Pitt Coach Departs for SEC Job

PITTSBURGH — Pitt Panthers special teams coordinator and tight ends coach, Jacob Bronowski, is expected to be named as the next special teams coordinator at Auburn, Chris Peak of Panther-Liar.com reported.

This was just Bronowski's second season at Pitt.

Coaching staff news:

Pitt TE coach/ST coordinator Jacob Bronowski is leaving the Panthers for a job in the SEC. https://t.co/A73qcwJbdt
— Chris Peak (@PantherLair) December 8, 2025

Bronowski's Pitt Tenure

Bronowski's time at Pitt was short-lived but quite impactful.

The last two seasons of field goal kickers have been exceptional for the Panthers. Senior Ben Sauls finished the 2024 season by making 21-of-24 field goal tries and was 6-for-7 from 50+, including a 56-yard make against Cal.

True freshman Trey Butkowski has taken over kicking duties this season. He went 19-for-22 and broke Sauls' record for most consecutive field goal conversions in Pitt history. Butkowski walked on to Pitt in the summer as the third-string place kicker and was promoted to starter at the end of fall camp.

On the punt team, the Panthers have scored three total return touchdowns in the last two seasons under Bronowski. Running back Desmond Reid opened the 2024 season with a 78-yard punt return touchdown against Kent State and had a deja vu moment when he opened the 2025 season with an 88-yard punt return score against Duquesne. Kenny Johnson also recorded his first-career touchdown return this year, with a 66-yard score against Syracuse.

Aug 30, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers running back Desmond Reid (0) carries the ball against Duquesne Dukes defensive back Dallas Harper (12) during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

As for the tight ends, they caught six touchdowns in the first season under Bronowski and increased that total to eight in 2025. He had a hand in Gavin Bartholomew being named as an All-ACC Honorable Mention in 2024, with his standout season of 38 catches for 322 yards and four touchdowns.

This year, former Marshall and Kent State transfer Justin Holmes was the leading tight end with 22 catches for 201 yards and four touchdowns. Holmes never scored a touchdown at the collegiate level prior to this season.

Bronowski also made an impact on the recruiting trail. As a Texas native, Bronowski headed Pitt's recruiting efforts in the Lone Star State, signing five recruits from his home state over the last two seasons.

Bronowski's Fit at Auburn

With his expected signing, Bronowski will join a rebuilding coaching staff at Auburn after the school fired former head coach Hugh Freeze and hired former USF head coach Alex Golesh.

Golesh and Bronowski worked together at Tennessee in 2021. Bronowski was a special teams analyst and Golesh was the tight ends coach.

Bronowski has spent most of his life in the south. He hails from College Station, Texas and graduated from New Mexico in 2016.

He began his coaching career with the Lobos as a graduate assistant until 2017. From there, Bronowski became the special teams coordinator and tight ends coach at Robert Morris in 2018 and a special teams quality control coach at UCF in 2020. After Tennessee, Bronowski became the special teams coordinator and defensive assistant at Miami (Oh.) in 2022 before joining Pitt in 2024.

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