Clint Hurtt, a somewhat controversial name in the college coaching ranks over the past couple of years, is leaving Louisville to be an assistant coach with the NFL’s Chicago Bears. Louisville confirmed the news with a press release Thursday evening.
“I want to thank Tom Jurich, Bobby Petrino, and President James Ramsey for their support during this process,” Hurtt said in a statement released by Louisville. “I truly looked forward to working with Bobby Petrino at Louisville, but I feel this is a great opportunity. Tom is always going to be important to me and my family. He stuck with me through the toughest of times, and I will always appreciate his support for me and my family.”
Hurtt joined the Louisville coaching staff after being linked to a recruiting scandal at Miami, which resulted in a show cause penalty being handed down last fall. The NCAA charged Hurtt with intentionally misleading the NCAA in an investigation in to the Miami football program and accused him of unethical conduct. The investigation had gone on after Hurtt moved to Louisville to be a part of Charlie Strong’s coaching staff. The university opted to keep Hurtt on their staff through the NCAA investigation and even put him on administrative leave to prepare for his part of the NCAA investigation at Miami.
New head coach Bobby Petrino was quick to welcome Hurtt back to the coaching staff once taking over the program after Strong left for Texas.
“We wish Clint nothing but the best,” Petrino said. “He is a very good young coach and I am sure he will continue to do great things in the NFL.”
According to CoachingSearch.com, Hurtt is likely to serve the Chicago Bears as defensive line coach or assistant, which is the role he had been holding at Louisville and Miami in previous years. According to our friends at Pro Football Talk, the Bears have also hired former Connecticut coach Paul Pasqualoni to be the defensive line coach.