asked last week whether he had a specific policy on social media.

"We haven't gotten to one yet," he said. "We've got some people on top of that. It's real, right? It's happening. You see it all over, misuse of it. You can also show responsible use of it. But I think it's an issue we have to be conscious of. We don't have a formal policy yet but I can see it coming."

Pitt opens spring practice Thursday morning with yet another new coaching staff, another new scheme, and more questions than answers.

Unfortunately for the Panthers, this has become a familiar story line. Going on their fourth head coach since the end of the 2010 season — five if you count interim coach Keith Patterson — has brought Pitt its fair share of negative ink, along with upheaval for players who have to adjust to new coordinators and terminology all over again.

Nobody is quite sure what to expect. That goes for new head coach Paul Chryst, who embarks on his first practice as a head coach. Chryst understands there will be a "feeling out period" for the players to get to know the coaches and vice versa, along with the natural anxiety that comes along with figuring out what is being asked.

Pitt is going back to a more traditional offensive style, and switching back to the 4-3 defensive scheme that Pitt has historically run with success. The good news is that the majority of the players on the team were recruited to play those particular styles. The bad news is their brains may feel like football mush given all the tumult of the last year.

But the spring is always a time for renewal and hope for every team, and every position. That goes for quarterback, where Tino Sunseri will be under the microscope for the third straight season. Though the Pitt defense has many more holes to fill, Chryst cannot go through an interview without being asked about Sunseri, and what he can do to improve himself should he be the starter again.

"I'm glad he's here," Chryst said. "I'm looking forward to working with him. I know Brooks (Bollinger) is, I know Joe (Rudolph) is. We're fired up about that."

Sunseri never got adjusted to the hurry-up spread system former coach Todd Graham installed, and withstood withering criticism not only from fans but from Graham himself. Never once did Sunseri lash out or complain. He took every single hit on the field and off the field and kept coming back up. Rudolph, the newly installed offensive coordinator, believes Sunseri has a skill-set the Panthers can utilize effectively this season.

"You look at the offense that we run, we had two really different quarterbacks in the last two years at Wisconsin," Rudolph said in a phone interview. "You had Scott Tolzien and you had Russell Wilson, and you wouldn't watch film and mistake those guys for each other. They're different, but both had great success. You can have people with different skill sets, but if you teach them to make good decisions and grow the offense to highlight their skill set, they have a chance to be successful. That's what you feel about Tino. He has the skill set. Now it's can he make those decisions, can you be consistent, can you play within the offense? We'll find out."

The offensive line in front of him was an area of weakness last season, having to fight through injuries and inexperience as well as a scheme that did not lend itself to their strengths. But last season can stay there as far as Chryst is concerned.

"I didn't spend a lot of time watching or caring what their scheme was last year," he said.

Run-blocking generally suits an offensive lineman better than pass-blocking, so there is hope -- especially if Chryst is able to translate the success he had with the ground game at Wisconsin to the Panthers. Ray Graham is out for the spring, but that gives some young players an opportunity to gain some reps and earn playing time come the fall. Isaac Bennett, Corey Davis and Malcolm Crockett will get a majority of the carries.

Defensively, Pitt has to replace linemen Brandon Lindsey, Myles Caragein and Chas Alecxih, along with leading tackler Max Gruder, and needs to work on depth along the line and at linebacker, the two positions that took the biggest hits. Starting linebacker Todd Thomas also will be out for the spring.

So yes, there is plenty of work to be done on both sides of the ball. Chryst and his staff are eager to get started on building this team — for the long run.

Pitt has a grand tradition of rushing the ball. New coach Paul Chryst has produced some of the best rushing seasons in Wisconsin history.

The fit seems perfect.

But the natural question, of course, is whether the Panthers will be able to get back to their smashmouth roots in Year 1. There are a few unknowns that complicate the answer.

1. What can we expect out of Ray Graham? Graham would have easily topped 1,000 yards last season had he not torn his ACL in Week 9. He will not be available for the spring, but all indications are that he will be healthy in time for the start of the season. Graham said on his Twitter account Feb. 13 that he already has begun running. Will he bounce back and be the player we saw last season, running in and out of cuts with such ease he made would-be tacklers look silly? Or will he be hesitant and a step slower? Every player reacts differently to ACL surgery, and it sometimes takes a full two years before a player is back to himself. Even if he is less than 100 percent, Graham should still be the best player on offense when he returns.

2. What about the offensive line? One of the most scrutinized units on the team, the Panthers were definitely better at run blocking than pass blocking. But this group has got to play better overall, be more consistent and stay healthy if this team is going to have success rushing the ball on a consistent basis. Getting Chris Jacobson back helps. But this team loses three senior starters and is strapped for depth. It also will be slightly smaller up front than the groups Wisconsin fields. Pitt will be about 20 pounds lighter per man up front than the Badgers' projected unit.

3. How about depth at running back? The Panthers should be in good shape here with Isaac Bennett, Corey Davis and Rushel Shell. They provide the potential to take some of the rushing load off Graham. Chryst has had workhorse backs at Wisconsin, and he also has had backs split reps. Most famously, Wisconsin nearly had three different players rush for at least 1,000 yards in 2010 as James White had 1,052 yards, John Clay had 1,012 and Montee Ball had 996. Last season, Ball and White had more than 100 carries each, but it was Ball who had 1,923 yards.

Also, keep in mind that Wisconsin failed to have a 1,000-yard rusher just once in the seven years Chryst served as offensive coordinator. That happened in 2008. Pitt broke its four-year streak with a 1,000-yard rusher last season. With Graham and a talented group of backs returning, you have to think getting a 1,000-yard rusher will absolutely happen.

But having a 1,000-yard back does not always mean a team rolls up yards on the ground with ease. For all of the rushing tradition at Pitt, the Panthers have not exactly torn up the nation in rushing offense. Going back to 1999, the most yards Pitt averaged on the ground was 180.3, back in 2009. That ranked No. 34 in the nation. Only twice during that time span -- in 2009 and 2010 -- did Pitt finish in the top half of the nation in rushing offense.

Contrast that with Chryst's time at Wisconsin. Going back to his first year as coordinator in 2005, Wisconsin has never finished lower than No. 37 in the nation in rushing offense. That happened in his first two years there, and they were the only two years the Badgers failed to average more than 200 yards a game on the ground.

There is no doubt Chryst will want to try to establish the run with the Panthers. He is smart enough to know that is where the strength of his team is, at least headed into this season. But it will be interesting to see how long it takes before the Panthers become a team that can be among the best in the nation in rushing the ball.

Pitt coach Paul Chryst has completed his coaching staff, announcing Monday he has hired Desmond Robinson as running backs coach, Brooks Bollinger as quarterbacks coach and Dann Kabala as player personnel director.

Robinson was a linebacker and defensive end at Pitt from 1974-78, and has nearly 30 years of coaching experience on the high school, collegiate and professional levels. He and Chryst previously worked together during the 1989 and 1990 seasons as assistants under Don Nehlen at West Virginia.

Bollinger, a former quarterback at Wisconsin, spent last season coaching high school football in Minnesota. He had an eight-year career in professional football, including six in the NFL and two in the UFL.

Kabala, a Pittsburgh native and graduate of Fox Chapel High School, spent the past four years at Arkansas. He worked in the areas of on-campus recruiting, eligibility coordination and academic support. Kabala previously was a graduate assistant at Pitt from 2005-07.

Pitt has lost two assistant coaches in the span of several weeks in a bit of unusual timing.

Both running backs coach Eddie Faulkner and offensive coordinator Bob Bostad were in place to help out with recruiting and seemingly committed to new coach Paul Chryst. But each left for different opportunities -- Faulkner to return to his alma mater at Wisconsin, Bostad to become offensive line coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

That has forced Chryst to do some staff reshuffling with less than a month to go before spring practice. Quarterbacks coach Joe Rudolph moves to offensive coordinator and Jim Hueber moves from tight ends to offensive line. Chryst still needs to hire a running backs coach and quarterbacks coach.

It never is good to lose coaches after such a brief period of time, but Chryst said in a phone interview he didn't think the twin departures would have a major impact on his team.

"Other than it impacting the players, I'm comfortable with what happened," Chryst said. "The communication was good so if something like this happened ... the players on recruiting trail, you weren't saying something that wasn't real. I'm not concerned about what happened or how it happened, and I really am fortunate where I feel like the current players are still going to get great, great coaching."

In the case of Bostad, Chryst seemed to anticipate something like this potentially happening. He, Bostad and Rudolph all worked together at Wisconsin.

"I've been fortunate to have been able to work with Bob for five, six years and I knew what goals and aspirations Bob has and then also he's a good friend of mine. I knew that was something if an opportunity like that came along he'd be excited about that. I'm happy for him. The only negative is I've enjoyed working with him, but would like to work longer with him. For Bob and his wife, Karen, it's a great opportunity.

"I also knew going in I wanted to be strong [at offensive line]. I felt real fortunate to hire Jim Hueber. I knew he could step right in for him. He's as good as a line coach as there is. And with Joe having been on the staff as well. I knew if anything like this happened, we had guys that are more than ready to step into those different roles. I'm excited for Bob and also excited for our players to be with Jim and Joe."

A few other notes:

• Chryst said running back Ray Graham is on schedule with his rehab from a torn ACL and should be ready for the start of the season.
• The quarterback competition is open going into the spring, but Chryst also made it sound like Tino Sunseri would have an advantage because of his starting experience. "Tino's got to learn and begin to understand the offense and how he fits into it and play within the structure," Chryst said. "It's always an open competition, and yet he's a guy I'm excited to work with because he's played a lot of football. If we're going to be good this year, we have to be productive at that spot."
• Guard Chris Jacobson did get his sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA after hurting his knee this past season, which is good news for an offensive line in major need of an upgrade.

Pittsburgh has elevated quarterbacks coach Joe Rudolph to offensive coordinator, after losing Bob Bostad to Greg Schiano and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Coach Paul Chryst also announced Saturday that Jim Hueber, previously the tight ends coach, will now coach the offensive line. Bostad came with Chryst from Wisconsin and was named offensive coordinator/offensive line coach of the Panthers in January. He will now coach the offensive line for the Bucs.

Rudolph came with Chryst as well. He will also coach the tight ends, a position he coached with the Badgers.

“Joe Rudolph and Jim Hueber will be tremendous assets in their new assignments,” Chryst said in a statement. “Joe and I worked closely on the offensive side of the ball at Wisconsin. He has a thorough knowledge of our systems and what we want to achieve offensively.

“Jim has coached some of the finest linemen in the game, pro and college. He is tremendously accomplished as a teacher of offensive line play, and his overall experience as a coach benefits our entire staff and program.”

Chryst has two openings left to fill on his staff: quarterbacks and running backs coach.

Our Mark Schlabach took another crack at his way-too early top 25 today. In response, we'll try again to rank Notre Dame's 2012 opponents.

1. USC (Nov. 24, away): Virtually every early outlook has the Trojans slated as the preseason No. 1 or No. 2 team, and rightfully so. Matt Barkley enters 2012 as the Heisman front-runner and USC will return to the familiar position of having the target on its back throughout the season.

2. Oklahoma (Oct. 27, away): Considering Notre Dame is the only current official, penned-in game that is absolutely going to happen for the Big 12 favorites next season, I'd imagine the Sooners would get up for that.

3. Michigan State (Sept. 15, away): A growing defense will keep Sparty plowing ahead in Year 6 of the Mark Dantonio era, which may just begin with MSU as the Big Ten favorite.

4. Michigan (Sept. 22, home): A number of early polls suggest Michigan as the leading Big Ten contender, but I think some of its losses on defense will be tough to replace. Nonetheless, any team with Denard Robinson under center has a chance to make big things happen, as Notre Dame fans are all too aware of.

5. Stanford (Oct. 13, home): Who needs Andrew Luck when you have that much time in the pocket? Throw anyone under center behind that offensive line and he'll have all the time he needs to make something happen.

6. Miami (Oct. 6, Chicago): The Hurricanes make the biggest jump from the last time we looked at the Irish's opponents. An experienced defense and a great recruiting year for Al Golden suggest this program is back on the rise, pending NCAA sanctions.

7. BYU (Oct. 20, home): I said it before and I'll say it again: If Riley Nelson has a big year, watch out.

8. Purdue (Sept. 8, home): This contest scares me if I'm an Irish fan. First game back from what is sure to be an exhausting season-opening trip in Dublin, with a hungry in-state rival waiting for them and looking to build on momentum following a strong 2011 finish and weak 2012 opener (Eastern Kentucky).

9. Wake Forest (Nov. 17, home): Jim Grobe teams usually perform better than they should, but the Deacs must recover from a weak finish in 2011.

10. Boston College (Nov. 10, away): No more Luke Kuechly means happier offenses everywhere. The Eagles just hope that means theirs, too, which will be in its first year under coordinator Doug Martin.

11. Navy (Sept. 1, Dublin): The Midshipmen have a brutal start to the 2012 schedule, facing the Irish in Dublin before going to Happy Valley to face Penn State, but things get easier afterward. Can they put the awful luck of 2011 behind them and beat the beatable opponents?

12. Pitt (Nov. 3, home): Paul Chryst seems like the right fit, but asking him to lift the Panthers out of their underachieving ways in Year 1 is a bit much.