With Boston College’s Frank Cignetti Jr. hired away from a fellow ACC school to fill the void at offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Pitt once again snuck in and nabbed a Power Five assistant for an open position.
Pitt has hired Rutgers wide receivers coach Tiquan Underwood, a Rutgers alum and former NFL wide receiver, to fill the void left by Brennan Marion’s departure to Texas, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported.
It’s a big hire for Pitt, securing a young, up-and-coming wide receivers coach to fill the shoes of Marion. A former NFL player who’s leaving his alma mater to take the same position at a fellow Power Five school is a coup.
Underwood caught 132 passes for 1,931 yards and 16 touchdowns during his four seasons at Rutgers, leaping off a 1,100-yard season as a junior to becoming the 253rd selection in the 2009 NFL Draft.
In five NFL seasons between 2009-13, Underwood caught 63 balls for 1,006 yards and six touchdowns — including 440 yards and four touchdowns with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2013.
Following the conclusion of his NFL career, Underwood began his coaching career as the wide receivers coach at Lafayette in 2018 before staying in-state to serve as an offensive quality control coach with the Miami Dolphins.
Underwood returned to Rutgers for the 2020 season, serving under head coach Greg Schiano as the Scarlet Knights’ wide receivers coach.
Rutgers isn’t known for a high-powered offense, especially not an aerial attack, but Underwood helped Rutgers wide receiver Bo Melton to career seasons in 2020 and 2021, and the Rutgers’ offense as a whole took a step forward in 2020.
And like Cignetti, Underwood already has a track record as a strong recruiter through the early years of his coaching career. Underwood served as the secondary recruiter for 2021 three-star wide receiver Carnell Davis and the primary recruiter for 2022 high three-star wide receiver Amarion Brown — both from Florida.
Underwood’s recruiting chops, especially in Florida and New Jersey, should only bolster Pitt’s efforts in both states, and he’s likely eager to begin working with a stable of wide receivers that includes Jordan Addison, Konata Mumpfield, Jared Wayne and more.
Pitt had two key coaching positions to fill entering the 2022 season, and with Cignetti and Underwood, Narduzzi’s couldn’t have done a whole lot better.
Welcome to Pitt, Mr. Underwood. H2P !
Interesting that he would leave his alma mater for a lateral move. Sounds like solid credentials so glad Pitt got him though.
And Rutgers gets more TV loot than Pitt too ! So…add that into the strangeness.
I was surprise to hear of Tiquan moving to Pitt, especially since Rutgers recently hit the transfer portal hard and has a couple of talented receivers joining the team . As a long-time Rutgers fan, I’m sad to see a competent coach with strong ties go. For what it’s worth, I think Cignetti and Tiquan are good, but I wouldn’t consider them great hires. Hopefully they find success at Pitt.
Boston College & Rutgers. Not exactly college football powerhouses. Maybe they’ll work out. Who knows.
That’s okay, Pitt apparently is now recruiting the state of Michigan.
Narduzzi does seem to hire a good staff. Too bad tomlin doesn’t seem to have the same plan..
Amen on Tomlin! Rutgers Coach supposedly arrogant and 4 assistants left this yr ? He’s a young Coach and played in NFL which impresses young recruits. Plus has connections in 2 Recruiting hot beds in Florida and New Jersey helps.
I’m not sure any of us know anything about him.
Rather than judge the hire, I will wish him luck and save my judgement till after I watch him for a year or 2.
Best Comment, Here!