Let's just roll right into it shall we (go check out Part 1 if you haven't yet - you'll get up to speed on candidates 1-10)
Group 3 - The Pat Narduzzi Category - Top Coordinators from around the country
11. Ryan Day - 39 - Co-Offensive Coordinator/Interim HC - Ohio State - Yes? [3-0] - Manchester, NH/New Hampshire
This would ordinarily not be a name that pops up on any radar. Prior to this season he was mostly an NFL QB coach and had a few unnotable stints as a College OC at Boston College and Temple. But after the Urban Meyer news broke, it was Day who was awarded with the Interim Head Coaching title - not long time former head coach Greg Schiano. That thrust him into the national spot light in which would have been his first college OC job since 2014. He played his college ball under Chip Kelly of Oregon coaching fame, and even was his QB coach when Kelly was with the Eagles and 49ers. Installing that type of offense at Pitt would be difficult but absolutely doable with the right guy. I like Day a lot. One of the few coordinators I would think to hire at Pitt.
Notable jobs: 49ers and Eagles QB - Boston College OC/QB - Temple OC/WR - Florida GA
12. Mike Yurcich - 42 - Offensive Coordinator - Oklahoma St - No - Euclid, OH/ Cal U - PA
This is the weirdest coaching history of any candidate in the bunch but I love it. He is essentially a life long PSAC guy, having jobs with Shippensburg, Edinboro, Saint Francis and played at Cal U. Even though that is a very lackluster resume, Mike Gundy saw something he loved and brought in a relative no name to Oklahoma State to be his Offensive Coordinator. I'm not sure how much play calling he is responsible for but he is going to get credit for building Mason Rudolph into one of the best college QB's in the last decade plus. Someone with this many ties to Pennsylvania and a strong recent history in the P5 is a top notch candidate in my book.
Notable jobs: Shippensburg OC/QB - Edinboro OC/QB/WR - Indiana GA - Saint Francis OC/QB
13. Tony Elliott - 38 - co-Offensive Coordinator - Clemson - No - Watsonville, CA/Clemson
Elliott is one of the few on this list that I'm not positive that he could be a Head Coach. I do however think that he will eventually be a successful P5 coach - just maybe later rather than sooner. A G5 school might be his best bet first. Regardless, Elliott was a RB at Clemson and was clearly incredibly smart - he finished with a team high 3.55 GPA and even got a corporate job with Michelin out of college. He decided he wanted to coach and did so at some small FCS schools before Dabo noticed him. Brought in as a RB coach and in 2015 was promoted to play calling duties of co-OC with a national title contender - and was a Broyles finalist for assistant coach of the year in 2017 and was co-OC when Clemson won it's national championship in 2016. He also has been training in the "Champion Forum" which trains and prepares African-American coaches to interview and become Head Coaches. Pretty cool stuff. And as we have seen with Jeff Capel on the basketball side, an African-American coach really does resonate with recruits (He's top 30 every year according to 24/7). Especially if he's winning.
Notable jobs: Clemson RB - Furman WR - South Carolina State WR
14. Jake Spavital - 33 - Offensive Coordinator - West Virginia - No - Tulsa, OK/Missouri State
Spavital is much younger than anyone else on the list. He also is the young gun/hot shot young offensive mind some on this board have been clamoring for. He has been under some of the greatest offensive minds in recent history and has mentored some of the best college QB's of the last decade. Started as an offensive assistant for Tulsa under Gus Malzahn in 2008. Then he became a Grad Assitant at Houston under Kevin Sumlin in 2009. Then was hired by Holgerson (OC) and Gundy at Oklahoma State in 2010 to be QB assistant GA, for Brandon Weeden (he was good in college). He would follow Holgerson to WVU in 2011 as his first full time QB Coach job - mentored Geno Smith. In 2013 he was hired to be co-OC and QB Coach for Sumlin - and Heisman winner Johnny Manziel. After leaving Texas A&M in 2016 he took over at Cal and would eventually be named Interim HC when Sonny Dykes was fired (great offense-worse than Pitt defense). And finally was brought back by Holgerson to be OC at WVU for the past 2 seasons. That is a meteoric rise for a young coach, he amy need G5 tuning but Pitt could take the dive and give him his first big break.
Notable jobs: look above
15. Shane Beamer - 41 - Assistant Head Coach - Oklahoma - No - Charleston, SC/Va Tech
Yes, that Beamer. Son of Virginia Tech legend Frank Beamer - Shane has held his own since stepping out of dad's shadow. Long term I don't think being dad's legacy will pay off but who knows - maybe it is in his blood. Maybe it was having his dad as a connection - but he has held some pretty impressive ACC and SEC jobs since becoming a coach including stints at Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, and Georgia. He is widely regarded as a top level recruiter having been ranked in the top 50 the last 3 years by 24/7. Could be school and name recognition but everyone has some advantage. He was special teams coordinator for last year's runner up Georgia. I think this is a risky hire but Pitt is in it to win 10 games a year not 5 to 7. Sometimes boom or bust is the way to go.
Notable Jobs: Georgia STC/TE - VT AHC/RB - South Carolina CB/STC - Miss St DB - Tenn DB
16. Brent Venables - 47 - Defensive Coordinator - Clemson - No - Salina, KS/Kansas State
Let me start off by saying this dude would be a bad hire. Narduzzi on steroids if you will. Great defensive coordinator and mad man earns you the Broyles Award in 2016 and Best Defensive Coordinator Award in 2015 - but it shouldn't get you hired as a head coach. He doesn't do a ton of recruiting - usually makes pit stops when they need a power recruit. He has won two national titles 16 years apart (Clemson 2016 - Oklahoma 2000). I love him as a DC, not sure I would as an HC. Plus I think he's waiting for Snyder to die on the field at Kansas State so he can take over at his alma mater - but jokes on him Snyder is gonna coach til he's 105.
Notable jobs: Oklahoma DC/LB (1999-2011 wow) - Kansas State LB
Group 4 - The Dave Wannstedt Category - Big names coming back to Coach*
17. Lane Kiffin* - 43 - Head Coach - Florida Atlantic - Yes [48-27] - Lincoln,NE/Fresno State
Ohhhhh baby Joey Freshwater himself. Slaying hot chicks in Boca is his main job - leading the Owlz is obviously second. Granted he's pretty good at it but still. This is not a dude who fits the culture at Pitt. I obviously say that now but I would be pretty excited if they hired him, I'm not going to lie. He is a genius offensive mind, I just don't think he's built to be a head coach. In his three years he has underachieved pretty much everywhere, and gotten himself kicked out of places for doing something dumb. Will he take the job? Probably not. Should they at least ask? ... maybe?
Notable jobs: Alabam OC - USC HC - Tennessee HC - Raiders HC - USC OC
P.S. - How on earth did he get hired by the Raiders? An NFL franchise when he's never even been a college head coach nor NFL postion coach.... HOW!?
18. Greg Schiano - 52 - Defensive Coordinator - Ohio State - Yes [68-67] - Wycoff,NJ/Bucknell
Another hire I don't think Pitt should make. Did you see Tennessee blow up when he was rumored to be the guy? Absolutely unbelievable, and Tennessee is currently a bigger dumpster fire than Pitt could ever dream of being. Schiano has character flaws and a troubled past. His stint at with the Buccaneers is one of the biggest bonehead hires and moves for what would have been amazing for Rutgers long term. On top of all of that, Ohio State - the officers of the moral high ground - chose to promote Ryan Day who has never been a head coach in his life to interim for Urban Meyer during that suspension because Schiano has just as many issues as Meyer - which is downright unbelievable too. (So much unbelievable)
Notable jobs: Bucs HC - Rutgers HC - Miami DC - Bears DB - Penn State DB
19. Jim Leavitt - 61 - Defensive Coordinator - Oregon - Yes [95-57] - Harlingen, TX/Mizzou
The average Pitt fan should have fond memories of this man. The former South Florida long time coach tormented Pitt for years in the old Big East. I personally love this man - I met him at the Steelers Super Bowl win down in Tampa. An amazing guy and treated a kid like me with a ton of respect and gave me free sh-t. Love him. Unfortunately I don't think Pitt hires him. He is the oldest guy on the list by a long shot. He has done great work at Colorado and Oregon but is it enough to get back in the saddle at his age? Does he even want to?
Notable jobs: Colorado DC - 49ers LB - South Florida HC - Kansas State co-DC/LB
Next up - the weird ones check out part 3!
Group 3 - The Pat Narduzzi Category - Top Coordinators from around the country
11. Ryan Day - 39 - Co-Offensive Coordinator/Interim HC - Ohio State - Yes? [3-0] - Manchester, NH/New Hampshire
This would ordinarily not be a name that pops up on any radar. Prior to this season he was mostly an NFL QB coach and had a few unnotable stints as a College OC at Boston College and Temple. But after the Urban Meyer news broke, it was Day who was awarded with the Interim Head Coaching title - not long time former head coach Greg Schiano. That thrust him into the national spot light in which would have been his first college OC job since 2014. He played his college ball under Chip Kelly of Oregon coaching fame, and even was his QB coach when Kelly was with the Eagles and 49ers. Installing that type of offense at Pitt would be difficult but absolutely doable with the right guy. I like Day a lot. One of the few coordinators I would think to hire at Pitt.
Notable jobs: 49ers and Eagles QB - Boston College OC/QB - Temple OC/WR - Florida GA
12. Mike Yurcich - 42 - Offensive Coordinator - Oklahoma St - No - Euclid, OH/ Cal U - PA
This is the weirdest coaching history of any candidate in the bunch but I love it. He is essentially a life long PSAC guy, having jobs with Shippensburg, Edinboro, Saint Francis and played at Cal U. Even though that is a very lackluster resume, Mike Gundy saw something he loved and brought in a relative no name to Oklahoma State to be his Offensive Coordinator. I'm not sure how much play calling he is responsible for but he is going to get credit for building Mason Rudolph into one of the best college QB's in the last decade plus. Someone with this many ties to Pennsylvania and a strong recent history in the P5 is a top notch candidate in my book.
Notable jobs: Shippensburg OC/QB - Edinboro OC/QB/WR - Indiana GA - Saint Francis OC/QB
13. Tony Elliott - 38 - co-Offensive Coordinator - Clemson - No - Watsonville, CA/Clemson
Elliott is one of the few on this list that I'm not positive that he could be a Head Coach. I do however think that he will eventually be a successful P5 coach - just maybe later rather than sooner. A G5 school might be his best bet first. Regardless, Elliott was a RB at Clemson and was clearly incredibly smart - he finished with a team high 3.55 GPA and even got a corporate job with Michelin out of college. He decided he wanted to coach and did so at some small FCS schools before Dabo noticed him. Brought in as a RB coach and in 2015 was promoted to play calling duties of co-OC with a national title contender - and was a Broyles finalist for assistant coach of the year in 2017 and was co-OC when Clemson won it's national championship in 2016. He also has been training in the "Champion Forum" which trains and prepares African-American coaches to interview and become Head Coaches. Pretty cool stuff. And as we have seen with Jeff Capel on the basketball side, an African-American coach really does resonate with recruits (He's top 30 every year according to 24/7). Especially if he's winning.
Notable jobs: Clemson RB - Furman WR - South Carolina State WR
14. Jake Spavital - 33 - Offensive Coordinator - West Virginia - No - Tulsa, OK/Missouri State
Spavital is much younger than anyone else on the list. He also is the young gun/hot shot young offensive mind some on this board have been clamoring for. He has been under some of the greatest offensive minds in recent history and has mentored some of the best college QB's of the last decade. Started as an offensive assistant for Tulsa under Gus Malzahn in 2008. Then he became a Grad Assitant at Houston under Kevin Sumlin in 2009. Then was hired by Holgerson (OC) and Gundy at Oklahoma State in 2010 to be QB assistant GA, for Brandon Weeden (he was good in college). He would follow Holgerson to WVU in 2011 as his first full time QB Coach job - mentored Geno Smith. In 2013 he was hired to be co-OC and QB Coach for Sumlin - and Heisman winner Johnny Manziel. After leaving Texas A&M in 2016 he took over at Cal and would eventually be named Interim HC when Sonny Dykes was fired (great offense-worse than Pitt defense). And finally was brought back by Holgerson to be OC at WVU for the past 2 seasons. That is a meteoric rise for a young coach, he amy need G5 tuning but Pitt could take the dive and give him his first big break.
Notable jobs: look above
15. Shane Beamer - 41 - Assistant Head Coach - Oklahoma - No - Charleston, SC/Va Tech
Yes, that Beamer. Son of Virginia Tech legend Frank Beamer - Shane has held his own since stepping out of dad's shadow. Long term I don't think being dad's legacy will pay off but who knows - maybe it is in his blood. Maybe it was having his dad as a connection - but he has held some pretty impressive ACC and SEC jobs since becoming a coach including stints at Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, and Georgia. He is widely regarded as a top level recruiter having been ranked in the top 50 the last 3 years by 24/7. Could be school and name recognition but everyone has some advantage. He was special teams coordinator for last year's runner up Georgia. I think this is a risky hire but Pitt is in it to win 10 games a year not 5 to 7. Sometimes boom or bust is the way to go.
Notable Jobs: Georgia STC/TE - VT AHC/RB - South Carolina CB/STC - Miss St DB - Tenn DB
16. Brent Venables - 47 - Defensive Coordinator - Clemson - No - Salina, KS/Kansas State
Let me start off by saying this dude would be a bad hire. Narduzzi on steroids if you will. Great defensive coordinator and mad man earns you the Broyles Award in 2016 and Best Defensive Coordinator Award in 2015 - but it shouldn't get you hired as a head coach. He doesn't do a ton of recruiting - usually makes pit stops when they need a power recruit. He has won two national titles 16 years apart (Clemson 2016 - Oklahoma 2000). I love him as a DC, not sure I would as an HC. Plus I think he's waiting for Snyder to die on the field at Kansas State so he can take over at his alma mater - but jokes on him Snyder is gonna coach til he's 105.
Notable jobs: Oklahoma DC/LB (1999-2011 wow) - Kansas State LB
Group 4 - The Dave Wannstedt Category - Big names coming back to Coach*
17. Lane Kiffin* - 43 - Head Coach - Florida Atlantic - Yes [48-27] - Lincoln,NE/Fresno State
Ohhhhh baby Joey Freshwater himself. Slaying hot chicks in Boca is his main job - leading the Owlz is obviously second. Granted he's pretty good at it but still. This is not a dude who fits the culture at Pitt. I obviously say that now but I would be pretty excited if they hired him, I'm not going to lie. He is a genius offensive mind, I just don't think he's built to be a head coach. In his three years he has underachieved pretty much everywhere, and gotten himself kicked out of places for doing something dumb. Will he take the job? Probably not. Should they at least ask? ... maybe?
Notable jobs: Alabam OC - USC HC - Tennessee HC - Raiders HC - USC OC
P.S. - How on earth did he get hired by the Raiders? An NFL franchise when he's never even been a college head coach nor NFL postion coach.... HOW!?
18. Greg Schiano - 52 - Defensive Coordinator - Ohio State - Yes [68-67] - Wycoff,NJ/Bucknell
Another hire I don't think Pitt should make. Did you see Tennessee blow up when he was rumored to be the guy? Absolutely unbelievable, and Tennessee is currently a bigger dumpster fire than Pitt could ever dream of being. Schiano has character flaws and a troubled past. His stint at with the Buccaneers is one of the biggest bonehead hires and moves for what would have been amazing for Rutgers long term. On top of all of that, Ohio State - the officers of the moral high ground - chose to promote Ryan Day who has never been a head coach in his life to interim for Urban Meyer during that suspension because Schiano has just as many issues as Meyer - which is downright unbelievable too. (So much unbelievable)
Notable jobs: Bucs HC - Rutgers HC - Miami DC - Bears DB - Penn State DB
19. Jim Leavitt - 61 - Defensive Coordinator - Oregon - Yes [95-57] - Harlingen, TX/Mizzou
The average Pitt fan should have fond memories of this man. The former South Florida long time coach tormented Pitt for years in the old Big East. I personally love this man - I met him at the Steelers Super Bowl win down in Tampa. An amazing guy and treated a kid like me with a ton of respect and gave me free sh-t. Love him. Unfortunately I don't think Pitt hires him. He is the oldest guy on the list by a long shot. He has done great work at Colorado and Oregon but is it enough to get back in the saddle at his age? Does he even want to?
Notable jobs: Colorado DC - 49ers LB - South Florida HC - Kansas State co-DC/LB
Next up - the weird ones check out part 3!
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