When it comes to the trenches, the [quote]pit boss[quote] is [quote]The Man,[quote] the Pitt-Man, as in Sam Pittman. While it[apos]s his second tenure as O-line boss for Northern Illinois University, he[apos]s the first-ever Huskie aide to double as assistant head coach.
The 43-year-old El Reno, OK, product was promoted to assistant head coach when Joe Novak restructured his staff in the spring of 2004. Pittman returned to DeKalb in March, 2003, and turned the Northern Illinois O-line from a question mark into a team strength. In two years, he has produced five All-Mid-American Conference performers--OT Jake VerStraete, C Todd Ghilani, C Brian Van Acker, OT Doug Free, and OG Ben Lueck.
In his first NIU tenure (1994-95) under Charlie Sadler, Pittman produced a trio of All-Big West Conference talent led by Honorable Mention Football News All-America center Chris O[apos]Neal. Thanks to that Pittman O-line, Northern Illinois finished 14th in NCAA Division 1-A team rushing (228.7 ypg.) in 1994 and 10th (227.0 ypg.) in 1995. The 2004 Huskies were ranked 11th (238.2 ypg.).
Prior to his return, Pittman served as OT-TE coach at the University of Cincinnati for Rick Minter (1996), plus O-line boss at the University of Oklahoma for John Blake (1997-98), Western Michigan University for Gary Darnell (1999), the University of Missouri for Larry Smith (2000), and the University of Kansas for Terry Allen (2001).
Before NIU, he produced an 11-9-1 record as head coach at Hutchinson (KS) Community College during 1992-93. He made the full-time jump into the college ranks as O-line coach at HCC in 1991. His 1993 team earned the school[apos]s first bowl bid in 23 years at the Valley of the Sun Bowl in Phoenix.
Pittman began his career as a student coach at Pittsburg (KS) State University in 1984 and 1985. He moved to Beggs (OK) High School as an assistant in 1986, Princeton (MO) High School as head football coach in 1987-89, and Trenton (MO) High School as head football coach in 1990.
At PSU, Pittman won four football letters, finished with 35 straight starts, and played in two postseason games at DE (1980-83). As a senior for coach Bruce Polen, he won First-Team NAIA All-America, First-Team All-Central States Intercollegiate Conference, team captain and co-MVP honors on a 6-4 team. In 1982, Pittman made First-Team All-CSIC and team defensive MVP in a 7-2 year. In 1998, he was inducted into the Pittsburg State Athletics Hall of Fame and in 2004, he was voted onto the school[apos]s All-Century football squad.
At Grove (OK) High School, Pittman won letters in football (4), basketball (3), and track (4). As a senior, he was an All-State gridder on a 10-1 state playoff semifinalist and won the state Class 3A shot put title with a school-record 52-7 3/4 toss. Pittman received a bachelor of science degree in education from PSU in 1986. He is married to the former Jamie Conrad of Pittsburg, KS.
