PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Twice recognized as college football's National Defensive Line Coach of the Year and one of the best recruiters in the nation, Pitt Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line Coach Charlie Partridge is leaving the Panthers. Partridge taking a job with the Indianapolis Colts.
Partridge rejoined Pitt under Pat Narduzzi in 2017 coaching the defensive line and a year later named assistant head coach. The 50-year-old coached defense and special teams with Pitt between 2003-07. He also coached at Arkansas, Wisconsin, Iowa State and was the head coach at Florida Atlantic from 2014-16.
"As a coach and mentor, Charlie Partridge has been vital to our program's rise over the past seven years," said Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi in a statement released by the university. "When I hired him back in 2017, I had high aspirations for the type of impact he would make for us. True to form, Charlie surpassed even those expectations. His influence on our players, on and off the field, is well known. Speaking personally, Charlie has been a tremendous confidant, advisor and friend, and I'll always be grateful for that. The National Football League is getting a great coach and an even greater man. On behalf of our entire program, I wish him and his family only the very best."
Several of the new transfer defensive linemen cited Partridge as a big reason they selected Pitt.
"Coach P., as I was getting recruited by all of these different schools throughout all my transfer portal time it was 'oh, you're visiting Pitt. I love Coach P.'," said Nate Matlack. "He's such a great coach'. He has a lot of notoriety across the country."
"That is one of the coaches that are going to coach me at the highest level," said David Ojlegbe. "Coach P. has a relationship with all of his players. I can grow as a man and a football player."
Partridge is credited with helping Calijah Kancey become a unanimous All-American and first-round draft pick.
Deslin Alexandre, Habakkuk Baldonado, Patrick Jones, Rashad Weaver, Jaylen Twyman were others drafted into the NFL. Jones and Weaver were the first two consensus All-American defensive players at Pitt in the same season since 1977.
Among others serving under Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, Patridge joins Monaca native and Westminster College graduate Matt Raich, who started his career at his alma mater, then Robert Morris and the Steelers.
