Offensive coordinator: Plum job or minefield?
Like any opening in college football, the quality of coach Pitt can land to be its next offensive coordinator mostly depends on how good of a job it is.
Now that the national championship came and went, with Clemson putting its exclamation point on the 2018 season, the scramble will heat up across the sport for the last couple stragglers to fill their vacant head coach positions, and the rest to complete their full-time staffs. Where do the Panthers fit with their highest-profile gig? A pointcounterpoint breakdown:
Point: Working for defensive-minded Pat Narduzzi should provide as much autonomy as an offensive coordinator could hope for. It’s not a situation where an offense-oriented head coach wants to be the playcaller, or even have a major say in it. At Pitt, your unit is your unit, and the most successful coordinator Narduzzi has had, Matt Canada, called it “a special place with coach Narduzzi; he allowed us the freedom to do our job” upon leaving for LSU. And with Shawn Watson being let go after two seasons, his successor should be in prime position to tweak as many facets as he sees fit to get the passing game going to complement what was a powerful rushing offense. When Canada was in charge, he ran a mostly traditional offense, but with some imaginative wrinkles. Too often lately, Pitt’s offense has just looked wrinkled.
Counterpoint: Narduzzi is on record as valuing a pro-style system, and essentially being anti-spread. Yes, every college offense will employ at least some spread principles, to an extent, but Narduzzi probably wants to run the ball as much as any non-option coach in the country. Again, he comes from a defensive background, so he believes in establishing the rush and beating defenses between the tackles first and foremost. If it were up to him, he’d rather see a 15play, 75-yard drive than a quick strike, as long as they both end in touchdowns. “Those fast teams kill defenses,” he said on his radio show in November. “You kill your own defense. You end up firing your defensive coordinator.” No-huddle, up-tempo, run-pass option might be the attack du jour these days in college football, but it’s still not Narduzzi’s cup of tea.
Point: Pitt is set to bring back its starting quarterback, starting center, top two receivers, three former highly rated tailbacks with one in the signing class, and an early enrolled fourstar passer in Davis Beville (already on campus). Beyond those pieces, Pitt has a couple promising speedsters in wideout Shocky Jacques-Louis and relatively position-less former defensive back V’Lique Carter, the only two Panthers who burned their freshman redshirt years. With an experienced duo up the middle, a bevy of unproven backs and versatile set of receivers, perhaps this would be an ideal time for Pitt to go to a spread.
Counterpoint: The jury is still out on most of that offensive personnel. The line is in for another rebuild, one that might be more challenging than last offseason, when fifth-year seniors were waiting in the wings. While showing flashes, the receiving corps has been anything but consistent, and closer to nonexistent were the tight ends. Even that returning quarterback, Kenny Pickett, didn’t seem to build much off his freshman debut in 2017. According to Pro Football Focus, he held the ball longer than any other ACC quarterback on average and had the third-worst passer rating in the conference (68.1) on throws that took longer than 2.5 seconds from the time of the snap.
Point: Two of Pitt’s three offensive coordinators under Narduzzi parlayed their roles into the same jobs worth more money and more prestige in the SEC. The third one was given a second chance after an underwhelming first year, and the closest Narduzzi came to questioning his work was agreeing that the play-calling had at times been “very conservative” after a 19-14 loss at Notre Dame.
Counterpoint: For one reason or another, Pitt hasn’t managed to keep the same offensive coordinator more than two seasons. As big-time as Georgia and LSU are as programs, it’s fair for candidates to wonder why both Jim Chaney and Canada decided to make that leap. Watson might’ve lowered expectations a bit after Canada’s high-flying campaign, but Pitt fans — and, obviously, Narduzzi — are hungry for more overall.