Pitt has reportedly decided on Northwestern linebackers coach Randy Bates as the replacement for former defensive coordinator Josh Conklin, who recently left to take on head coaching duties at Wofford.
Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports first reported the hire on Saturday morning.
Source: Randy Bates will be the new defensive coordinator at Pitt. He was Northwestern’s linebackers coach.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 13, 2018
Bates has held his position at Northwestern since Pat Fitzgerald was appointed head coach of the Wildcats in 2006. Prior to that, he coached at Louisiana Tech from 2000 to 2005, holding a variety of positions on the defensive side of the ball before being promoted to defensive coordinator in his last season with the Bulldogs.