Pat Narduzzi has a couple of major hires to make in the coming days and weeks, and while Trent Turknett isn’t arriving to fill either role, he’s now the newest Pitt staffer.
Turknett announced Monday night that he’s joined the Pitt coaching as an offensive quality control assistant, joining the Panthers after spending the last three seasons at Western Carolina.
“Let’s work!!” Turknett wrote on Twitter.
Turknett served a couple of roles at WCU, notably serving as the Catamounts’ director of player personnel last season. He was initially hired in 2021, arriving the same season as new offensive coordinator Kade Bell.
Bell has a history with Turknett that extends beyond their time together at Western Carolina.
Turknett actually received his collegiate coaching start at Valdosta State in 2017-19, working with the offensive line during the Blazers’ run to the Division II title — a season in which Bell served as the offensive coordinator.
He spent the fall of 2019 at Murray State as the director of player personnel and video coordinator before he re-united with Bell at Tusculum, where he served as the tight ends coach and director of football operations.
Turknett graduated from Florida with a bachelor’s degree in sports management and a minor in business, and he received his master’s in public administration from Valdosta State during his time as an assistant.
It remains to be seen exactly what Turknett will do in his role as a quality control coach, but it will entail preparing the team — likely offensively focused — on game-planning on a week-to-week basis.
Turknett is the second former Western Carolina assistant to join the staff, along with graduate assistant Jacob Floyd, and he’s the fourth former WCU staffer — along with Bell, Floyd and offensive line coach Jeremy Darveau.
Nate Yarnell has already been announced as the starting quarterback entering the spring, but Yarnell, Christian Veilleux and Eli Holstein will be in the mix. It will be the most important position battle to follow this offseason.
But there is plenty of competition across the offense, too. Rodney Hammond Jr. returns, joined by Daniel Carter, Derrick Davis Jr. and Montravius Lloyd, and WCU transfer Desmond Reid is in the fold. Former WCU wide receivers Raphael Williams and Censere Lee join a receivers group that returns Konata Mumpfield, DaeDae Reynolds and Kenny Johnson. And Gavin Bartholomew headlines the tight ends room.
Coach Narduzzi must be preparing PITT for a transition to FCS SoCon. WTF, Kerwin Bell does not get fired with his Son poaching so many players and Coaches from Cullowhee?