Shawn Watson Leaves Indiana For Pitt
Shawn Watson's time as Indiana football's quarterbacks coach is over after just two months.
Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi announced Thursday that he's hired Watson to be his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Watson was previously an offensive coordinator at Texas (2014-15), Louisville (2012-13), Nebraska (2007-10) and Colorado (2000-05).
Watson spent the 2016 season at IU as an offensive quality control coach before being named the quarterbacks coach in interim for the Foster Farms Bowl and permanently shortly thereafter.
“Shawn Watson was one of my first mentors in this business,” Narduzzi said in a team release. “He sat me down as a young coach and taught me how to work with wide receivers in my first full-time job at Miami in the early 1990s. Ever since that time, we have always talked about being able to reunite on the same staff again. I’m really thrilled that the time has finally arrived and he’ll be joining us at Pitt as our new offensive coordinator.
"Shawn is, first and foremost, a wonderful person and father. As a football coach, he is extremely knowledgeable, an excellent recruiter and will be a tremendous strength in the quarterback room and offensive staff room. I’m really looking forward to having Shawn and his wife Anita join us in Pittsburgh.”
Watson sounded equally ready to take on the challenge.
“I am tremendously honored and excited to join the staff at Pitt and be part of what Pat Narduzzi is building there,” Watson said in a team release. “Pat is one of my closest and dearest friends. I’ve known him for a very long time and have always admired the passion and energy he brings to coaching and teaching. Pat and his staff have accomplished so much in such a short period of time at Pitt. I can’t wait to join them, meet our players and get ready for spring ball.”
Indiana now has two vacant spots on its coaching staff between the quarterbacks position and the spot as offensive line coach to replace Greg Frey, who left IU for Michigan.
Speaking to reporters on National Signing Day, IU head coach Tom Allen said he expects to fill the offensive line coaching spot within about a week. He did not comment on the possibility of further changes like the quarterback situation but will now have that to fill as well.
"It's part of the profession," Allen said. "They get opportunities, guys that are position coaches want to be coordinators, guys that are coordinators may have a chance to be head coach."