Matt Cavanaugh professed to be “comfortable” with the idea of recruiting high school football prospects after spending the past decade coaching NFL superstars. Who can blame him? Cavanaugh, hired Friday as Pitt’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, has four reasons to entice prospects to play for the Panthers: the 1976 national championship he won at Pitt and the three Super Bowl rings he won, two as a player with the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants and as a coach with the Baltimore Ravens. Not that he’s counting on his rings alone. “A lot of players coming out of high school aren’t real enamored that I was here 25 years ago and won a national championship,” Cavanaugh said. “I don’t know my background is going to mean a lot, other than he’s done it. “I have to use my communication skills and teaching ability to show we’re in this to win games, to win championships.” Cavanaugh admits he was overwhelmed by his recruiting duties in his first coaching stint at Pitt, as tight ends coach on Johnny Majors’ staff in 1993. “It was my first coaching job,” Cavanaugh said. “I was very green, very inexperienced, very unprepared for it.” This time, Cavanaugh believes he is prepared for the demands of recruiting. He has three children, ages 21, 19 and 17, so he knows how to deal with teenagers and college students. And the NFL forced his hand, as well. “The older I got in pro football, the younger the players coming into the league seemed,” Cavanaugh said. “As the gap widened, I had to keep relating to a younger player.” Now, he has a built-in sales pitch for recruits. To quarterbacks asking about his passing philosophy: “Well, when me and Joe Montana were playing for Bill Walsh on the 49ers…” To receivers: “You know, when I threw Jerry Rice his first NFL reception…” To running backs: “That play I called when Jamal Lewis broke the 2,000-yard barrier…” And to their coaches, Cavanaugh can simply mention playing for Walsh and Bill Parcells and coaching with Brian Billick, all Super Bowl champions. “Obviously, it’s going to be big,” Pitt quarterback Tyler Palko said. “With his experience in the NFL and being a Pitt guy, he’ll be able to sell the program.” With Dave Wannstedt as head coach and Cavanaugh and Paul Rhoads as the coordinator, Pitt should have a dynamic and powerful presence in the living room of recruits in Western Pennsylvania and nationally. Wannstedt has wasted no time making sure recruiting is at the forefront of his priorities, mentioning it at every possibility. After hiring Cavanaugh and making Charlie Partridge his special-teams coach, the only position Wannstedt has yet to fill is recruiting coordinator. “Another great day for Pitt football,” Wannstedt proclaimed. “We’ve been getting all these coaches signed. Now, we’ve got to sign great players.” With Cavanaugh in the mix, Pitt’s chances are even better.

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