Dave Wannstedt Announces Football Staff Changes
12/5/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 5, 2006
PITTSBURGH--University of Pittsburgh head football coach Dave Wannstedt announced changes to his assistant staff today, including the departures of two coaches and the reassignment of another.
Linebackers coach Curtis Bray and strength and conditioning coach Mike Kent will leave the Pitt staff to pursue other opportunities. Defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads, who has coached the secondary since 2000, will change his positional focus to linebackers. Rhoads will continue to coordinate the Panthers' defense.
"Having been a coordinator for a significant part of my career, I know the advantages of having your linebacker coach, who is involved in defending both the run and the pass, also serve as defensive coordinator," Wannstedt said. "Having Paul make this positional switch will better serve our entire defensive unit and help us put more emphasis on our rushing defense.
"In addition to hiring a secondary coach, I anticipate we will be making additional appointments on our strength and conditioning staff. I plan on interviewing strength coach candidates this weekend and expect to have someone in place by Christmas. This will enable our off-season program to begin full-speed when our players return the first week of January.
"Our goal is to build a Top 10 football program at Pitt and we are continuously striving to improve in every area on and off the field."
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