Wise is choice for Wannstedt

Pitt football coach Dave Wannstedt took the first step in replenishing his coaching staff… Pitt football coach Dave Wannstedt took the first step in replenishing his coaching staff Tuesday. In doing so, he turned to an old friend.

Wannstedt hired Tony Wise as the new offensive line coach of the Panthers to replace the fired Paul Dunn. Wise has been a football coach for 35 years.

To say that Wannstedt is familiar with Wise is a vast understatement. This will be the seventh pairing of the two men on a coaching staff and the second time at Pitt.

Wannstedt and Wise first coached together in 1977 under Jackie Sherrill for the Panthers. After two years together at Pitt, the duo later shared the sidelines at Oklahoma State and the University of Miami and then in the NFL with Dallas, Chicago and Miami.

Wise coached the last two seasons with the New York Jets and has spent a total of 18 years in the pro ranks after more than 15 years in college.

Wannstedt had nothing but the highest praise for his newest but perhaps most familiar assistant.

“Tony Wise brings to Pitt an outstanding record of teaching offensive line play at the highest level,” Wannstedt said in a statement. “We started our coaching careers at Pitt together, and I was always continually impressed by both his coaching style and his teaching ability. I know he is going to be an immediate asset for our players on and off the field.”

Wise is the first addition to the Pitt coaching staff this offseason, but the Panthers still must fill two other vacated positions – those left by defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads and wide receivers coach Aubrey Hill, who left the team for a similar position at the University of Miami in his home state.

Wise started coaching offensive lines in 1974 and played the position at Ithaca College from 1969 to 1972. He served on many coaching staffs before settling down with Super Bowl-winning coach Jimmy Johnson.

After leaving Pitt in 1978, Wise landed at Oklahoma State under Johnson in 1979. Wannstedt also joined Johnson’s staff, and the trio coached together at the University of Miami, winning a national championship in 1987, and for the Dallas Cowboys from 1989 to 1992. When Wannstedt was hired as an NFL coach with the Chicago Bears in 1993, Wise was hired as offensive line coach there as well. The same occurred during Wannstedt’s tenure with the Miami Dolphins.

Wise expressed enthusiasm at getting the opportunity to work with Wannstedt again and at Pitt.

“I am incredibly excited about returning to college football, especially with a program that has had a major impact on my development as a coach,” Wise said. “Dave Wannstedt has been much more than just a coaching colleague over the years. We’ve shared many great experiences on and off the field, and I am looking forward to helping him continue elevating Pitt to the top of the Big East conference.”