Maryland special teams coordinator Andre Powell leaving for Pittsburgh

Andre Powell, the Maryland football team’s special teams coordinator and running backs coach, is leaving after four seasons to join Pat Narduzzi’s staff at Pittsburgh, the school announced Friday morning. Powell will assume the same role at Pitt, which is revamping its staff after Narduzzi was hired last month.

Powell was part of Randy Edsall’s original staff to be hired in 2011, and he leaves Maryland after four seasons having built one of the most effective special teams units in the country. Maryland ranked seventh in special teams efficiency (2.170) this year. Maryland kicker Brad Craddock was named the Lou Groza Award winner in December after hitting 18 of 19 field goal attempts last season and sophomore Will Likely established himself as one of the best returners in the Big Ten. The unit was a centerpiece in several wins, including against South Florida, when it blocked a fourth-quarter punt to set up the game-winning score.

Maryland ranked 106th nationally in rushing this season, however, picking up just 3.7 yards per carry and averaging 121.7 yards per game.

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Powell, who was paid $222,000 per year at Maryland, had coached in the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1997 before Maryland defected for the Big Ten this season. The South Carolina native previously served at Virginia (1997-2000), North Carolina (2001-2006) and Clemson (2007-2010). He coached with Narduzzi when both were  young assistants at Rhode Island during the 1993 and 1994 seasons.

On the recruiting front, Powell was responsible  for local territory in Maryland and Virginia, as well as Northeast Ohio, Missouri and South Carolina.

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