Jan. 22, 2008

   PITTSBURGH--Tony Wise, an accomplished 35-year coaching veteran of collegiate and professional football, has been named Pitt's offensive line coach, it was announced today by Panthers head coach Dave Wannstedt.

                                                  

   Wise spent the past 18 years coaching offensive lines in the National Football League, including the 2006 and '07 seasons with the New York Jets. Wise's Pitt appointment reunites him with Wannstedt, who he coached with on six prior occasions, and marks his return to a place where he received one of his first college coaching positions.

 

   Wannstedt and Wise first worked together on Jackie Sherrill's Pitt coaching staff during the 1977 and '78 seasons. Wannstedt coached receivers and special teams under Sherrill, while Wise was the Panthers' assistant offensive line coach. They would go on to serve on the same staffs with Oklahoma State, the University of Miami, the Dallas Cowboys and during Wannstedt's head coaching tenures with the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins.

 

   "Tony Wise brings to Pitt an outstanding record of teaching offensive line play at the highest level," Wannstedt said. "We started our coaching careers at Pitt together and I was always continually impressed by both his coaching style and teaching ability. I know he is going to be an immediate asset for our players on and off the field."

 

   "I am incredibly excited about returning to college football, especially with a program that has had a major impact on my development as a coach," Wise said. "Dave Wannstedt has been much more than just a coaching colleague over the years. We've shared many great experiences on and off the field, and I am looking forward to helping him continue elevating Pitt to the top of the Big East Conference."

 

   Prior to his stint with the Jets, Wise spent four seasons with the Miami Dolphins (2001-04). While at Miami, his offensive lines helped produce the two highest individual single-season rushing totals in franchise history. During the 2002 season, the Dolphins rushed for 156.4 yards per game to rank first in the AFC and second in the NFL.

 

   From 1999-2000, Wise served with the Carolina Panthers. During the '99 season, Carolina averaged 4.3 yards per rush attempt to rank fifth in the NFL.

 

   Wise served on Wannstedt's Chicago staff from 1993-98, and also teamed with Pitt offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh, who held the same position with the Bears during the 1997 and '98 campaigns. In four of those six seasons, the Bears ranked in the top 10 of the NFL in fewest sacks allowed, including a league-low 15 in 1995. Wise added the duties of assistant head coach his final four seasons in Chicago.

 

   Wise's NFL career began in 1989 with the Dallas Cowboys, where he coached the offensive line for four seasons (1989-92) under coach Jimmy Johnson. In Wise's final season, his offensive front allowed the second-fewest sacks in the NFL (23) as the Cowboys captured Super Bowl XXVII with a 52-17 victory over Buffalo.

 

   Wise also served under Johnson while with the Miami Hurricanes from 1985-88. His UM tenure witnessed the Hurricanes' emergence as a national power. Miami went 34-2 during Wise's final three seasons there, including a 12-0 mark in winning the 1987 national championship.

 

   A native of Newtonville, N.Y., Wise was an offensive lineman at Ithaca College from 1969-72. He also lettered in lacrosse at Ithaca and played on the school's hockey team. Wise began his coaching career in 1973 at Albany State, where he worked with the outside linebackers. He later coached the offensive lines at Bridgeport (1974), Central Connecticut (1975) and on Jackie Sherrill's staff at Washington State in 1976.  Wise's additional collegiate stops include Oklahoma State (under Jimmy Johnson from 1979-83) and Syracuse (1984).