On Tuesday, word dropped that Pittsburgh Panthers offensive coordinator Mark Whipple had resigned from his position following the team’s ACC Championship season. Whipple was the architect of an offense built around quarterback Kenny Pickett, winner of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
Whipple’s resignation was immediate and meant he wouldn’t participate in their upcoming Peach Bowl game vs. Michigan State on Dec. 30. Immediately, people started wondering which job he was going to be taking instead. Given the coaching carousel spin currently going on, it only seemed natural that he was leaving one job for something better (or better paying).
However, word started to leak that Whipple’s decision was family-related and unrelated to a new job.
Turns out, that’s not true. Or at least, if it is family-related, it’s because his family really wanted to move to Lincoln, Nebraska. Whipple was announced as the new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Wednesday.
Whipple comes with tons of coaching experience. Along with head coaching stints with Brown and UMass, he also spent some years in the NFL with the Steelers, Eagles, and Browns, as well as working for Miami as an offensive coordinator between 2009 and 2010.
Whipple certainly made his mark at Pitt and has the chance to help rebuild another former college football power in Nebraska. In the meantime, there were some strong reactions on social media to the news that he was headed to Lincoln to coach under Scott Frost.
Nebraska needs a serious jolt in the right direction as a program and Frost needs a winning season to ensure that he keeps his job beyond 2022. We’ll see how much of an impact Whipple can make right away for both of those things. Because otherwise, it’s going to be a very short stint in town.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.