Brennan Marion set to become receivers coach at Pitt

Pitt lost an ace recruiter and its wide receivers coach when Chris Beatty joined the San Diego Chargers in January, but it seems the team has found a replacement in Brennan Marion, according to Bruce Feldman of the Athletic.

Marion most recently served as the receivers coach under Todd Graham at Hawaii, but he has ties to the Pittsburgh area as a graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and will reportedly leave Hawaii to return to Pittsburgh as a member of Pat Narduzzi’s staff at Pitt.

The coach brings 11 years of experience to the position, as he got his start in the profession in 2010 as the offensive coordinator at James Logan High School in Union City, California. Since then, he has gained two years of experience as a head coach at the high school level, including one year at Waynesboro Area High School in Pennsylvania, and five years of experience as a position coach at levels ranging from high school to FCS.

However, Marion’s resume is highlighted by his three years as an offensive coordinator at FCS programs Howard and William and Mary and his two years coaching in supporting roles at the FBS level for Arizona State and Hawaii. And arguably the greatest accomplishment of Marion’s coaching career to date came during his time as Howard’s offensive coordinator in 2017, when he fielded an offense that ranked 13th in the nation among FCS programs.

Prior to going into coaching, Marion played at Tulsa for two seasons and became a standout wide receiver. In 2007, he was named the Conference USA Newcomer of the Year after setting the FBS record for yards per catch at 31.9. And in 2008, he earned first-team all-conference honors after leading the nation in yards per catch for the second time in two years. He then went onto a brief pro career, playing for the Miami Dolphins and Montreal Alouettes before focusing on coaching.

At Pitt, Marion’s experience as a record-setting Division I wide receiver should benefit him as he attempts to correct the issues of a Panthers receiving corps that ranked among the nation’s leaders in drops under Beatty. In addition, his experience coaching at Howard and William and Mary should benefit Pitt in its continued efforts to recruit Virginia and its vicinity.