Ex-NC State off. coordinator Matt Canada to be Pitt off. coordinator
Former North Carolina State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Matt Canada will be the new offensive coordinator under Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi, according to sources.
The move reunites Canada and Narduzzi, who were assistants together at Northern Illinois from 2000–02. Canada replaces Jim Chaney, who left to be Georgia’s offensive coordinator last month.
Canada was surprisingly let go by NC State coach Dave Doeren earlier this month after three seasons. The Wolfpack were third in the ACC in scoring this season (33.2 points per game) behind just North Carolina and Clemson. They ranked 42nd in the FBS.
Under Canada, North Carolina State was also 31st nationally in rushing yards per game this season (202.1). Last season, his offense averaged 6.0 yards per play and racked up 5,311 yards of total offense, second- and fourth-best, respectively, in school history. The Wolfpack also had 2,659 rushing yards last year, the fourth highest in school history.
Canada has also helped rejuvenate the career of graduating starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett the past two seasons. After a pair of lackluster seasons at Florida and sitting out 2013 due to his transfer, Brissett has developed into a potential mid-round pick in April’s NFL draft. He threw for 5,268 yards with 43 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions in his two seasons with the Wolfpack.
Prior to Canada’s arrival at North Carolina State with Doeren, Canada was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Wisconsin’s 2012 Big Ten championship team and Northern Illinois’ ’11 MAC championship team. He coached at his alma mater, Indiana, from ’05–10, first as quarterbacks coach before adding the title of passing game coordinator and being promoted to offensive coordinator for his last four years.
Canada worked at Northern Illinois from 1998–2003, spending his first three seasons as running backs coach before moving to quarterbacks for two years and being offensive coordinator his last season. He was Butler’s quarterbacks and wide receivers coach in 1996 and the program’s offensive coordinator the following year. A New Palestine, Ind., native, Canada got his start as a graduate assistant at Indiana from 1994–95.
Pittsburgh had an impressive 8–5 record this season in Narduzzi’s head coaching debut.
