PITTSBURGH — Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi was named head coach at the University of Pittsburgh Friday afternoon.

Narduzzi, 48, was being named the Panthers’ fifth head coach in five years about the same time the Spartans were pulling up to AT&T Stadium in Dallas for its first practice for the Cotton Bowl.

Narduzzi, who has been the defensive coordinator at Michigan State for the past eight years, was Broyles Award winner as assistant coach of the year in 2013. He previously was an assistant coach with the Spartans’ Mark Dantonio for three year at Cincinnati before leaving for East Lansing.

He grew up just northwest of Pittsburgh in Youngstown, Ohio where his father was the head coach at Youngstown State from 1975-85.

“I want to congratulate Pat Narduzzi on his appointment as head football coach at the University of Pittsburgh,” Dantonio said. “Pat has been my defensive coordinator for the last 11 years, including the past eight seasons here at Michigan State. He’s one of five coaches who have been here from the start (at MSU since 2007), so he’s played an integral part in helping to build the foundation of our program.

“The success we’ve enjoyed over the last eight seasons, both collectively and on the defensive side of the football, has afforded Pat with this opportunity to become a head coach in a Power 5 Conference. That’s a tremendous accomplishment, and he’ll do an outstanding job at Pittsburgh. We wish him nothing but the best.”

Following Friday’s news conference, Narduzzi rejoined the Spartans in Dallas and will coach Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl.

The Panthers, who were 6-6 this season, will take on Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl on Jan. 2.