Pat Narduzzi was the only defensive-minded head coach hired in 2015

Published Apr. 27, 2015 2:40 p.m. ET

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Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi was hired away from Michigan State, where he was a defensive coordinator. Across all of college football, according to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, Narduzzi was the only one to make this leap in 2015.

"I had no idea I was the only one," Narduzzi told ESPN. "Offenses fill the stands."

Narduzzi understands why 13 of the 14 FBS schools who needed new head coaches opted to hire candidates with offensive backgrounds. All he had to do was look at Pitt's two biggest stars: running back James Conner and wide receiver Tyler Boyd.

"Those are the guys people see in the end zone at the end of a play,” Narduzzi told ESPN. "It's all about the stats, and the stats are all about the offense and not about the defense. So fans connect with the people making big plays."

Last year, the Panthers had the ACC Player of the Year in Conner and the conference's top pass-catcher in Boyd, yet they finished 6-7. While offensive stars may fill the seats, Narduzzi's defensive expertise is designed to win games—a tradeoff few fans would reject.

(h/t ESPN)

Photo Credit: Keith Srakocic/AP Photo