Former Pitt QB Wins Super Bowl LX

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers have a new Super Bowl champion.

Former Pitt quarterback Andrew Janocko earned his first Super Bowl ring as the quarterbacks coach of the Seattle Seahawks, after the 29-13 win over the New England Patriots.

This was just Janocko's first season with the Super Bowl champions. He was hired by Seattle in February 2025 after time with the New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings.

In his first season with the Seahawks, Janocko helped improve Sam Darnold's NFL career. Darnold posted 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns, 14 interceptions and a career-high 67.7% completion percentage.

Darnold had seven seasons of experience with four different teams before uniting with Janocko. Most recently, Darnold had one-year stints with the San Francisco 49ers and the Vikings.

Janocko's TIme at Pitt

Janocko joined Pitt out of Clearfield, Pa., about 120 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, in the Class of 2007 as a walk-on. Janocko helped lead Clearfield to two PIAA Class AAA playoff berths.

Janocko redshirted his freshman season at Pitt and was primarily the holder for the next three seasons. Janocko eventually earned a scholarship as a junior.

Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Andrew Janocko — Nov 11, 2010; East Hartford, CT, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers quarterbacks Mark Myers (11), Andrew Janocko (4), Pat Bostick (19) and Tino Sunseri (12) walk to the field to warm up before the start of the game against the Connecticut Huskies at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Although Janocko never played much at quarterback, he was still seen as a valuable asset in offensive prepartation and on special teams due to his work ethic and "extensive knowledge of the game." That knowledge also extended into the classroom, where he was named to the Big East All-Academic Football Team twice.

Janocko was able to use his knowledge of the game to land his first coaching position as a graduate assistant under Greg Schiano at Rutgers in 2011. From there, he followed Schiano to the NFL and became the offensive quality control coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where Schiano was hired as the head coach.

Janocko returned to the college level in 2014 to become the quarterbacks coach at Division II Mercyhurst, but became an offensive quality control coach in the NFL again a year later for the Vikings.

Mar 2, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko during the 2024 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Minnesota was where Janocko has spent the bulk of his career. He became the assistant offensive line coach in 2017 and 2019, the co-offensive line coach in 2018, the wide receivers coach in 2020 and the quarterbacks coach in 2021.

Janocko stayed in the NFC North, where he became the quarterbacks coach for the Bears in 2022, but was fired after the 2023 season. He took the same role with the Saints in 2024 before taking his current job with the Seahawks, where he works with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.

Janocko and Kubiak were on the Vikings together from 2019-21, and on the Saints in 2024.

What's Next for Janocko?

Janocko could be on the verge of a major promotion soon. Kubiak confirmed shortly after the Super Bowl that he will be taking the Las Vegas Raiders head coaching position. And if history is any indicator, Janocko will likely follow to take the offensive coordinator position.

This could be a quite attractive job, too. The Raiders will have the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which will be held in Pittsburgh, and are expected to draft Heisman Trophy winner and national championship-winning Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

The Raiders are a long way from contending for a Super Bowl, but if Janocko takes the job and finds success, he could leverage it into a potential head coaching position in either college or the NFL.

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