Football
- Title:
- Defensive Line
- Season at Pitt:
- First
Tim Daoust, who boasts more than two decades of coaching experience in the college ranks, enters his second season as defensive line coach at Pitt.
Daoust (pronounced DOWST) played a pivotal role in helping the Panthers produce the ACC’s second-best rushing defense (112.8) last season. The defense also collected the sixth-most sacks in the nation (40.5) and the second most in the conference.
Daoust arrived in Pittsburgh after spending the previous three seasons at East Carolina (2021-23), where he was special teams coordinator and also coached defensive ends and outside linebackers.
His Pitt appointment marked a return to the ACC. He previously worked at Syracuse for five seasons (2011-15), coaching the Orange’s defensive line before elevating to assistant head coach and special teams coordinator.
While at East Carolina, Daoust’s work was a major factor in the Pirates’ increased production on the defensive side of the ball. The 2023 ECU defense finished 17th nationally in tackles for loss, averaging 7.0 per contest. The Pirates also boasted a top-30 rushing defense in each of the past two campaigns, ranking 18th in 2022 and 29th in 2023.
Daoust was the assistant head coach and oversaw the defensive line at Sam Houston State for two years (2019-20). His defensive front helped the Bearkats lead the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in rush defense (69.9 yards per game), third-down defense (27.9%) and tackles for loss (10.9 per game) in 2019.
Daoust also had two stints at Western Michigan. He was defensive coordinator from 2017-18 after working with the defensive line (2006) and secondary (2007-09) during his initial tenure. His efforts helped the Broncos produce some the best defenses in the Mid-American Conference.
He spent the 2016 season as defensive coordinator at Ball State, assisting with a complete rebuild as the Cardinals became the most-improved defense in the MAC that season.
During his Syracuse tenure, Daoust mentored two of Syracuse’s most accomplished defensive linemen in recent memory: Chandler Jones, a first-round pick by the New England Patriots in 2012, and Jay Bromley, a third-round selection by the New York Giants in 2013.
Jones, a two-time first-team All-Big East selection, would earn four Pro Bowl nods in the NFL.
Syracuse earned a share of the 2012 Big East championship and defeated West Virginia, 38-14, in the Pinstripe Bowl. The 2013 Orange defeated Minnesota, 21-17, in the Texas Bowl.
Syracuse was the only team during the 2013 season to not allow a 100-yard rusher and earned top-25 national rankings in third-down defense (15th), sacks (18th), TFLs (18th) and rush defense (24th).
Daoust’s additional coaching appointments include Central Michigan (defensive line, 2010) and Illinois State (cornerbacks, 2004). He held graduate assistantships at Northern Illinois (2002-03) and Cincinnati (2005), working with Pat Narduzzi at both stops.
A native of Toledo, Ohio, Daoust played football at Ohio’s Wittenberg University from 1998-2001, collecting nearly 30 sacks as a defensive end and serving as a two-time team captain for the Tigers.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Wittenberg in 2001.
Daoust and his wife, Jen, have three daughters: Leona, Nora and Josephine.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Hometown: Toledo, Ohio
Alma Mater: Wittenberg, 2001
Family: Daoust and his wife, Jen, have three daughters: Leona, Nora and Josephine.
COACHING EXPERIENCE
College
Pitt, 2024, defensive line.
East Carolina, 2021-23, special teams coordinator, defensive ends and outside linebackers.
Sam Houston State, 2019-20, assistant head coach and defensive line.
Western Michigan, 2017-18, defensive coordinator.
Ball State, 2016, defensive coordinator.
Syracuse, 2011, defensive ends; 2012-15, defensive line; 2013-15, assistant head coach and special teams coordinator.
Central Michigan, 2010, defensive line.
Western Michigan, 2006, defensive line; 2007-09, secondary.
Cincinnati, 2005, graduate assistant.
Illinois State, 2004, cornerbacks.
Northern Illinois, 2002-03, graduate assistant.
