Pitt: Top 5 Candidates Fans Should want as Offensive Coordinator

Dec 28, 2015; Annapolis, MD, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers players huddle on the field prior to their game against the Navy Midshipmen at Navy-Marine Corps. Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Now that the season has concluded, it’s time to outline the top five candidates to replace former offensive coordinator, Jim Chaney.

As a primer for this post, I want to begin with a few questions to get Pitt Pather fans’ minds thinking.

Are you a fan of—dare I say—a high-octane offense?

What about a fan of a slow, ground-and-pound, churn out the yards kind of offense?

Finally, did Jim Chaney’s offense in 2015 satisfy your football taste buds?

For me, in the final question I land somewhere in the middle of being frustrated and pleased. I’m certain many of you follow in that sentiment. With that being said, no matter which brand of offense you prefer, I narrowed a large list of many candidates, down to a Top 5 for potential replacements of the one-and-done Jim Chaney.

When considering a replacement, I took into account a couple of key factors. First being the roughly estimated salary of Chaney while at Pitt. The other, is athletic director Scott Barnes mentioning that Pat Narduzzi will have the “resources” while searching and hiring a new offensive coordinator.

Chaney was set to make a salary of $550,000 when he entered the final year of a three-year deal with Arkansas, that is when instead of a third season, he chose to embark on his first with the Panthers. I have searched endlessly for the actual figure that he was making while at Pitt, but from what I understand, no coach’s salary at Pitt is publicly disclosed for record. As a financially parallel move is unlikely, I estimated his salary was increased to about $650,000-$725,000.

Trying to debunk the keyword, “resources,” I drove myself mad determining whether it was a pile of monetary resources, regular contacts, or man-power resources in the means of a thorough committee, searching for the best on the market. So, I will assume it’s a combination of the three.

Taking all aspects into account, I researched current salaries, the pocketbook at Pitt, and if it would mesh, deteriorate, or enhance the culture along with the legacy. Of course, I also took into account who the fans should want Pitt to target for hire.

Keeping that in mind, let’s begin the countdown for the top candidates that Pitt and Narduzzi should consider.

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