Kade Bell wasn't at the top of Pat Narduzzi's list when the longtime Pittsburgh coach went searching for a new offensive coordinator last winter.
Yet Narduzzi understood after a 3-9 slog in 2023 — easily the worst of his lengthy tenure at a school where few coaches stick around for long — that a big change was necessary.
So rather than do what he's done throughout his time with the Panthers and turn to an established coach (from Matt Canada to Mark Whipple to Frank Cignetti Jr.) to run the offense, Narduzzi hired the 31-year-old Bell away from Western Carolina and asked him to bring Pitt's attack into the 21st century.
“I needed a guy who was going to score points, have our offense have some enthusiasm,” Narduzzi said. “I needed a guy with energy, a guy who could be really creative in what he was doing offensively. I wanted that for our players.”
The Panthers certainly needed a spark after finishing last in the ACC in points and yards. A revolving door at quarterback didn't help.
Enter Bell, whose up-tempo approach at Western Carolina helped the Catamounts average 37.6 points per game in 2023. Narduzzi has no interest in getting Bell's way.
“I’ve never put handcuffs on an offensive coordinator, ‘You have to do this or that,’” Narduzzi said. “Let them go be them. That’s how I was coached. ... I don’t micromanage what they call, when they call it. That’s on them.”
Nate the Great?
Nate Yarnell began last season buried on the depth chart. He ended it as the starting quarterback and appears to have the inside track over Alabama transfer Eli Holstein to start Aug. 31 when Pitt hosts Kent State.
Bell's system is based on the quarterback getting the ball out of his hands to playmakers quickly. Yarnell has completed 67% of his passes in his career and thrived in a similar setup while in high school. He's hoping for more of the same in 2024.
“My expectations for the season is to make sure I listen to Coach Bell and make sure I’m operating the offense as best I can,” Yarnell said. “I’ve been blessed to be around Kenny Pickett my freshman year, see what a great Pitt quarterback looks like.”
Bartholomew's back
Perhaps the biggest indicator of just how much Pitt's offense struggled last season was the inability of the quarterback to get the ball to tight end Gavin Bartholomew.
The 6-foot-4, 260-pound Bartholomew finished with a career-low 18 receptions as a junior before an injury ended his season.
Yet rather than head elsewhere in the transfer portal, Bartholomew opted to return as a nod of respect to Narduzzi, who was the only Power Five coach to offer him a scholarship. Bartholomew also came back because he wanted to be part of the solution.
“We’re trying to be better than 3-9 because we know that’s not acceptable, that’s not Pitt football,” he said.
Getting defensive
No school in the country has racked up more sacks since 2018 than the Panthers (230). That number could take a hit this year after defensive end Dayon Hayes and the 10 1/2 sacks he recorded in 2023 transferred to Colorado and longtime defensive line coach Charlie Partridge left for a job in the NFL.
Their departures will put more onus on the secondary, which will play tight man-to-man coverage that's become Narduzzi's staple. Narduzzi has no plans to abandon it even with a pass rush short on experience.
“We’re going to press our corners, our safeties are going to be aggressive in the run and pass game,” Narduzzi said. “We’re in your face. We’re not giving you free access.”
The schedule
Expect there to be growing pains. Pitt does play five of its first seven games at home, including a visit by longtime rival West Virginia on Sept. 14 and new ACC member Cal's first trip to Pittsburgh since 1966.
The Panthers also host Clemson on Nov. 16 before finishing up the year at Louisville (Nov. 23) and Boston College (Nov. 30), games that could be vital to Pitt's bid to return to a bowl game after missing out last season.
