Inside The Panthers

Pitt Hires New Offensive Coordinator

The Pitt Panthers have settled on an offensive coordinator.

Stephen Thompson

Pitt Hires New Offensive Coordinator
Pitt Hires New Offensive Coordinator /
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers have finally found their next play-caller and will bring up an FCS coordinator to run their offense next season. 

The Panthers have landed on Western Carolina offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kade Bell and have hired him to join the staff in the same role. Chris Peak and Jim Hammett of Panther Lair, the Pitt Rivals site, were the first to report the news. The Athletic's Chris Vannini later confirmed the report. 

Bell's offenses at Western Carolina have been explosive, finishing in the top 10 of total offense in the FCS during each of his three seasons calling plays. The Catamounts have averaged north of 30 points per game in each of those three seasons as well. 

In 2023, the Catamounts led the FCS in yards per game, ranked eighth in offensive touchdowns scored and fourth in total yards.

Bell played four seasons of college ball at Jacksonville and finished his career with 9,613 total offensive yards and 93 total touchdowns. He began his coaching career at Valdosta State in 2016 as a graduate assistant and quarterbacks coach, then moved on to become an offensive analyst for South Florida in 2019. 

The Panthers moved on from offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti the day after the final game of the regular season, a loss to Duke.

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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