Pitt OC Frank Cignetti Gets Final Decision on QB Changes

Pitt Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi said he leaves personnel decisions up to his offensive coordinator.

PITTSBURGH -- With his starting quarterback, Phil Jurkovec having struggled mightily in consecutive games, Pitt Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi has been asked repeatedly if he will consider a change there. On multiple occasions, he's said no and this week, added that the decision is out of his hands.  

Narduzzi said the final call on Pitt's offensive lineups fall to offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti and the rest of the offensive staff. Whether or not the Panthers make a change at quarterback will fall to Cignetti, who also serves as quarterbacks coach. 

“I’m leaning on Frank and the offensive staff to make the right decision and make decisions at every position," Narduzzi said. 

Narduzzi, who said he is "not a quarterback guru," added that he doesn't spend much time with the offense at all, which is why he leaves those decisions about who should start vs. who should come off the bench or not play at all up to Cignetti and the rest of the offensive coaches. 

"Those guys know better," Narduzzi said. "I don’t sit in there. I spend 80% of my time in the defensive side of the room. Practice, I spend probably 85% of my time watching them."

Narduzzi said following the West Virginia game that philosophically, he doesn't believe in quick hooks for starters, regardless of position. 

“You guys are fast to want to pull the plug on somebody and that’s not how we do it," Narduzzi said following the Backyard Brawl. "I’m a positive guy. I try to stay positive and you start dumping people, whether it’s a corner or a tackle or quarterback, it’s not good for you."

But Pitt has already made some quick adjustments to their starting lineups through the first couple of games of the season. 

On offense, the Panthers have rotated right guards, with Jason Collier Jr. getting the start on opening day, B.J. Williams replacing him during Week 2 and Collier returning to the starting lineup as Williams missed the Backyard Brawl in Week 3 with an injury. On the defense, they replaced P.J. O'Brien with Donovan McMillon at safety after entering the season with O'Brien as the starter.

Narduzzi then said at the beginning of Week 4 that offensive line and safety are wholly different situations from quarterback. 

"I think the quarterback is a totally different position from any other," Narduzzi said. "You try to compare a quarterback to a safety and to me, there’s no comparison. We’re going to rotate safeties in there. You talk about a two-quarterback system, you talk about a four-safety system. You’re rotating guys in there and eventually, you find a rotation you like. I just think quarterback is a totally different deal."

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