Welcome to the kickoff of Albany Week, where we’ll highlight and break down all angles of Pitt’s Week 1 matchup with the Great Danes. During the 2018 season, each of the Panthers’ opponents will have a week dedicated to them and their matchup with the Panthers. This will be the first time that both of these programs will be facing one another on the football field.

Team: Albany

Nickname: Great Danes

Conference Affiliation: Colonial Athletic Association (Since 2013)

Head Coach: Greg Gattuso (2014 season to present record: 21-24 overall, 11-21 in CAA)

2017 record: 4-7 (Overall), 2-6 (Conference Record)

A quick overview of Albany’s 2017 Season

Albany started the season with three wins and one loss, including a 19-10 win over Villanova (who was ranked No. 10 at the time in the FCS football rankings). Albany would go on to lose six straight games after that win before shutting out New Hampshire 15-0 in the Danes’ season finale. Four of their seven losses were by seven points or less.

Albany head coach Greg Gattuso’s Pittsburgh coaching connection

Greg Gattuso has significantly deep ties to the Pittsburgh area at both the high school and collegiate level. He was the head coach at his alma mater, Seton-LaSalle, from 1989-1991. He was Duquesne's head football coach from 1994 to 2004 and compiled a 97-32 record. Gattuso would then become an assistant coach for Pitt from 2005 to 2010. He coached the tight ends from 2005-06 and the defensive line from 2006-10 while he was with the Panthers. Gattuso was an assistant head coach with Pitt from 2008-2010. Gattuso became Albany football head coach on Dec. 9, 2013.

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Albany’s Unique Coaching History

There are not too many NCAA football programs that can say they’ve had two different head coaches in the past 45 years. Bob Ford was Albany’s coach from 1970 season (the football team went from being a club sport to a varsity sport in 1973) until the 2013 season. Ford compiled a record of 265-195-1 during his coaching career at Albany.

Three other Pitt connections on Albany’s coaching staff

Pitt alum Jarred Holley is a safeties coach for the Great Danes. Holley, a Class of 2013 Pitt graduate, was a two-year starting defensive back for the Panthers. He was a two-time Big East All-Academic Football Team Honoree and a two-time member of the All-Big East team during his career. Holley completed his career as a Panther with 11 interceptions.

Albany's assistant head coach/offensive line coach Jim Sweeney is also a Pitt graduate (1984). He was a four-year standout on Pitt's offensive line between 1980 and 1984. Sweeney's 16 years in the NFL were spent with the New York Jets (11 years), Pittsburgh Steelers (4 years) and Seahawks (one year). He was coaching for the Pittsburgh Power of the Arena Football League before going to Albany in 2013.

Albany's run-game coordinator/tight ends coach Nate Byham was a three-year starter at tight end for Pitt between 2006-2009. Byham made 36 career starts in 48 games and was a team captain during his senior season. He was a volunteer assistant for Albany in 2014 and was named the tight ends coach in 2015.

Other notable Albany history facts about its football program

Classifications

*1970-1994 NCAA Division III

*1995-1998 NCAA Division II

*1999-present NCAA Division I-AA/FCS

Conference Memberships

1970–1972: Independent

1973–1994: Division III Independent

1995–1996: Division II Independent

1997–1998: Eastern Football Conference

1999–2012: Northeast Conference

2013–present: Colonial Athletic Association

Conference Championships

2002 – Northeast Conference

2003 – Northeast Conference (Co-Champions)

2007 – Northeast Conference

2008 – Northeast Conference

2011 – Northeast Conference (Co-Champions)

2012 – Northeast Conference (Co-Champions)

FCS Playoffs Results

2011 – First Round 31-28 loss to Stony Brook

Stay tuned to Panther247 for more articles leading up to Pitt's Week 1 matchup against Albany.