AMHERST – There won’t be any jilted exes Saturday when UMass lines up on the Heinz Field sideline opposite Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Mark Whipple.
The Minutemen’s former head coach for two stints (1998-2003 and 2014-18) has been the Panthers’ offensive coordinator since 2019. He stepped down from UMass in November of 2018 and joined Pitt two months later. It’s the second time Whipple left UMass for the Steel City. His original tenure in Amherst ended to join the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff as a quarterbacks coach. Whipple won a Super Bowl with the Steelers.
He amassed a 65-70 record for the Minutemen and won the Division I-AA national championship in 1998. His sons, Austin and Spencer Whipple, also played and coached at UMass during his tenure.
“It’s a great place, great school,” Whipple told TribLive.com. “I spent 11 years there, had a lot of good times. Miss Longmeadow Country Club. A lot of really good people.”
There are still 10 players on UMass’ roster that played for Whipple in 2018. They aren’t viewing Saturday’s 4 p.m. contest vengefully.
“It hasn’t affected us in any significant way. It’s just another team, like every other team that’s going to come afterward,” said UMass graduate defensive lineman Avien Peah, who came to UMass as a tight end under Whipple. “We don’t make it any bigger or less than it already is.”
The Minutemen recognize the game will pit the Minutemen against the Panthers, and not players against a former coach.
“At the end of the day, it’s UMass versus somebody else. I know Whip brought me into UMass, and that’s great and all, but I just see an opponent,” UMass tight end Taylor Edwards said. “I’m just ready to go do my thing and do whatever I can to help my team win.”
Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi doesn’t expect emotions to boil over into the game. He compared it to the Panthers facing Youngstown State, where he played and his father coached.
“I think that’s (way in the past). If there is, he’s not going to be the type of guy, oh, can’t wait to play them,” Narduzzi said. “You can never let your emotions get ahold of you. Obviously we all know, in every profession, it’s natural, it’s human that you want to go do that. But you know, the emotions won’t get into the game.”
UMass also can’t deny its history with Whipple. The players that remain still formed a relationship with him that brought them to Amherst in the first place.
“It’s awesome to show Coach Whip how far I’ve come and how much I’ve grown,” Edwards said. “I’m excited for him to see me and how my game has improved since we met each other.”
Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com. Follow him on Twitter @kylegrbwsk.