Pitt offensive coordinator Mark Whipple spoke to the media following Thursday practice. See what Pitt’s new offensive coordinator had to say.

The guys are working hard. They are fun to be around on both sides. I really like the competition - the offense does some good things, the defense does some good things. They’re responding and there’s just a lot of teaching going on on the offense and a lot of teaching on what the defense is giving, so I like what I’ve seen so far. Really good kids and I’m excited about tomorrow’s practice.

You have two guys with a lot of experience in Kenny (Pickett) and Jeff (George). Is it almost like having two coaches on the field?

MW: I wouldn’t go there Jerry. No, maybe next year with Kenny. They’re veteran guys, but I just to overload them really and try to give them more than they can handle so that they’re working and in which they’ve done and Kenny’s done a good job.

I try to give them different looks. All of the stuff that we’re doing it probably takes three years or you’ve got to play 18 games to get it all. So I’ve got to figure out what we’re comfortable with what we’re keep feeding the guys on offense - certain concepts, certain things, different looks the defense is giving us with certain blitz game or the the three-down or four down, so there’s a lot to it and he’s soaking it up so he’s trying to prepare for the season and that’s what camp is about. The defense is really doing a good job so it’s great for us on offense.

Can you tell Jeff (George) has been around the block a few times?

MW: Yea, he’s played. What I like about Jeff is when he makes a mistake he knows it right away. I don’t have to tell him. I wouldn’t say that happens all the time with Davis (Beville) or Nick (Patti), but he knows right away so that’s a good thing. He’s understanding, he studies, and he’s been behind center. So I’nm getting to know him better also. He’s not getting as many reps as Kenny right now, but I’ve liked what I’ve seen. He’s thrown the ball well and made some really good throws, good reads so I’m excited about that.

How much does your NFL background help these guys buy in?

MW: I can fool them (laughing). I don’t know, the experience part helps there’s no question. What I’ve learned for a lot of the guys that I’ve worked for and worked with on both sides of the ball. I was really lucky to be on the other side of the ball of Dick LeBeau everyday for three years and then I was with the Eagles and Jim Johnson was a four-down, more different pressure type things, so I think those things have really helped and understand how to attack the three-down and four-down defense with what you’re seeing in the NFL. Certainly the guys that have been around have done a lot for me, done a lot for Bill, and George Allen - all the guys I’ve taken stuff from, so I’m just trying to pass that on to the players and try to help them.

I know they all want to go next door and go to the league and I’m trying to help them that way. Just trying to help kids, that’s why I got into this business. There’s no question I want to win games, people know I’m competitive, but it’s about helping people get better and be better people and teach them how to treat a family and how them to get to the next level, so I think the experience helps.

Do you see that on the field when you are putting in new plays?

MW: There’s some plays we’ve taken from the NFL this year that we didn’t do in the spring and we’re using their cut-ups, certain teams that I don’t want to mention. There’s certain concepts that BA (Bruce Arians) was here that I worked with and he’s a smart guy so things that he’s done I’ve added on. There are some other things that I studied in the offseason that we didn’t have, some fit and some don’t and a lot of it has to do with personnel so we’re looking at those things right now.

You have a lot of guys like Maurcie (Ffrench) and Shocky (Jacques-Louis) that can catch the ball and kind of run the ball. How nice of an asset is it that you have guys that can kind of do both?

MW: I’m still learning a lot about those guys and what they’re really good at. We’ve got a couple of new pieces on the line with Nolan (Ulizio) and Nakia (Griffin-Stewart), which gives the tight end room a lot of depth. How are we getting these guys in the different looks and different styles, so that’s what we’re working on right now with certain packages. So we’re trying to really accentuate their positives and work on some of the things they don’t do so well. So as I’ve said we’ve got more pieces than I thought when I first came here and that’s a credit to the Pitt recruiting staff and Coach Pat.

How would you describe the running backs’ role in the passing game?

MW: Those guys can catch the ball, but we really focus on protection as we’re trying to handle the blitzes that we’re getting and it’s great going against our guys. So that’s really been the focus. There might be some things that we isolate those guys 1-on-1. AJ’s (Davis) got good hands and Todd’s done some things and the young backs look like they’re coming. Really the fundamentals of teaching protections and different things is most important, because you’ve got to protect the quarterback because otherwise you just can’t throw it when you’re on your back.

Are you satisfied with how they’ve shown that through fall camp?

MW: Yea yesterday and today we’ve had two real good blitz periods that we’re physical and live and the technique and everything else and we’ve got some good-looking linebackers that come through, so the coordination between those guys and the line and the slides and the things the quarterback have to do we’re working on right now. Luckily in the spring we were able to get a lot of it done in the walk-through and now we’re taking it to another speed. There’s always going to be some new things on gameday, but hopefully if you just stay with your keys we should be alright.