First-year coaches start making impact

Partially through the fall sports season, some first-year coaches at Pitt have already started… Partially through the fall sports season, some first-year coaches at Pitt have already started making their impact. Some have started turning things around, while others haven’t. Here’s a look at some new faces in Pitt athletics and how they’re doing. Brandin Knight – Men’s Basketball [Assistant Coach/Director of Men’s Basketball Operations] A graduate of Pitt and a standout guard on the basketball court, Brandin Knight rejoins the Panthers with a different point of view this year. From 1999-2003, Knight started at point guard, scored 1,440 points and became the school record holder in career assists with 785. Along with these honors, Knight was named an All-American in 2002, All-Big East twice, Big East MVP and Most Improved Player (2001-02), along with helping to guide Pitt to its first Big East tournament victory in 2003 and two Sweet 16 appearances. After receiving his B.A. in history, Knight played two seasons with the Asheville Altitude in the NBDL before signing with the Houston Rockets in 2005. An injury two weeks later brought him back to Pittsburgh, and he became the program assistant/video coordinator for Pitt in 2006. Knight was promoted over the summer, and he is preparing for the start of Pitt’s basketball season. Pitt’s first game is scheduled for Nov. 14. Phil Bennett – Football [Defensive Coordinator] Phil Bennett, who has a long history of collegiate football coaching, joined Pitt’s coaching staff in February. With stints at Texas A’amp;M, Texas Christian, Iowa State, Purdue, Louisiana State, Oklahoma, Kansas State and Southern Methodist, experience is not an issue. Coming into this season with Pitt, Sports Illustrated named Bennett one of the nation’s top 10 ‘impact assistants.’ So far this year, he’s continued to maintain the Pitt defense as one of the respected units in the league. Over the summer, Pitt linebacker Scott McKillop said the toughest thing to do when adjusting to a new coach is learning the terminology. But the terminology is catching on, and the defense is looking just like the unit of old. Holly Aprile – Softball [Head Coach] After four years of working with pitchers and catchers as an assistant coach with Pitt, Holly Aprile became head coach of women’s softball in July. Aprile was a member of the United States National Team from 1993-99. She was also an All-American pitcher and outfielder at the University of Massachusetts and former assistant coach at the University of South Carolina. Aprile brought a wealth of knowledge to Pitt as an assistant coach and watched a number of records fall. Among them, Cory Berliner became the first rookie and Panther to win 16 games in one season. Aprile hopes that her new leadership role will continue the tradition but certainly doesn’t see herself as the key player in Pitt softball. ‘I like to deflect things off of me,’ said Aprile. ‘We have an amazing coaching staff, the team has been wonderful, and the whole Pitt family has made everything great.’ Though she’s worked as a coach in past seasons, she says things have definitely changed. With her new responsibilities and new coaching experience, she hopes the team will continue to improve and look toward success. ‘Our objectives are the same,’ said Aprile. ‘I like to emphasize effort, work ethic and quality over quantity. I like to be purposeful in everything we do, and not just spend time out there [on the field]. I don’t like practicing without intensity.’ Kirsten Lawrence – Women’s Soccer [Assistant Coach] Kirsten Lawrence joins the Pitt team after spending two seasons as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Campbell University. She was a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference championship team in 2004, and an assistant coach for women’s swimming and diving. Lawrence hails from Scotland, where she graduated from the University of Aberdeen and was also a member of the Under-19 Scottish National Team. While she says things haven’t changed that much, Lawrence feels she has much more freedom as a coach here than at Campbell. Also, she gets to spend more time on the field and with the players, even though the program is bigger and much more intense. ‘Pitt is a really good environment to work in,’ said Lawrence. ‘I feel challenged as a coach here, and all the staff is trying to achieve a little more each time they play. It’s a very competitive environment compared to where I was before.’ Lawrence said she also feels that because her age is close to that of the girls on the team, it allows some of the players to approach her when they need someone to talk to. ‘Each new coach gives something different,’ said Lawrence. ‘And as a player, you don’t want a huge turnover there, but I do feel that I give them a link between the coaching staff and themselves that they didn’t have before.’