Been quite a bit of stuff for Pitt football with some coaching changes and the final signing day looming. Not going to get to them all, but I’ll touch on yesterday’s news.
Pitt grabbed a new assistant and a grad transfer from MAC schools yesterday. Both seem like good additions.
On the player side, Pitt likely has its left tackle for next year.
[Stefano] Millin was a two-year starter for Kent STate, carrying a 27-game streak of consecutive starts that included every game in 2016 and 2017. As a redshirt sophomore in 2016, he started games at right tackle and center. Last year, he was exclusively at left tackle, where he started all 12 contests.
When he gets to Pitt later this spring, Millin plans to step in at that same position.
“With Brian O’Neill doing to the NFL, they needed a left tackle,” Millin told Panther-Lair.com shortly after committing. “And when I talked to Coach Narduzzi just now he said he’d be shocked if I don’t win the job. Nothing is given, I understand that, but it’s really a good opportunity and my plan is to go in and be the left tackle.”
While Millin is likely to stay at left tackle, he is versatile enough to be moved around on the line. Something Coach Pat Narduzzi likes to have available in his offensive linemen. Millin was originally going to go to Cinci for his final season of eligibility, but Pitt and Narduzzi convinced him otherwise. Even without a new OL Coach in place.
The other move is filling that new coaching position. Archie Collins was hired away from Central Michigan. He doesn’t have title other then “10th assistant because the NCAA allowed it.”
Collins’ influence helped Central Michigan in 2017 lead the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in interceptions (19), fewest passing yards allowed (185.5 yards/game) and pass efficiency defense (108.8 rating). On a national scale, the Chippewas ranked sixth nationally in pass efficiency defense, seventh in interceptions and 20th in passing defense. FootballScoop named Collins a finalist for the 2017 Defensive Back Coach of the Year award.
“Archie is a fantastic coach and highly driven recruiter,” Narduzzi said. “We wanted our 10th assistant coach appointment to be an impactful hire and we achieved that by bringing Archie to Pitt. I first met him when he was a high school coach in Detroit and later I had him as a graduate assistant. Archie went on to do really exceptional work at Central Michigan and he’ll be a great asset for our entire program. I’m thrilled to welcome him and his family to Pitt.”
Collins is considered an excellent recruiter in Michigan and Ohio. While Narduzzi obviously has a connection to him from Collins’ time as a graduate assistant, the path is a little different. Collins is a little older and more mature.
Collins graduated from Michigan State in 1998 and played safety for the Spartans. From there he worked in the high school coaching ranks in the Detroit area. Then he came back to MSU for grad school and to become a grad assistant.
He obviously made an impact as he moved to CMU as their secondary coach.
Most recently, Collins forged a reputation as one of the top coaches in the Mid-American Conference. In 2015, he was named the MAC’s Recruiter of the Year by Scout.com , but he also apparently knew what to do with those players when he got them on the field.
After four seasons as Central Michigan’s secondary coach, he was promoted to defensive passing game coordinator last year when the Chippewas led the MAC in interceptions (19, seventh in the nation), fewest passing yards allowed (an average of 185.5 yards per game, 20th) and pass efficiency defense (108.8 rating, sixth).
Central Michigan cornerback Amari Coleman and safety Josh Cox were All-MAC selections. Coleman returned three interceptions for touchdowns in his career and Cox was seventh in the nation in interceptions last year with six.
Central Michigan ranked among the nation’s top 25 teams in passing defense in 2017, 2015 (No. 24, 193.0 average) and 2013 (No. 20, 203.9). In 2016, CMU finished eighth nationally with four defensive touchdowns — all pick-sixes by defensive backs.
Cynically, the thought could be that Secondary Coach Renaldo Hill could be on the move shortly after the second signing day. There was a lot of interest in Hill that he has turned down to this point. It may be a move is coming and Collins will move right into that vacated position — and reopening the available coaching spot. Or he could have a totally different job designation if Hill does stay.