Dave Wannstedt

Dave Wannstedt (nickname: Wanny)(born May 21, 1952), is the current head coach of the University of Pittsburgh Panthers football team. Previously, Wannstedt was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins of the NFL from 2000 to 2004, and he coached the Chicago Bears from 1993 to 1998. He also was a long-time assistant to Jimmy Johnson with the Dallas Cowboys, Miami Hurricanes, and Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Wannstedt was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and attended Baldwin High School. He won an athletic scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh playing offensive tackle and blocking for future Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett. Afer a successful career with the Panthers, he was chosen in the 1974 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers, but spent his only NFL season on Injured Reserve with a neck injury.

In 1975, Pitt coach Johnny Majors hired him as a graduate assistant coach. He was on the staff when the Panthers won the 1976 Division I National Championship with a victory over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. In 1977, Jimmy Johnson joined the staff of the Pitt Panthers and the two would forge a long lasting personal and professional bond. When Johnson left to become the head coach of the Oklahoma State Cowboys in 1979, he invited Wannstedt to join his staff.

Wannstedt served as defensive line coach for the Oklahoma State Cowboys for the 1979 and 1980 seasons and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1981, a spot he held for two seasons. He moved on to USC in 1983 and served as the defensive line coach for the Trojans for three years. In 1986, Wannstedt became defensive coordinator for the Miami Hurricanes under friend and mentor Jimmy Johnson.

When Johnson was hired as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys in 1989, Wannstedt joined Dallas' staff as defensive coordinator. The Cowboys defense was considered one of the best in the NFL under Wannstedt's leadership and he became a prime candidate to become an NFL head coach. When Chuck Noll retired as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, in 1992, Wannstedt was one of the finalists for the job, but was ultimately edged out by Bill Cowher. On January 19, 1993, he was hired as the head coach of the Chicago Bears replacing legendary coach Mike Ditka.

Wannstedt's tenure at Chicago was tumultuous. He led the Bears to only one postseason appearance in his 6 years at Chicago and compiled a 41-57 record. After posting back-to-back 4-12 seasons, Bears owner Michael B. McCaskey fired Wannstedt on December 28, 1998, a day when five NFL head coaches (one sixth of the league) lost their jobs.

In 1999, Wanstedt again joined Jimmy Johnson's staff, this time as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach of the Miami Dolphins. When the 56 year old Johnson suddenly announced his retirement on January 16, 2000, Wannstedt was the obvious choice to replace him and he was immediately named Johnson's successor.

The 2000 football season went well for the Dolphins as they went 11-5 and won the AFC East title for the first time since 1994. The Dolphins went 11-5 again in 2001, 9-7 in 2002, and 10-6 in 2003. The 2004 season however was a disaster from the beginning. Star running back Ricky Williams quit football in the face of drug abuse charges, the offense sputtered and the team would post just one win in its first nine games, the worst record in the NFL. Wannstedt became the focus of intense criticism for his leadership and fell under immense pressure from fans and Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga. Wannstedt resigned as Dolphins head coach on November 9, 2004.

When University of Pittsburgh head coach Walt Harris announced that he was leaving Pitt to become head coach at Stanford, Wannstadt immediately became a leading candidate to replace him. A Pittsburgh native and Pitt graduate with NFL experience and a proven college recruiting record, Wannstedt's name rocketed to the top of the list of candidates. Wannstedt was initially interested in the job but pulled back over salary issues and concerns about his ability to keep a quality staff. After working out several issues with the Pitt athletic department including pay raises for assistant coaches, Wannstedt agreed to Pitt's offer and was named head coach on December 23, 2004.

Wannstedt says that recruiting will be a top priority under his leadership. Harris had been roundly criticized during his tenure for his poor recruiting abilities. He retained some of Harris' staff including Paul Rhoads the competent defensive coordinator but made several key changes including bringing in former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Matt Cavenaugh , Wannstadt's college teammate at Pitt, to run the offense. Both men had been in the running for the head coaching job.