Pittsburgh Panthers coach Pat Narduzzi just hired his third offensive coordinator in as many years, hoping this time he will get much-needed stability in a job that has had zero.
With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that he would call up one of his most trusted friends to help. Narduzzi got his first coaching job as a graduate assistant at Miami (Ohio) in 1990, working as receivers coach while Shawn Watson worked with the quarterbacks.
The two worked closely together for three seasons before Narduzzi went on his way to becoming a defensive coordinator and then a head coach. Watson bounced around himself as a head coach and offensive coordinator, but the two never reconnected.
That is, until Narduzzi called him up asking whether he had interest in replacing Matt Canada, who is now at LSU.
“I wanted it to be right for him and his situation, not because we were friends but because I could help him and bring what he was looking for,” said Watson in a recent phone interview. “That’s how we’ve always approached everything.”
Narduzzi told Watson point blank: There has been too much instability, and he wanted to make the transition as smooth as possible for his players. Some seniors would be going on their fourth offensive coordinator in as many seasons.
Watson understood what Narduzzi was asking. He agreed to learn the terminology and the offense Canada ran, while adding his own nuances. Watson faced a similar situation at Louisville, when he took over as coordinator midway through the 2011 season. He kept everything largely the same before eventually tailoring the offense to his talented skill players, starting with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
So far, Watson sees similarities between what Canada did at Pitt and what he tried to do at Louisville: power run game mixed with spread principles and some tempo. The biggest difference is the inclusion of run-pass options, which Watson studied and learned over the last season under former Indiana coach Kevin Wilson.
“I thought Matt did a great job last year,” Watson said. “There are going to be aspects of that we’ll keep because it’s been awesome. We’ll add my background and things that I’ve done and merge it with what they do. There’s a lot in the passing game that’s very similar. I called it differently than what he did, same play. I’m going to learn how they called it.”
To say this is a crucial hire for Narduzzi would be an understatement. Pitt is coming off the best offensive season in school history and finally has momentum as a program. With Narduzzi focused on the defense, having an offense that can more than hold its own is paramount moving forward.
Watson has had success as a coordinator, but he’s also dealt with his share of criticism. He was fired at Nebraska before arriving at Louisville. With the Cardinals, he helped Louisville win a Sugar Bowl and Bridgewater blossom into an NFL first-round pick. When head coach Charlie Strong left for Texas, it was a no-brainer for him to bring along Watson.
But at Texas, Watson and his offensive style never translated in the far more wide open Big 12. Plus, Texas had major issues at quarterback that went beyond X’s and O’s. Eventually, Watson was demoted and let go.
“Coaching is a profession where you have to stay on the cutting edge of football,” Watson said. “At Louisville, we won with great defense, we rushed the football with a downhill power game and then we spread it out using those receivers, and we’d choose our places to use tempo. That’s different today, and that experience [at Texas] taught me. That’s how you grow as a person, how you grow in this profession as a coach. How to better play in tempo. How to better utilize a run game built around run-pass options and finding outlets that keep you from being in a bad play because you’re playing fast.”
His brief time at Indiana helped him understand that. Same with what Pitt did last season. What Watson really has going for him is his has ability to develop quarterbacks. That is going to be crucial for the Panthers, who lose starter Nate Peterman. USC transfer Max Browne is on campus, along with backups Ben DiNucci and Thomas MacVittie.
Watson has begun meeting with his new players, and he already has a good chemistry with the coaching staff. In addition to Narduzzi, he has a shared background with just about every offensive assistant. In fact, he tried to recruit offensive line coach John Peterson to Miami (Ohio). Peterson went to Ohio State instead.
“I know I’m the new face, but when I’m sitting in those meetings with the players I want them to feel I’m committed to them and committed to what I’m asking them to do,” Watson said. “The way I feel about Pat and the guys on this staff, and knowing what the kids need, I want to be here and do a great job for them.”
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