When it comes to moves within a college coaching staff, sometimes you win some and sometimes you lose some. Or, in the case of Pittsburgh, you do both in the same day.
Head coach Paul Chryst confirmed to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Friday that quarterbacks coach Brooks Bollinger has decided to leave the Panthers football program. Not only has the former Wisconsin quarterback left his Pitt post, he’s leaving coaching, period.
Chryst told the Tribune-Review that “retiring” from the profession is something he and Bollinger have discussed for years.
“For him and his family, he is going back to Minnesota and is not going to coach,” the coach told the paper. “He is interested in some professional pursuits away from football, and I know everyone at Pitt wishes him only the very best.
“He loves the coaching part (of the job), but there is a part of him that wants to sink deep roots in a community. That’s hard to do as a coach.”
Chryst said he will take on the duties previously manned by Bollinger, who had spent the past two seasons with the Panthers.
On the other hand, Chryst also confirmed that he has hired John Settle as his running backs coach. Settle had spent the past five seasons in the NFL, the last three as an assistant with the Cleveland Browns. He and Chryst coached together at Wisconsin from 2006-10.
Chryst must still replace wide receivers coach Bobby Engram, who left late last week for the same job with the Baltimore Ravens.
Remember when Pitt used to matter at football? While they may not be UNLV or Bowling Green, they are in D1 purgatory…Penn state after the scandal is still in better shape than Pitt. For a team that claims 9 national titles some how, the luster has been long gone.
Funny you mention Bowling Green, a team that beat Pitt week 1 a few years back