Pitt’s Chryst names two more football coaches

Pitt head football coach Paul Chryst has appointed a running backs coach and a secondary coach,… Pitt head football coach Paul Chryst has appointed a running backs coach and a secondary coach, a Pitt press release announced today.

Eddie Faulkner, the running backs coach and special teams coordinator at Northern Illinois this season, was named the Panthers’ running back coach. The Huskies finished 11-3 and the champions of the Mid-American Conference before winning the GoDaddy.com Bowl.

Matt House served as a coaching assistant with the NFL’s St. Louis Rams and Carolina Panthers.

Chryst said in the press release that both coaches will bring “exceptional energy and diverse experience” to Pitt.

“I know they are both incredibly excited about the opportunity to work for a great instituation like the University of Pittsburgh,” Chryst said. “Eddie and Matt have already arrived at Pitt and will play important roles in helping us close out our recruting class in a strong fasshion.”

This season, All-MAC tailback Jasmin Hopkins rushed with 956 yards and 15 touchdowns under Faulkner. The Huskies finished No. 12 in the nation in rushing yards with 234.14 yards per game. Faulkner’s special teams was second in the nation in giving up one yard per return and placekicker Mathew Sims earned All-MAC first-team honors, finishing the season with a school-cored 124 points.

Faulkner also spent eight seasons at Ball State, during which the school captured two MAC West Division Championships. He was running back at Wisconsin from 1996-2000 and signed a free agent contract with the Steelers in 2001. He eventually played professional football in the Canadian Football League.

House served as the defensive quality control coach for the St. Louis Rams for the past three seasons and was the special teams assistant with the Carolina Panthers in 2008. He was also the Panthers’ strength and conditioning assistant.

He also served as the defensive coach and recruiting coordinator at the University at Buffalo for two years and helped develop Davonte Shannon, a four-time, first-team All-MAC safety. House started his career as a graduate assistant at Michigan State and also worked on staffs at North Carolina and Gardner-Webb.

Chryst has now named seven of his nine assistants: Faulkner, House, Bob Bostad (offensive coordinator/offensive line), Dave Huxtable (defensive coordinator), Joe Rudolph (assistant head coach/quarterbacks), Chris Haering (linebackers) and Jim Hueber (tight ends).