Chris Beatty - Football Coach - Pitt Panthers #H2P

Chris Beatty

Title:
Wide Receivers
Season at Pitt:
Second

Chris Beatty, a highly distinguished offensive coach and recruiter, enters his second season as Pitt's wide receivers coach.

In Beatty's debut season with the Panthers, Maurice Ffrench and Taysir Mack established themselves as the most productive pass-catching duo in the ACC. Ffrench (96) and Mack (63) combined for 159 receptions, the most of any two teammates in the conference.

Although he played in only 11 games due to injury, Ffrench eclipsed Pitt’s single-season receptions record held by Larry Fitzgerald (92 catches over 13 games in 2003). He averaged an FBS-best 8.7 catches per game, surpassing the Pitt record previously held by Tyler Boyd (7.6 over 13 games in 2015). Ffrench signed a free-agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Mack posted the highest receiving production of his career and capped the season with a spectacular 25-yard touchdown grab in the Quick Lane Bowl to give Pitt a 34-30 victory over Eastern Michigan.

Beatty joined Pitt following three seasons at Maryland (2016-18), where he coached the receivers and additionally served as associate head coach and co-offensive coordinator. He oversaw the development of NFL first-round draft pick D.J. Moore, who was named the 2017 Big Ten Wide Receiver of the Year after compiling 80 receptions for 1,033 yards and eight touchdowns. Moore now stars for the Carolina Panthers.

Beatty earned recognition as one of the Big Ten’s top recruiters, helping the Terps land two highly regarded classes in consecutive years. Maryland’s 2017 class was ranked No. 17 nationally by Rivals, while the 2018 group was No. 29.

Beatty was the assistant head coach at Virginia during the 2015 season. His positional focus was on the running backs and under his watch Taquan Mizzell became an All-ACC performer. Mizzell set an ACC record for receiving yards by a running back with 721. He concluded the regular season second in the conference with 1,488 all-purpose yards. Mizzell is now a member of the New Orleans Saints.

In two seasons at Wisconsin (2013-14), Beatty helped the Badgers to a combined 20-7 record and a pair of New Year’s Day bowls. The 2014 team went 11-3, captured the Big Ten West title and scored a 34-31 overtime win over Auburn in the Outback Bowl.

His pupils in Madison included All-Big Ten wide receiver Jared Abbrederis, who in 2013 compiled a school-record 78 catches for 1,081 yards. Abbrederis was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2014 draft. Beatty also coached former Badgers standout Alex Erickson, who now plays for the Cincinnati Bengals.

In 2012, Beatty was the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Illinois. In 2011, he oversaw the wide receivers at Vanderbilt, where he coached Jordan Matthews, who finished his career as the most prolific receiver in Southeastern Conference history with 262 receptions for 3,759 yards. A second-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, Matthews now plays for the San Francisco 49ers.

From 2008-10, Beatty worked with the running backs and slot receivers at West Virginia. Noel Devine was a beneficiary of Beatty’s tutelage, rushing for more than 3,600 yards during those three seasons. Beatty also coached future first-round NFL Draft pick Tavon Austin while with the Mountaineers.

Beatty held additional collegiate coaching posts at Northern Illinois (running backs coach in 2007) and Hampton (offensive coordinator, quarterbacks and wide receivers in 2006). His offense at Hampton ranked No. 7 nationally in scoring (34.7 points per game) en route to a 10-2 record, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship and the NCAA Division I playoffs.

Beatty is a 1995 graduate of East Tennessee State, where he was an All-Southern Conference wide receiver. He finished his career as the Bucs’ all-time leader in receiving yards (1,813) and ranked second in receptions (125). He played professionally for the Canadian Football League’s Baltimore Stallions and Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Following his time in the CFL, Beatty went on to become an accomplished head coach in the Virginia prep ranks.

At Landstown High School from 2003-05, he compiled a remarkable 40-2 (.952) record. Beatty was named the Virginia 3A Coach of the Year in 2004 after his team won the state title with a 14-0 record and earned a No. 9 national ranking. That decorated squad featured future All-American and NFL first-round draft pick Percy Harvin. Beatty additionally coached at North Stafford (1998-2000) and Salem (2001-02) high schools.

He and his wife, Kris, have a son, Aaron.

PERSONAL INFORMATION

BORN	June 19, 1973
HOMETOWN	Centreville, Va.
ALMA MATER	East Tennessee State, 1995
FAMILY	Beatty and his wife, Kris, have a son, Aaron.

COLLEGE COACHING EXPERIENCE

PITT	Wide Receivers (2019)
MARYLAND	Wide Receivers (2016-18); Associate Head Coach (2017-18); Co-Offensive Coordinator (2018)
VIRGINIA	Assistant Head Coach / Running Backs (2015)
WISCONSIN	Wide Receivers (2013-14); Recruiting Coordinator (2014)
ILLINOIS	Co-Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks (2012)
VANDERBILT	Wide Receivers / Recruiting Coordinator (2011)
WEST VIRGINIA	Running Backs / Slot Receivers (2008-10)
NORTHERN ILLINOIS	Running Backs (2007)
HAMPTON	Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks / Wide Receivers (2006)