Pitt hires former Bucknell defensive coordinator Ryan Manalac to coach linebackers

Pat Narduzzi turned to a familiar face — and someone who played the position — when he named Ryan Manalac as Pitt’s linebackers coach Tuesday.

Manalac, who was the defensive coordinator at Bucknell the past two seasons, worked with Narduzzi at Cincinnati and Michigan State.

Manalac replaces Rob Harley, who left to become the defensive coordinator at Arkansas State.

“As long as I’ve known Ryan, as both a player and a coach, he’s always been the type of person who simply puts his head down and gets right to work,” Narduzzi said in a statement. “He’s relentless in his work ethic and has an intelligence to match.

“Ryan will make an immediate impact for us because he’s not only coached our (defensive scheme) but also played in it. The fact that he’s branched off and learned new techniques and schemes during his career will only make us better. I can’t wait for our linebackers to work with him because I know they will take huge strides in their development under his guidance.”

Manalac, who played linebacker at Cincinnati, is eager to get to work — just to have some work to do. Bucknell’s 2020 season was canceled because of the covid-19 pandemic.

In 2019, Bucknell’s defense led the Patriot League in sacks (32), turnovers (14) and defensive touchdowns (four) in conference games. The Bison also were second in total defense (319.7 yards per game) and rushing defense (96.3).

Overall, Bucknell led the FCS with six defensive touchdowns and was fifth in sacks (37).

He also coached Bucknell’s linebackers, helping three players to be named to Phil Steele’s All-Patriot League team, including first-teamer Simeon Page, who had a team-high nine sacks and 12½ tackles for a loss.

Before his time at Bucknell, Manalac was defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Ohio Dominican during the 2017 and ’18 seasons. In that time, ODU allowed an average of only 15.9 points per game in conference play, the lowest in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.

Ten Ohio Dominican defensive players earned first-team all-conference recognition, and linebacker Ross Thompson was named the G-MAC Defensive Player of the Year after compiling a school-record 110 tackles.

Manalac also coached linebackers at Valparaiso in 2016.

Manalac, a native of Pickerington, Ohio, was a graduate assistant at Michigan State from 2011-15 when Narduzzi was the Spartans defensive coordinator. Manalac worked with the offense, defense and special teams, also adding recruiting and video duties.

He worked directly under Narduzzi during the 2012 and ’14 seasons. The 2013 and ’14 Michigan State teams won the Rose Bowl and Cotton Bowl. In 2014, Michigan State led the nation in fewest rushing yards allowed (88.5) and finished eighth in fewest total yards allowed (315.8).

“Coach Narduzzi has had an incredible impact on me as a student-athlete, football coach and as a person,” Manalac said in a statement. “I am extremely grateful for this opportunity.”

Manalac rose as a player the hard way, initially walking on at Cincinnati. Eventually, he earned a scholarship and four letters while compiling almost 200 career tackles as a two-year starter. He recorded a team-high 82 tackles in his senior season of 2008, helping Cincinnati win the Big East championship on the way to the Orange Bowl.

He was honored with Cincinnati’s prestigious C-Club Strothman Award for academic and athletic excellence before signing with the Buffalo Bills.