Pitt defensive coordinator Randy Bates pushes players, himself with equal vigor

Every week, Randy Bates adds another pushup to his daily regimen, another milestone.

Bates is up to 36, representing the number of weeks since doctors cleared him for activity after cancer surgery on his tonsils 12 months ago.

“It just reminds me of where I was,” Pitt’s defensive coordinator said.

How far will he take it?

“Not much farther, the way it’s going,” the 59-year-old coach said, laughing. “That’s a lot. But things are going good.”

Bates, entering his third season as the guardian of Pat Narduzzi’s defense, was declared cancer-free in December. Now, he embraces another fight, far less serious in scope, but nonetheless important to him and those under him: making a good Pitt defense great.

You wouldn’t think there would be much work to do, with seven starters returning, including three who were either first- or second-team All-ACC last season.

But good isn’t good enough for Bates.

“We, obviously, want to play at a better level than we did last year,” he said, noting the Panthers’ No. 15-ranked unit in the country was just “OK.”

“But OK isn’t why I came here, and I know the players expect way more. We’re shooting for a lot better than that.”

One of those players is defensive end Rashad Weaver, returning after season-ending knee surgery last year.

Weaver said the defense’s slogan this season is “unfinished business.”

“We had good stats, but there were games or times when it was not where our new standard is going to be,” Weaver said. “And those guys want to go out on the right note and get a real ring, a ring that matters, whether it’s in the ACC championship or something after that.”

Weaver is right.

It doesn’t get mentioned much, but a visiting Boston College team that fired its head coach the next day ran for 264 yards against Pitt. That’s 156 more than the average Pitt allowed in 13 games while leading the ACC in run defense (12th in the nation).

A month later in the Quick Lane Bowl, Eastern Michigan threw for 311 yards and totaled 438, both more than 100 above average.

Eastern Michigan’s passing yards were troubling, but the emphasis under Narduzzi always has been on run defense and making offenses one-dimensional.

“The biggest thing we’re working on more than anything (during spring drills) is stopping the run,” Bates said. “We want to be the No. 1 team in the country stopping the run, and we were not.”

Bates also wants to see more turnovers after Pitt gained only 14 last season, tied for 107th among FBS teams (13th in the ACC).

“We were poor in turnovers,” Bates said. “Not happy about it and if you stand around (practice) and listen, that’s the No. 1 thing we’re encouraging is turnovers.”

Bates knows he has a veteran group that believes in itself, and he doesn’t need many changes in personnel. The additions of Weaver and defensive tackle Keyshon Camp, another former starter who missed most of last season with an injury, will help.

There also will be a new look at linebacker. Senior Chase Pine, who is 6-foot-2, 250 pounds and has played in 34 games, takes over at middle linebacker. Narduzzi has high hopes for him.

“He’ll be like an All-American one play. What are you doing (the next play)?” Narduzzi said. “If he stays consistent, he can be a freakin’, big-time NFL middle linebacker. It’s just doing it all time, not just doing it sometimes. I don’t like those sometimes guys.”

Another position change at linebacker will have Phil Campbell, who shared the star outside spot with Cam Bright last season, switching to money on the other side of the field. Bright remains at star.

Bates said the unit’s experience gives him a chance to install schemes faster.

“We have a lot more in than we normally would at this point,” he said. “We can tinker with some new things, some new concepts.”

Meanwhile, Bates wants it made clear there are no big names on his defense.

“You’re just another player. Go out and play the way you’re supposed to do it,” he said. “Anybody starts to feel they are bigger than they are, that’s my job to make sure they’re not.”

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