Per Joe Schad, Narduzzi has signed his contract.

Pat Narduzzi has agreed to become Pittsburgh’s next head coach. Narduzzi was def. coordinator at Michigan St. for 8 years. (via @schadjoe)

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 24, 2014

Paul Zeise reports the press conference will be Friday. Now that this has settled, the next step is filling out the staff. MSU SBnation writer Hondo Carpenter has tweeted out some great nuggets on that and the two best recent nuggets are after the jump.

1) Offensive coaches are contacting him because there’s a large demand to be Pitt’s offensive coordinator. Narduzzi will not hire anyone who is not a good recruiter.

2) LB coach Mike Tressel (yes, former OSU head coach Jim’s son) and DB Coach Harlon Barnett will be offered a chance come along. Both could come and neither could come, it depends on what Dantonio is able to do to keep them. I’d expect one of the two, likely Tressel, to end up as Pitt’s DC.

I’ve heard several names for OC and it goes without saying that under a defensive head coach, the offensive coordinator is the most important hire. This is probably Paul Chryst’s biggest mistake; he didn’t hire a great defensive coordinator to cover up for his flaws there. It’s the same thing that ruined Will Muschamp at Florida. No one denies Muschamp is a great defensive coach, but without a great OC to run the offense he failed miserably. Get the point? I’m sure part of the interview process was Narduzzi going over who his targets would be. The targets in my order of preference:

1) Don Treadwell.

Ignore Treadwell’s current position. Treadwell was a successful OC at Ball State, Cinci, and Michigan State. He left Michigan State to be the head coach at Miami (OH) after their previous head coach left for Pitt. I can’t recall how that went, so let’s move on. Treadwell did not succeed at Miami as a head coach, but that doesn’t mean his eight years as an OC mean nothing. Failed head coaches can be very valuable as coordinators for a first time head coach. Treadwell certainly made mistakes and can help Narduzzi navigate through the new challenges he’s going to face. Ideally you want your OC to be a “head coach of the offense” type and Treadwell could be that guy.

Given his failure at Miami yet his successful experience as an OC, Treadwell is my top target because he’s proven and unlikely to leave for a head coach position if things go according to plan.

2) John DeFilippo.

DeFilippo is the current QB coach of the Oakland Raiders and is widely viewed as an up and coming coach. He previously held the same gig in 2007-08, was the QB coach for the Jets in 2009, and then spent two years with San Diego State as OC and QB coach before returning to the Raiders as QB coach again in 2012. DeFilippo was also a finalist for the Browns OC gig last season, which went to Kyle Shanahan. DeFilippo’s star is only rising more due to the success of rookie Derek Carr.

If DeFilippo is a rising star, Narduzzi is certainly wise to consider him. Bright offensive minds don’t grow on trees. However, if DeFilippo has been considered for NFL OC gigs, it’s likely he could be gone in a year or two. I wouldn’t complain if Pitt hires him, but I don’t like hiring a coach who’s obviously going to be gone if he succeeds. DeFilippo’s name was first reported by Bruce Feldman. Feldman is very connected in this scenario so it’s arguable DeFilippo is the current favorite.

3) Joe Rudolph. No link needed, everyone knows who he is. It’s highly doubtful Narduzzi retains Rudolph. It’s nice to think about, the players would be happy, but it’s not common for a new coach to keep a coordinator level position unless it’ll be difficult to find a better candidate. Rudolph is a good coach and recruiter, but he’s not a hot commodity elsewhere. I won’t complain if he’s hired, but I do think Narduzzi could do better with one of the two options above.

4) Brad Salem. Salem is currently the QB Coach and recruiting coordinator. Before taking over the QB role last season, he was the RB coach which included coaching up the Steelers’ Le’Veon Bell. Salem has also spent time as a head coach and OC at the D2 level. MSU has another co-OC, Dave Warner, but indications are that Salem would be the internal candidate.

This would certainly be a promotion for Salem given that he has never been anything but a c0-OC at the FBS level. Both DeFilippo and Treadwell have much more relevant coaching experience than Salem, which is why I have him last.

Overall, I just want to say I’m very thankful this coach was quick and precise. This was a very nice change of pace from recent coaching searches and hopefully Gallagher’s recent success translates to the Athletic Director position as well.