University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pat Narduzzi announces four coaching appointments
1/16/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
PITTSBURGH—University of Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi announced four additions to his coaching staff: Renaldo Hill (cornerbacks), John Peterson (offensive line), Tim Salem (tight ends) and former Pitt player Tom Sims (defensive line).
A former Michigan State captain and All-Big Ten defensive back, Hill played a decade in the National Football League (2001-10) before embarking on his coaching career. He most recently was an assistant at Wyoming, working with the corners.
Peterson owns more than two decades of collegiate coaching experience, including an eight-year tenure under Jim Tressel at Ohio State (2004-11) when the Buckeyes won or shared six consecutive Big Ten titles. Peterson himself was a four-year letterman on the offensive line for the Buckeyes from 1987-90. He spent this past season as the assistant head coach and offensive line coach at Akron under Terry Bowden.
Salem is a 30-year college coaching veteran, most recently serving at Illinois from 2012-14 as special teams coordinator and running backs coach. His lengthy career includes tenures at Central Florida, Ohio State, Purdue and Arizona State among others. He brings diverse experience to Pitt, serving as offensive coordinator at four different schools and coaching four different positions on that side of the ball.
Sims was a rugged defensive tackle at Pitt in 1988 and 1989 before going on to play in the National Football League. He most recently served as assistant head coach and defensive line coach at Youngstown State from 2010-14. Among his prior collegiate coaching stops are Minnesota, Illinois and Kansas.
With these appointments, Narduzzi has now announced eight of his nine on-field coaching positions.
More on Renaldo Hill
Hill was a three-year starting cornerback at Michigan State, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors as a senior in 2000. A seventh-round selection in the 2001 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals, he would play 10 professional seasons as both a corner and safety. Hill played four years with the Cardinals (2001-04), one year with the Oakland Raiders (2005), three years with the Miami Dolphins (2006-08) and his final two seasons with the Denver Broncos (2009-10). He totaled 141 games, 114 starts and 19 interceptions during his NFL career.
After finishing his bachelor's degree at Michigan State, Hill began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Wyoming in 2012. He was elevated to a full-time post in 2013, coaching the Cowboys' cornerbacks.
“Our corners are really going to love Renaldo,” Narduzzi said. “I got to know him at Michigan State and he is a great person and excellent teacher. Having a former defensive back who played 10 years in the NFL on our staff will be invaluable.”
More on John Peterson
Peterson played offensive line under a pair of College Hall of Famers at Ohio State in Earle Bruce and John Cooper. As a senior starting guard, he helped pave the way for 1,000-yard rusher Robert Smith.
Following his 1991 graduation, Peterson served in a pair of graduate assistantships at Cincinnati (1991-92) and Ohio State (1993-94). In returning to the Buckeyes, he had the opportunity to work with offensive tackle Orlando Pace, a two-time winner of the prestigious Lombardi Award who went on to a decorated 13-year career in the NFL.
Peterson earned his first full-time post at Akron as offensive line coach from 1995-98. His 1997 unit fueled the country's No. 11 rushing attack and surrendered just 10 sacks.
From 1999-2003, Peterson oversaw the offensive line at Miami (Ohio) and was appointed the RedHawks' run game coordinator in 2001. In 2003, led by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the RedHawks stormed to a 13-1 record, capturing the Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship and defeating nationally ranked Louisville in the GMAC Bowl to finish No. 10 in the Associated Press poll. Peterson's offensive line was a vital part of an offense that averaged 501 yards and 43 points per contest. That championship campaign also marked Peterson's first collaboration with Pat Narduzzi, who was Miami's defensive coordinator.
Peterson returned to Ohio State in 2004 to work under another College Hall of Famer, Jim Tressel, as tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator. Peterson would help the Buckeyes compile an eight-year record of 80-22 (.784) and make two appearances in the BCS Championship Game (2006 and 2007). With Peterson overseeing the program's recruiting efforts, Ohio State had seven classes rated among the nation's top 15, including top 5 classes in 2008 and 2009.
Peterson's other coaching stop was at UAB for two seasons (2012-13).
“John is a tremendous coach and a better person,” Narduzzi said. “He is also an unbelievable recruiter and evaluator. We first worked together during our MAC championship season at Miami [in 2003] and I'm thrilled to have him at Pitt.”
More on Tim Salem
At Illinois the past three seasons, Salem was the Fighting Illini's special teams coordinator and also coached the running backs in 2012 and 2013. This past year, Salem's units helped Illinois earn an invitation to the Heart of Dallas Bowl. Punter Justin DuVernois earned All-Big Ten honors after averaging 44.0 yards per punt to rank second in the Big Ten and 18th nationally.
At UCF from 2004-11, Salem coached some of the most productive and decorated players in school history. In 2007, running back Kevin Smith was a consensus All-American after leading the nation in rushing yards (2,567) and rushing touchdowns (29). Smith's rushing total that season remains the third highest in Bowl Subdivision history, trailing only Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders (2,628 in 1988) and Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon (2,587 in 2014).
UCF won its first Conference USA championship in 2007 with Salem at the controls of the offense. The Knights won 10 games, setting school records for points (502), touchdowns (62) and rushing yards (3,287) in the process.
Overseeing UCF's special teams, Salem mentored three of the country's most explosive kick returners. Rannell Hall (2011), Quincy McDuffie (2010) and Joe Burnett (2008) were each first-team All-Conference USA return men and ranked in the nation's top 10 in kickoff return average. McDuffie, in fact, was second nationally with a 32.2-yard average in 2010.
In 2003, Salem was the offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach and kicking coach at Eastern Michigan. While at EMU, he worked with placekicker Andrew Wellock, who would go on to be a Lou Groza Award finalist.
From 1997-2000, Salem was the quarterbacks coach at Ohio State. In 1998, Joe Germaine was the Big Ten Player of the Year, throwing for 3,330 yards and 25 touchdowns with only seven interceptions in leading the Buckeyes to an 11-1 record and No. 2 ranking in the final polls.
From 1991-96, Salem worked at Purdue where he was quarterbacks coach and, his final three years, offensive coordinator. The Boilermakers led the Big Ten in rushing in 1995.
Salem's other coaching stops include Colorado State (1989-90) and Phoenix College (1987-88). A 1985 graduate of Arizona State, he began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater for two seasons. Salem began his collegiate playing career at Minnesota, where he broke the Big Ten record for consecutive pass completions in 1980, before transferring to Arizona State for the 1983-84 seasons.
Salem comes from a family of coaches. His father Joe served as head coach at South Dakota (1966-74), Northern Arizona (1975-78) and Minnesota (1979-83). Tim's brother Brad Salem is the quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator at Michigan State.
“Tim brings so much experience to Pitt,” Narduzzi said. “He has been a coordinator and coached virtually every position on offense. Tim will be a great sounding board not only for [new Pitt offensive coordinator] Jim Chaney but also our entire staff.”
More on Tom Sims
Sims returns to Pitt following five seasons at Youngstown State, where he coached an all-conference player each year of his tenure. In total, Sims oversaw the development of six all-conference defensive linemen, including 2014 first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference defensive end Derek Rivers.
Rivers had 14 sacks this past year, setting the YSU regular-season record. Sims' defensive line accounted for 27 of the Penguins' 29 sacks in 2014.
Prior to Youngstown State, Sims worked with the defensive lines at Kansas (2009), Illinois (2005-08), Minnesota (2001-04), Eastern Michigan (2000) and Western Kentucky (1997-99).
Working under Illinois head coach Ron Zook, Sims produced four All-Big Ten performers. In 2007, Sims' defensive line accounted for 28.5 of Illinois' school-record 40 sacks. That season, the Illini advanced to the Rose Bowl, spurred by an upset win at top-ranked Ohio State.
During his Minnesota tenure under head coach Glen Mason, the Gophers advanced to three bowl games. The 2003 squad went 10-3 and earned a top-20 ranking in the final polls. During Sims' final three seasons, Minnesota notched a combined 81 sacks.
Sims began his coaching career at Western Kentucky from 1997-99 under Jack Harbaugh. As a player at Pitt, Sims first met Harbaugh, who was the Panthers' assistant head coach from 1987-88.
As a collegian, Sims played at the heart of two stout defensive fronts that featured such standouts as Burt Grossman, Keith Hamilton, Tony Siragusa and Marc Spindler. As a senior in 1989, Sims helped the Panthers to an 8-3-1 season and victory in the John Hancock Bowl over Texas A&M (31-28). He earned his business degree from Pitt in 1990.
Sims would go on to play in 47 games in the NFL from 1990-96. He had playing stints with the Kansas City Chiefs (who drafted him in the sixth round in 1990) and Indianapolis Colts.
“I'm thrilled to bring Tom back to his alma mater where he was a tough defensive lineman,” Narduzzi said. “He is going to bring a ton of enthusiasm and knowledge to our defensive line room. Tom's experiences as a Pitt and NFL player will be highly valuable to our players and coaches alike.”
Pat Narduzzi's Pitt coaching staff to date:
Josh Conklin, defensive coordinator
Jim Chaney, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks
Andre Powell, special teams coordinator and running backs
Rob Harley, linebackers
Renaldo Hill, cornerbacks
John Peterson, offensive line
Tim Salem, tight ends
Tom Sims, defensive line
Dave Andrews, head strength and conditioning coach
—PITT—
