Aaron Donald, LeSean McCoy named honorary coaches for Pitt spring game

Aaron Donald will get the chance to improve on his 0-1 record as a Pitt spring game coach when he opposes former Panthers running back LeSean McCoy at 1 p.m Saturday in the Blue-Gold Game at Heinz Field.

Donald, a former Pitt All-American defensive tackle who has developed into the premier defensive player in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams, was a spring game coach in 2015 when he lost to Larry Fitzgerald, 17-10. This spring, he has been working out regularly with current and former Pitt players.

“It’s awesome to get those guys back,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said. “Our current players walk past their images every day in our facility. They performed at the highest levels while at Pitt and continue to do it in the pros.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun seeing them on our sideline again decked out in Blue and Gold.”

Donald recorded 66 tackles for loss during his Pitt career (2010-2013), the most by an FBS interior defensive lineman (and fourth overall) since 2000, when the NCAA began tracking that statistic.

As a senior, he led the nation with 28¹/₂ tackles for loss and added 11 sacks, four forced fumbles and a blocked extra point. He was named a unanimous first team All-American and the winner of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award, Outland Trophy and Rotary Lombardi Award.

After he was a first-round choice of the Rams (13th overall) in 2014, he was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his five seasons and named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 and ’18.

McCoy’s 2,816 yards in only two seasons at Pitt rank eighth all-time.

He was a second-round draft choice of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009 before being traded to the Buffalo Bills in 2015. He is the only player in NFL history with more than 10,000 rushing yards, 400 receptions, 80 touchdowns and a 4.5-yard rushing average.