Tim Daoust Growing Strong Bond With Pitt's Newcomers

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers added five defensive linemen through the transfer portal and the high school ranks this past recruiting cycle, and position coach Tim Daoust was a big reason why.

Pitt signed three recruits from high school, two of whom are from Pittsburgh, and signed two more through the portal in an effort to make up for two key departures.

Freshman Lincoln Hoke and transfers Jeremiah Warren and Eliyt Nairne were asked about their relationships with Daoust since joining the program in January.

And when asked, each player's face seemed to light up, and a grin showed.

A Coach On and Off The Field

"I'd say he was definitely one of the biggest things, if not the biggest part, of my commitment," Hoke said.

Hoke is the son of former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Chris Hoke and comes from a family and football-centric household. For Hoke, it wasn't just Daoust's football knowledge that drew him to Pitt.

"A lot of people say don't commit to a coach, but he's everything I would ask for in a coach," Hoke said. "He's a family guy. He shows true love, and it was huge compared to all the other coaches that recruited me."

"He shows true love. I love his intensity. He's very intense. He's passionate about the game. He doesn't help you only with football, which he's very knowledgeable about football, but he helps you with life, and that's a huge thing for me. I love Coach Daoust. We have a great relationship, and he was a huge part of my commitment."

Warren and Nairne have only known Daoust for less than a month now, but both transfers seem to have already created a bond with their position coach.

"He's very personable. It's really easy to become a player for him, because he's just a guy that you can connect to on a level that's deeper than football," Warren said. "As a mentor coach, he's just an overall good person."

"'I'm thankful," Nairne said. "I definitely see the plan that he has for us and me as well, to flourish and be a great defensive lineman in this nation."

Daoust Brings the Juice

Part of being a great coach is having the ability to fire up your players, and Daoust has that ability.

"Coach Daoust, that's a great guy. That's my guy. He is a great coach," Warren said. "High energy guy, a coach that's really knowledgeable."

"He's definitely a guy. He walks into a room and he's the type of guy to brighten up the room," Nairne said. "If you're trying to be quiet, he's gonna bring [the energy] right out of me. Any type of downtime I've ever tried to have with him, where we were just being calm, he brings the joy right out of me."

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