COLLEGE FOOTBALL ROUNDUP: News and Notes

News and notes

Pitt: Dave Wannstedt, ousted as Pitt’s football coach last month, has decided not to coach the Panthers in the Compass Bowl against Kentucky on Saturday. Defensive coordinator Phil Bennett, the former SMU head coach, will serve as the interim for a program that soon will have its third coach in two months. Wannstedt was forced to resign Dec. 7, after the Panthers went 7-5 in a season they were picked to win the Big East. Wannstedt, a former Pitt player and the head coach for six seasons, was given the option of coaching the team in the bowl. Former Miami (Ohio) coach Mike Haywood was selected Dec. 16 as Wannstedt’s replacement, only to be fired Saturday after being jailed in South Bend, Ind., on a domestic violence charge. Pitt is now searching for Haywood’s replacement.

Florida: The Gators’ coaching staff is nearly complete. The Gators confirmed Monday that former Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis will be Will Muschamp’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Muschamp also hired Seattle Seahawks defensive line coach Dan Quinn as defensive coordinator and line coach. Quinn spent the past 10 years in the NFL and has seven years of college experience. Frank Verducci was added as offensive line coach and running game coordinator. Verducci coached at Notre Dame in 2009 after eight seasons with four NFL teams. George Wynn will be director of football operations. He spent the past six seasons at assistant athletic director for football operations at Texas. Weis and Quinn will remain with their NFL teams through the postseason. Muschamp has eight assistants now, leaving one spot to fill. It’s unclear what direction Muschamp will go with the final hire.

UConn: Connecticut has named Hank Hughes as its interim head coach while it seeks a replacement for Randy Edsall. Hughes has been UConn’s assistant head coach for defense the last six seasons. UConn athletic director Jeffrey Hathaway said Monday that Hughes is a loyal, long-term member of the coaching staff, making him the perfect choice to provide leadership in a time of transition. Hughes joined the staff in 2001 from Memphis, where he was the defensive line coach. He is a 1979 graduate of Springfield College.

Associated Press