Here’s the latest we’re hearing on Pitt’s search for a new offensive coordinator.
- I see the Mack Leftwich news has gotten out. We started hearing his name last night, but I wanted to get some more confirmation before running with it. Since then, we’ve heard from a number of different sources about him being interviewed this week.
Leftwich is the offensive coordinator at Texas State; he joined the staff there last December when GJ Kinne was hired as head coach. Previously, Leftwich was Kinne’s offensive coordinator at Incarnate Word, where they put up a ton of points working with a number of impressive quarterbacks, including Cam Ward, who ended up transferring to Washington State.
Leftwich has some local ties, of course. He graduated from North Allegheny after moving to the area when his father, Spencer, was hired as offensive line coach for the Todd Graham year at Pitt.
Leftwich is the newest name to enter the mix, but as I’ve said a few times, don’t take that as gospel for the chronological order of this thing. It’s entirely possible Pat Narduzzi first reached out to Leftwich last week, but I do believe an interview happened this week (probably virtually, since Narduzzi has been on the road recruiting all week).
- So we’ve now got about a half-dozen or so more or less confirmed names as being candidates for the offensive coordinator search. In no particular order:
Mack Leftwich - Texas State offensive coordinator
Kade Bell - Western Carolina offensive coordinator
Bush Hamdan - Boise State offensive coordinator
Tim Cramsey - Memphis offensive coordinator
Bryan McClendon - Georgia pass game coordinator/wide receivers coach
I have also heard former Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich is connected to the search, but I’m not sure how serious that is.
- As we’ve pieced together different bits of info, I’m inclined to think that most of the interviews that have happened so far have probably been virtual. That would make in-person interviews the next step, and if I had to guess, those will happen this weekend.
- While Leftwich is the newest name here, I don’t think he’s going to be the guy. I think he impressed Narduzzi in his interview and made himself a real candidate, but I actually don’t expect him to come in for an in-person interview. And we’ve already ruled out Cramsey, who wants to stay in Memphis for family reasons.
- That leaves Bell, Hamdan and McClendon. I don’t know what to make of Hamdan, but I get the impression it won’t be McClendon. My gut still tells me this will be Bell, but that’s not a real strong gut feeling; it’s entirely possible one of the others could be the guy - or someone new altogether.
If the timeline of in-person interviews happening this weekend lines up, I would guess we’ll see something reported by the end of the weekend and announced early next week.
- Two things have certainly emerged:
1. While Narduzzi is moving through the search and balancing it with recruiting, he’s also not rushing it. I don’t think he’s wasting time, per se. But he’s taking his time. He knows how important this hire is for him and for Pitt, and he seems to be casting a fairly wide net to find the right guy.
2. Narduzzi has clearly branched out in what he’s looking for. While Jim Chaney, Matt Canada, Shawn Watson, Mark Whipple and Frank Cignetti are different from each other, there are some pretty big differences between that group and the list of names I posted above.
You may like some of those candidates more than others, but you have to admit that Narduzzi is looking for something different in this search.
We’ll see what comes out today.
- I see the Mack Leftwich news has gotten out. We started hearing his name last night, but I wanted to get some more confirmation before running with it. Since then, we’ve heard from a number of different sources about him being interviewed this week.
Leftwich is the offensive coordinator at Texas State; he joined the staff there last December when GJ Kinne was hired as head coach. Previously, Leftwich was Kinne’s offensive coordinator at Incarnate Word, where they put up a ton of points working with a number of impressive quarterbacks, including Cam Ward, who ended up transferring to Washington State.
Leftwich has some local ties, of course. He graduated from North Allegheny after moving to the area when his father, Spencer, was hired as offensive line coach for the Todd Graham year at Pitt.
Leftwich is the newest name to enter the mix, but as I’ve said a few times, don’t take that as gospel for the chronological order of this thing. It’s entirely possible Pat Narduzzi first reached out to Leftwich last week, but I do believe an interview happened this week (probably virtually, since Narduzzi has been on the road recruiting all week).
- So we’ve now got about a half-dozen or so more or less confirmed names as being candidates for the offensive coordinator search. In no particular order:
Mack Leftwich - Texas State offensive coordinator
Kade Bell - Western Carolina offensive coordinator
Bush Hamdan - Boise State offensive coordinator
Tim Cramsey - Memphis offensive coordinator
Bryan McClendon - Georgia pass game coordinator/wide receivers coach
I have also heard former Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich is connected to the search, but I’m not sure how serious that is.
- As we’ve pieced together different bits of info, I’m inclined to think that most of the interviews that have happened so far have probably been virtual. That would make in-person interviews the next step, and if I had to guess, those will happen this weekend.
- While Leftwich is the newest name here, I don’t think he’s going to be the guy. I think he impressed Narduzzi in his interview and made himself a real candidate, but I actually don’t expect him to come in for an in-person interview. And we’ve already ruled out Cramsey, who wants to stay in Memphis for family reasons.
- That leaves Bell, Hamdan and McClendon. I don’t know what to make of Hamdan, but I get the impression it won’t be McClendon. My gut still tells me this will be Bell, but that’s not a real strong gut feeling; it’s entirely possible one of the others could be the guy - or someone new altogether.
If the timeline of in-person interviews happening this weekend lines up, I would guess we’ll see something reported by the end of the weekend and announced early next week.
- Two things have certainly emerged:
1. While Narduzzi is moving through the search and balancing it with recruiting, he’s also not rushing it. I don’t think he’s wasting time, per se. But he’s taking his time. He knows how important this hire is for him and for Pitt, and he seems to be casting a fairly wide net to find the right guy.
2. Narduzzi has clearly branched out in what he’s looking for. While Jim Chaney, Matt Canada, Shawn Watson, Mark Whipple and Frank Cignetti are different from each other, there are some pretty big differences between that group and the list of names I posted above.
You may like some of those candidates more than others, but you have to admit that Narduzzi is looking for something different in this search.
We’ll see what comes out today.
