Wise Named FootballScoop.com Offensive Line Coach of the Year
12/18/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 18, 2009
PITTSBURGH— Pitt offensive line coach Tony Wise has been selected the FootballScoop.com Offensive Line Coach of the Year.
Coaches were nominated by their professional peers for this honor and the winners were selected by a panel of current and former coaches along with past recipients of the award.
Wise, an accomplished 36-year coaching veteran of collegiate and professional football, is in his second season as Pitt's offensive line coach.
The offensive line was instrumental in helping the Panthers average 33.2 points per game during the regular season, the fourth highest scoring average in school history. Pitt's offensive front gave up only 1.08 sacks per game, while helping produce a 1,600-yard rusher in freshman Dion Lewis and 1,000-yard receiver in sophomore Jonathan Baldwin.
Under Wise's guidance, senior guard John Malecki and junior tackle Jason Pinkston were first-team All-Big East honorees.
"It's an honor to be selected the FootballScoop Offensive Line Coach of the Year," Wise said. "As we know, line coaches are not used to this type of recognition. I was lucky to play for a former offensive line coach at Ithaca College in Jim Butterfield, and as a young coach I learned most of what I know from legendary line coaches Joe Moore and Dan Radakovich.
"But it is all meaningless unless you have tough, athletic and smart guys to coach and we have a great group of guys here at Pitt who love to hit people, down after down."
"Coaching is teaching and there is no better teacher than Tony," Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt said. "The way he communicates with the players, they understand him. He is very effective. On the field and off the field, he cares about his players. The players know it and appreciate it."
For more information, visit www.footballscoop.com.
—30—
