Pitt standout tailback LeSean McCoy said yesterday that he has not made a final decision about whether to stay in school or leave early for the NFL draft. He said he will consider his future over the weekend and announce his final decision Monday.

McCoy made his comments yesterday after his family met with Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt for about 90 minutes in a meeting described by Wannstedt as "very emotional."

"We talked a lot but nothing has been made final," McCoy said as he walked out of the South Side facility. "I need to take a few more days to think about it and weigh my options."

McCoy's mother, Daphne, then cut off any further questioning and said the family would return to Harrisburg this weekend and make the decision. She then said, "We'll have something to say on Monday."

McCoy still is expected to declare for the NFL draft. But the meeting gave Wannstedt the opportunity to sit with him, and the two were able to hear each other's thoughts.

And while Wannstedt is hoping for McCoy to have a change of heart and return, it is clear those within the program already have begun moving forward as if McCoy, who has two years of eligibility remaining, is not going to be back. The most telling sign is that McCoy has not been on campus all week despite the fact classes began Monday.

Wannstedt spent the week recruiting in New York and New Jersey and said yesterday was the first time he and McCoy and his family had a good chance to have an open discussion about the subject. This weekend is a big weekend for recruiting, and the team is playing host to 14 recruits on their official visits.

"We had a lengthy meeting and tried to talk through the pros and cons of staying and leaving, and I tried to present him with some facts and truth, more than anything else," Wannstedt said. "He is going to go home and sleep on it over the weekend, and I think he'll have a definite decision the first of next week."

Wannstedt disputed reports that McCoy had made up his mind and was coming to the facility yesterday to inform his coach of his decision. He said that the discussion was going to be informational in nature, and it was.

"We left it at, 'Go home, sleep on it and think about the pros and cons of coming back and leaving,' " Wannstedt said. "He has to make a decision in his heart, what he wants to do. He loves Pitt, he loves everything about this and everything he has said thus far, I know he means from his heart. He is a very emotional guy. It was a very emotional meeting and a very healthy meeting, and I'll talk to him here in the next few days.

"[The meeting yesterday] was something we talked about doing all week but I was on the road recruiting. It was the right thing to do to sit down with LeSean and his mother and dad. We sat down and looked at each other face to face and talked about the reality of both scenarios. We talked about everything. He didn't come in to tell me goodbye and shake hands. We talked openly about the whole scenario and his feelings."

McCoy had been adamant that he was staying at Pitt at a news conference the week leading up to the West Virginia game. On several occasions after that he maintained that he was definitely staying in school.

But he began to have a change of heart during preparations for the Sun Bowl, and Wannstedt said that McCoy began telling him earlier this week he was thinking about leaving school.

"Everything happened fast when he got back home and was away from our players and away from his teammates," Wannstedt said. "And all the other guys started jumping into the draft and coming out early, and I am sure that got him thinking. And it was worth talking about. He needs to make the right decision for him.

"My role as the head coach is that I make a commitment to these kids that I want to see everyone of them graduate and I want to see everyone of them get in the NFL if they have the ability. That is the commitment I made to him, and I stand by it."

Wannstedt said he hopes that McCoy comes back, but he is not going to let McCoy's decision change the way the Panthers prepare for next season.

"To continue on here, our focus is to win a Big East championship," Wannstedt said. "I made that very clear. I told him 'I love you and as much as I want you back, we're moving forward, and [if you decide to stay], you better be ready to go to work.' It is about the team."