June 25, 2008

The Pitt football coaching staff will have a new look this fall as five new coaches will be starting their first season with the Panthers. The new faces include Phil Bennett, defensive coordinator; Tony Wise, offensive line; Bryan Bossard, wide receivers; Jeff Hafley, secondary; and Joe Tumpkin, linebackers.

Phil Bennett will begin his first season as defensive coordinator with the team this fall, having been in the coaching profession for over 20 years, most recently serving as the head coach for Southern Methodist University. Bennett has also spent time with schools such as Texas A&M, Kansas State, Louisiana State and Oklahoma.

 Bennett, who Sports Illustrated ranked as one of their “impact assistants” for the 2008-09 college football season, will look to improve the Panthers already nationally ranked defense this coming season.

 Wise will reunite once again with head coach Dave Wannstedt as he begins his first season with the Panthers. The duo first coached together with Pitt in 1977 under former Panther head coach Jackie Sherrill. Through the years, Wannstedt and Wise have also spent time together at Oklahoma State and the University of Miami and with the Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears of the NFL.

Bryan Bossard will serve as Pitt’s new receivers coach for the 2008 season. Bossard comes to the Panthers from the University of Maryland, where he coached its receivers the last three seasons.

Bossard worked with Wannstedt in a pair of NFL summer coaching internships with the Chicago Bears in 1996 and 1997. Bossard also spent one season each with Army and the University of Wyoming and four years with his alma mater, Delaware, before his time with the University of Maryland.

 Hafley will be the Panthers’ new secondary coach for the upcoming season. Hafley previously served as the Panthers’ graduate assistant in 2006 and 2007, before receiving his promotion from Coach Wannstedt this spring. During his time as a graduate assistant, Hafley was able to help Pitt rank fifth nationally in total defense.

Before arriving at the University of Pittsburgh, Hafley spent four seasons at the University of Albany where he worked with the team’s defense. Hafley also spent time with Sienna College, his alma mater.

 Tumpkin begins his first season as the Panthers’ linebackers coach. Tumpkin comes to Pitt after working under Bennett while at SMU.

Tumpkin’s coaching career also includes stops at Sam Houston State, Lakeland College and Southern Illinois. While with the Salukis, Tumpkin worked with linebacker Bart Scott, now a pro bowler for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League.

Bennett, Wise, Bossard, Hafley and Tumpkin will all play major roles in Pitt’s success this coming season. Bennett, Hafley and Tumpkin will look to improve a Pitt defense that ranked fifth nationally last season while Bossard and Wise hope to pull together the Panthers’ numerous offensive threats for a thrilling season.