Everything will always funnel back to Pat Narduzzi within his Pitt football program, but a massive amount of credit to the development to players on the defensive side of the ball and within his defensive line goes to Charlie Partridge.
That rang true for the seven seasons Partridge spent on Narduzzi's staff, with all-but one as an assistant head coach to Narduzzi. The defensive line room became a who's who among pass rushers and run stoppers in the ACC throughout his tenure, and a good number of his products are now making impacts across the NFL.
Just as Partridge is set to do.
Partridge left Pitt at the beginning of February to take a position coaching the defensive line for the Indianapolis Colts, leaving a massive gap in Narduzzi's defensive staff that otherwise didn't experience much turnover. Tim Daoust was brought in from East Carolina, but he spent five seasons at Syracuse throughout his coaching career. Daoust has more than 20 years as a college coach and could transition over, but Partridge is a hard one to replace.
"Coach Partridge, I know how great of a coach he is," incoming freshman Francis Brewu said Wednesday on the South Side. "The guys he's developed and he attention to detail he coached with, that was obviously a huge factor. But coach Duzz's defense was another huge factor. Even though he's gone, that defense is still here. It's great defense to play in. Sends a lot of defensive linemen to the league. That's my end goal, I want to get to the NFL. I felt that this was the best place for me."
Partridge was recognized as Football Scoop's Defensive Line Coach of the Year in 2020 and 2022. Since 2020, four Panthers defensive linemen have been drafted to the NFL: Patrick Jones, Rashad Weaver, Jaylen Twyman, and Calijah Kancey. Kancey was a first-round pick of the Buccaneers in 2023 after winning the ACC's Defensive Player of the Year honor in 2022.
Pitt's defense ranked in the nation's top three in sacks in four of the past five seasons. It finished in a tie for second nationally in 2019, tied for first in 2020, and finished third and second, respectively, in 2021 and 2022. Jones, Weaver, and Kancey each gathered first-team All-American nods while Twyman earned a second-team nod throughout their careers.
Now, his departure shortly before spring practices officially begin has left those players without the coach that recruited them to come to Pitt in the first place.
One of those newcomers is Sincere Edwards, the former four-star prospect (per Rivals) who flipped his commitment from Central Florida to Pitt in August. Edwards believes his skills can still carry over into Narduzzi's defense without Partridge's guidance.
"Previously, before I was committed to UCF, I flipped back and came to Pitt because at the end of the day I felt that this defense would allow me to showcase my talents to the best of my abilities," Edwards said. "... (Daoust) is a great coach. I truly respect him. I love his beliefs. He's big on fundamentals, and that's the biggest thing that he's been preaching since he got here."
A down season for Pitt in 2023 also brought a decrease in production along the defensive line. Pitt accumulated just 31 sacks as a team last season, which was the worst mark since 2017 and finished seventh in the ACC.
Daoust brings credibility to the position in a short order. He developed Chandler Jones at Syracuse into a first-round pick and two-time All-Pro at the NFL level. But, after eight years away from the Power Five level, he will inherit a defensive line room that needs to undergo some redevelopment.
"The end goal is the NFL. That's what everyone wants to go to," incoming freshman Zach Crothers said. "Seeing how well Pitt has done with that, it's just something I want to do and be the next one to make that jump."
