With Curt Cignetti taking the head job at Indiana, it’s likely that he’ll bring some of his most important staffers along to the Power Five level — that includes a prime Pitt offensive coordinator target.
Mike Shanahan has been a popular candidate for the offensive coordinator vacancy since it opened up Sunday, but as Pat Narduzzi is in the process of finding the new offensive coordinator, it remains to be seen where Shanahan stands in the process.
The former (two-time) Pitt captain will likely have a variety of options with the upheaval at JMU now.
Shanahan, 33, has been with Cignetti since 2016 when he was hired as the Indiana (Pa.) wide receivers coach. He followed Cignetti to Elon and then to JMU two seasons later — and it seems likely that Shanahan will have a place on the Indiana staff if he wants it. But maybe he wants the JMU job for himself.
Shanahan started as the wide receivers coach at JMU, eventually gaining the recruiting coordinator title, before he was elevated to offensive coordinator — in addition to his duties as wide receivers coach — in 2021. He went to Cignetti to ask for more. And it paid off. As JMU has made the jump to the FBS level, the Dukes boast one of the top offenses in the Sun Belt.
Shanahan is a former wide receiver, still top 10 in receptions (159) and receiving yards (2,276) in Pitt history, and his offenses have centered around a couple of high-profile transfer quarterbacks, but his propensity for running the football has unlocked two offenses that have not missed a beat in the transition from the FCS to the FBS. It’s been a major success.
The Dukes have averaged just about 165 rushing yards per game over the last two seasons, and in a feat that the previous Pitt offensive coordinator was unable to accomplish, he’s established a rushing attack that actually opens up opportunities through the air by spreading out opposing defenses.
JMU runs an aggressive, mauling offense under Shanahan, one that has pushed teams around in the Sun Belt (to the tune of a 19-4 record over the last two seasons), but he’s had success with two different quarterbacks. It’s all because he’s adapted to the modern college game.
Shanahan isn’t a typical Narduzzi offensive coordinator candidate, considering his youth and relative inexperience, but he runs an appealing offense that prioritizes running the football, has had a lot of success with multiple transfer quarterbacks during his tenure and has served as a recruiting coordinator.
It doesn’t appear as though Pitt is close to making any sort of hire, but with the uncertainty of college football these days, who knows? I wouldn’t expect a long, drawn-out search.
He will never hire him because it’s a direct threat to his job
Agree
I would imagine he could be a candidate to take over at JMU or go w. Cignetti to Ind. Would he really take the chance on Narduzzi to come home to Pitt? Maybe. If he got the JMU head job, he’d make at least comparable money and would run the show, same w. Ind. and he knows what he’d get w. Cignetti.
Any coach worth his salt would’ve had a short list of candidates prepared before the season even ended.
Evidently he had to look at the tape, and was surprised to decide to fire the OC. Therefore no ready to move quickly.
Can’t blame him if he takes a B1G OC job over an OC job working with Duzzi. This would never of been a problem if Duzzi was smart and fired Cignetti 4 weeks ago. Nice job waiting Pat.
If there is a bad decision to be made, Narduzzi is going to be all over it.
If he waits long enough, then Babers is the only logical coach available.
Narduzzi still has about 6 high schools to visit in his search for an OC REPLACEMENT Stay tuned. .