With the departure of assistant coach Pat Skerry to Towson University, Jamie Dixon should look to his former assistant Barry Rohrssen to fill that job.  It’s a no-brainer, he knows the city, knows the system and would help Pitt’s positioning in New York City.

Rohrssen left the team to become the head coach at Manhattan College and was not retained after this season.  Due to his connections, Rohrssen will be a hot commodity and the Panthers need to match money offered by anyone else to bring the man nicknamed “Slice” back to Oakland.

Rohrssen left following the 2005-06 season and the Panthers have only one player on the current roster who played high school ball in New York.  They have mined that area, led by “Slice”, for years getting impact players Levance Fields, Chris Taft and Ronald Ramon.  With the resurgence of St. John’s, Syracuse and UConn’s influence in NYC and relentless recruiter Mike Rice now at nearby Rutgers, Pitt needs Rohrssen to solidify their number one recruiting base.

By Jeff Hathhorn