 On December 14, 2011, less than one year after being hired, Graham shocked Pitt when he resigned to take the head coaching position at Arizona State.Defensive coordinator Keith Patterson was named as the interim head coach for the BBVA Compass Bowl, which the Panthers lost to Southern Methodist by a score of 28–6.On December 22, 2011, Wisconsin offensive coordinator Paul Chryst was introduced as the head coach and lead the Panthers in their final season of the Big East which included another appearance in the BBVA Compass Bowl and a 6–7 final record.