Football: Potential Pitt coaching candidates

Phil Bennett, Pitt defensive coordinator

Bennett will serve as Pitt’s… Phil Bennett, Pitt defensive coordinator

Bennett will serve as Pitt’s interim head coach during the BBVA Compass Bowl on Jan. 8. He arrived at Pitt in 2008, and in 2009, the Panthers led the country in sacks and ranked 23rd in total defense, allowing 319.31 yards per game. In a press release, Pitt athletic director Steve Pederson said that the Panthers “are fortunate to have someone with Phil’s talents available to assume [the] role.” Bennett does have head coaching experience, as he served as the head coach at Southern Methodist from 2002-07, but he finished with a 12-23 record.

Tom Bradley, Penn State defensive coordinator

Bradley’s been on the Penn State coaching staff for 33 years and he might be ready to take over a program of his own. His name has been attached to both the Pitt and Connecticut coaching searches and he’s coordinated one of the nation’s top defenses for the past 11 years. In 2009, the Nittany Lions ranked among the top 15 in all six major defensive categories. Bradley also served as a recruiting coordinator during several of his years on the staff, bringing in various prep school stars. If he’s hired, Bradley’s recruiting prowess could help the Panthers save what’s left of a once-promising incoming class. But he’s essentially been a head-coach-in-waiting for more than 30 years and has yet to take the next step.

Todd Graham, Tulsa head coach

Graham just finished his fourth season as the head coach of Tulsa with an overall record of 36-17. This season, he led the Golden Hurricanes to a 10-3 record and a 62-35 win over Hawaii in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. In his first two seasons, Graham posted two consecutive 10-win seasons — a first in Tulsa history. In 2007 and 2008, the Golden Hurricanes had the nation’s top-ranked offense, averaging 543.9 and 569.9 yards per game, respectively. This year, the Golden Hurricanes averaged 504.89 yards per game. Graham has been successful as a head coach, but he’s not a big name that’s going to instantly inject excitement back into the Pitt football program.

Rich Rodriguez, former Michigan head coach

He’s the coach that controversially bolted from West Virginia in 2007 after Pitt destroyed West Virginia’s national title hopes in what’s known in Pittsburgh as simply “13-9.” Flash-forward a few years and Rodriguez is looking for another coaching job. Michigan fired Rodriguez after the Wolverines’ 52-14 loss to Mississippi State in the Gator Bowl. He went 15-22 in three seasons with Michigan, but during his time at West Virginia, Rodriguez won four conference titles and compiled a 60-26 record. Michigan’s offense was sixth in the country in total yards with 500.9 per game, but the team struggled defensively, allowing 33.8 points per game. There’s no doubt Rodriguez is a quality football coach, but his seasons at Michigan are troubling, and his actions as he left West Virginia might make Pitt nervous as the Panthers attempt to avoid any more off-the-field issues.