PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi announced his team was comfortable with him and so was he. Tight ends Tim Salem named the acting offensive coordinator for the Peach Bowl on Thursday.
Narduzzi had options with many figuring new wide receivers coach Brennan Marion would get the opportunity. The Greensburg Salem grad spent last season coaching wide receivers with Todd Graham at Hawaii. Marion is known for his offensive innovations and a former offensive coordinator at William & Mary and Howard.
While never technically an offensive coordinator, running backs coach and special teams coordinator Andre Powell has been with Narduzzi every year at Pitt and coached with him previously at Rhode Island. Powell has been coaching college football since 1988.
Offensive line coach Dave Borbely started his college coaching career in 1981, has never been an offensive coordinator, but a run game coordinator at several schools including Louisville and Virginia.
Salem, like Powell, has been with Narduzzi his entire time with the Panthers. Unlike Powell, Salem has been an offensive coordinator before. Salem served that role at Central Florida from 2004-08, Eastern Michigan in 2003 and Purdue from 1994-96. Salem started his career coaching for John Cooper at Arizona State in 1985.
Narduzzi said last week that he would wait until after the bowl game to consider his permanent offensive coordinator. He said he wanted to take time to make sure that was his only focus.
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