PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Coming off their highest ranked recruiting class under Pat Narduzzi, Pitt is losing their recruiting coordinator and linebacker coach.
Narduzzi made official what had reported that Rob Harley is leaving to be the defensive coordinator at Arkansas State under new head coach Butch Jones.
“I want to express my sincerest appreciation to Rob Harley for all the work he has done for our program over the past six years,” Narduzzi said. “His efforts on the field and on the recruiting trail have been highly impactful for Pitt football. When you have great coaches on your staff, they will earn great opportunities to advance themselves. It has been Rob’s goal to be a defensive coordinator and we are thrilled he will be getting that deserved opportunity at Arkansas State. We wish him and his wife Danielle the very best in this new chapter.”
A former player at Ohio State, Harley worked as a graduate assistant under Narduzzi at Michigan State, along with coaching at Florida International and Ohio Dominican.
“First and foremost, I have to thank Coach Narduzzi for everything he has done for me and my family,” Harley said in a statement. “He took a chance on a young coach and I’ll forever be grateful for him as a mentor. Thank you to all of our players, especially my Linebacker unit, you are the reason I am in this business and you will always be a part of my family. My family and I have loved our six seasons here at Pitt, we truly cherish the relationships we have built with the players, coaches and administration. Taking the next step as a Defensive Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach is something that I have been working towards since I entered the coaching profession, and I am excited to be given an opportunity to fulfill that dream. These decisions are never easy and my family spent three long days doing our research to make sure this opportunity was the right fit. In the end, we are ready for this chance to grow and we are very excited for what the future holds. Wishing the entire University of Pittsburgh continued success, the Harley family will always say ‘Hail To Pitt’.”