Paul Chryst not hiring defensive coordinator before bowl game

With the news that defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable was leaving Pitt for North Carolina State, head coach Paul Chryst will be needing to fill that spot on his coaching staff. But even though he has an empty spot, don't look for him to fill it immediately.

This week, Chryst said he wouldn't be hiring a coach before Pitt's bowl game in early January:

Chryst said he won‘t hire a defensive coordinator before the bowl game after Dave Huxtable resigned to accept the same position at North Carolina State. Defensive coaches Chris Haering, Matt House and Inoke Breckterfield will share the duties in practice.

“I have guys I trust,” Chryst said. “We‘ll be all right.”

And while Chryst doesn't know who will call the plays in the game, he admits he may be a bit involved:

As for the bowl itself, Chryst said he has not decided who will call the defensive signals against the Rebels.

He acknowledged that he might be "slightly" more involved on the defensive side of the ball than usual.

A very small part of that might have to do with the impending holidays, but more to the point, as I said before, Chryst is likely focused on the bowl game and recruiting efforts. He surely wants to find the right person this time around and I'm sure he wants to be able to take his time to get it right.

And that's not necessarily a bad thing, either. Personally (and, no, this isn't a veiled comment to get Tom Bradley) I'd like to see him pick up someone who has knowledge of recruiting in the area as well as an experienced defensive coordinator.

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