Wofford picks Pitt assistant as new head coach

Wofford College has found a replacement for long-time head football coach Mike Ayers, the school announced Tuesday.

Wofford will hire Pitt defensive coordinator Josh Conklin as its new head coach. Conklin, 37, will be introduced at news conference called for Wednesday.

It would be Conklin’s first head coaching job.

Conklin, who spent the past three seasons as the defensive coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh, was an assistant coach at Wofford from 2007-09 working with the secondary.

Conklin has additional experience at Florida International, Tennessee, The Citadel and South Dakota State University, serving as the defensive coordinator at Pitt, Florida International and The Citadel. He has worked with the 4-3, 4-2 and 3-4 defensive packages during his career.

Wofford will hold a press conference on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. in the Harley Room to introduce Conklin to the Wofford community.

“Josh is the complete package,” said Wofford College Director of Athletics Richard Johnson. “Having worked here as an assistant under (recently retired head coach) Mike Ayers, he has the Wofford DNA we were looking for along with a great depth and breadth of external experience. For the past three seasons as a defensive coordinator in the ACC, he has matched wits with some of the best offensive minds in college football. We are thrilled to have him carry on the legacy of Mike Ayers and Wofford football.”

“Our family is very excited to be at Wofford College,” said Conklin. “I hope that we can continue the success that Mike Ayers has built. Following in his footsteps is a great honor and we are excited to be coming back to Wofford.”

Conklin served as Pitt’s defensive coordinator for three seasons. Under Conklin's watch, Pitt has featured one of the most productive pass rushes in the country. The Panthers ranked sixth nationally in sacks in 2016, averaging 3.31 per contest. Pitt compiled 111 sacks the past three seasons.

Conklin is a 2003 graduate of Dakota State University. He was a starting linebacker and Academic All-American for the Trojans. A native of Gillette, Wyoming, Conklin was born June 19, 1979.

This story was originally published January 2, 2018 at 11:13 AM with the headline "Wofford picks Pitt assistant as new head coach."