Pitt Coach Takes Position at Charlotte

A Pitt Panthers coaching staff member earned a promotion elsewhere.

Sep 25, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; A Pittsburgh Panthers helmet sits on the sidelines against the New Hampshire Wildcats during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers lost a member of their football coaching staff, as they chose to take a position with another school.

Danny Orrock, who spent last season with the Panthers as a special teams analyst, announced that he is now a co-special teams coordinator at Charlotte.

Fired up to be joining @CharlotteFTBL Queen City let’s roll! #GoldStandard⛏️ #GoNiners pic.twitter.com/1Z3tY4i63w

— Danny Orrock (@CoachOrrock) January 20, 2025

Orrock spent four years working on the Miami (Ohio) staff as a student, where he earned his bachelor's degree in kinesiology and health. He worked with four different position groups, including special teams, where he spent time with current Pitt special teams coordinator, Jacob Bronowski.

He then worked as a graduate assistant at Ohio in 2023 season, working with defensive backs and special teams. His efforts helped Ohio to a 10-win campaign and a 41-21 win over Georgia Southern in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.

His time with the Bobcats was under then head coach Tim Albin, who is now in charge of Charlotte, giving him a reunion with his former and now current boss.

Orrock worked extensively with the special teams at Pitt, who didn't allow a punt return/kickoff return for a touchdown this past season.

He also played a role in redshirt senior placekicker Ben Sauls having a fantastic season, earning PFF All-American honors.

Sauls finished the 2024 season going 21-for-24 on field goals, with one blocked. He made his first 13 attempts, before missing a 47-yard field goal in the second quarter of the 48-25 loss to then ranked No. 20 SMU on the road in Week 10. 

He also made six 50+ yard field goals, with the 57-yarder he made at the end of the first half in the road loss to Boston College in Week 14 marking the most in a season for a field goal kicker in Pitt history.

His 49-yard field goal in the first quarter for Syracuse in Week 9 was his 13th straight field goal dating back to 2023, which set a new school record for most consecutive field goals. This eclipsed the previous record of 12, that both Chris Ferenick in 1995 and Conor Lee in 2007 set, and he had 15 consecutive he made before that miss vs. SMU.

Sauls also made a 58-yard field goal vs. Cal in their Week 7 matchup on Oct. 12 at Acrisure Stadium, that tied former Pitt kicker Alex Kessman's 58-yarder he converted against Boston College in 2020 to send the game into overtime. It is also the longest field goal at Acrisure Stadium in Pitt history, as Chris Boswell of the Pittsburgh Steelers made one from 59 yards there.

His best game of the season came against Cincinnati in the River City Rivalry on the road in Week 2, for which he earned ACC Specialist of the Week and Lou Groza Star of the Week honors.

Sauls finished the day 3-for-3 on field goals, including the only points in the second half from 47 yards and a career-high of 53 yards at the end of the first half. He would also hit the game winning field goal from 35 yards out in front of his friends and family, as he grew up 65 miles north of Cincinnati.

Bronowski praised Orrock's work effort during fall camp, which included a great attention to detail to everything going on with the special teams unit.

"Danny, man, he does it all," Bronowski said before the season. "I don't think a lot of people understand what it takes to be a special teams [coach] and quality control, especially during fall camp. I mean, it is a long day and a lot of isolation.

"I did it for a couple years. I'm not going to sit here and say it's fun necesarily. It's fun when you're out on the field, but then you get in there and we got a lot of reps during special teams and he's labeling names. He's in there on his computer from pretty much this time till meetings, then he's back at it, charting stuff and getting meetings ready.

"I mean, to have somebody like that with me that I've been with before. I mean, I can't tell you guys enough how much I appreciate how much better it makes my job because I know that Danny's going to make sure that all our ducks are in order so that we can focus on the personnel and he's got a ton of energy too and he's got a bright, bright future in this profession."

Pitt will look to fill that position going into the 2025 season, marking the second for Bronowski.

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