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By Kyle Golik In the coaching fraternity, you got some coaches who are hall-of-fame trash talkers, cocky, and master trolls. Think of Barry Switzer prior to a Nebraska game that had Big 8 and Orange Bowl implications going on The Bob Devaney Show and giving the Nebraska crew some tacos. Think Steve Spurrier for the laundry list of viral quotes he had with all his rivals.
If social media existed in the 1990s like it does today, Spurrier would be at a whole nother level. While Switzer and Spurrier have hall-of-fame resumes, one who matches from time to time the bravado they had is Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi . Narduzzi appeared on The Pat McAfee Show last week following Pitt’s 41-13 rout of rival Syracuse, and McAfee, a WVU alum, took Narduzzi to task for a potential another troll job.
“How come you talked a little s*** to Neal Brown in a tweet?” McAfee asked. “I think you said, nice weather, right? We had fun. We had fun.
We did that entire thing, was that?” “You read that wrong,” Narduzzi said with a smile. “It was just a beautiful day in Pittsburgh that day in practice. You know, the weather was good.
Shoot, we were having fun, we were having fun practicing. Narduzzi is fearless and isn’t afraid to go after a Backyard Brawl rival, even after the much-maligned Mountaineer head coach hopes his base has fun at the tailgates . Narduzzi has sparred with Penn State head coach James Franklin, better known around Pitt annals as “James from State College.
” When Narduzzi was asked about Backyard Brawl being on, he didn’t waste an opportunity at this season’s ACC Media Days to take a swipe at Penn State, "We embrace rivalries. We embrace rivalries. We'd love to play Penn State if they would play us.
” As Pitt moved to 7-0 for the first time since 1982, the endless opportunities opened for Narduzzi and their program. They control their destiny to make the College Football Playoff for the first time, as well as spoil a potential Clemson and Miami tilt in Charlotte for the ACC Championship. © Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports Pitt's Pat Narduzzi resurgence Pitt is having somewhat of a renaissance under Narduzzi, something they haven’t experienced since the golden era from 1976 to 1982 when guys like Dan Marino, Tony Dorsett, Hugh Green, Jimbo Covert, and Bill Fralic marched out of Pitt Stadium.
When Penn State and Pitt renewed their rivalry in 2016, it was Narduzzi who got the first laugh winning the 42-39 classic in what was at the time the most attended sporting event in the history of the City of Pittsburgh, yes even over some Pittsburgh Steelers playoff games. That same season, Narduzzi was able to engineer an upset over eventual national champion Clemson in Death Valley. Clemson avenged their loss in the 2018 ACC Championship Game against Narduzzi, but the fact Pitt made it there was a sign for things to come.
Fast forward to 2021, behind super senior quarterback Kenny Pickett, who would go onto being a Heisman Trophy finalist, Pitt won their first conference championship since winning the Big East in 2004. Following the 2022 season where Pitt clinched consecutive 9 or more wins seasons for the first time since Dave Wannstedt’s 2008 and 2009 Pitt teams, it seemed Pitt was poised for something more. Pitt struck out in the portal in 2023, they banked on Phil Jurkovec, who transferred in from Boston College, to be their signal caller to no avail.
This time Narduzzi sought out Alabama transfer Eli Holstein and Holstein has positioned the Panthers to their most potent offense since Pickett, currently the No. 6 scoring offense at 40.9 points per game, and have the Panthers positioned to a spot they haven’t seen since Marino.
Through the various ups and downs, Narduzzi has stuck through it. When you look at the carousel of Pitt coaches they have had since the 1970’s it makes sense why Pitt hasn’t been able to elevate itself. Johnny Majors first go around ended with the program’s ninth national championship in 1976, Majors got offered the Tennessee job, his alma mater where he was a Heisman Finalist, and it was easy to see why he left.
You could also see that is why Paul Chryst left after the 2014 season, the Wisconsin native and alum realized that job wouldn’t open again like it did. Wannstedt being the Pitt native loved the program so much, but he dealt with unrealistic expectations and resigned after a disappointing 2010 season. Like Wannstedt, Foge Fazio.
who replaced Jackie Sherrill , had unrealistic expectations to contend with. Fazio did everything right off the field, was a loyal Pitt man like Wannstedt, but just didn’t get the results. There have been notable clashes, Mike Gottfried clashed with athletic director Ed Bozik which left Pitt without a head coach prior to the Sun Bowl in 1989.
Walt Harris flirted with jobs his last few years and when Stanford finally opened up, he left without any reservation. Todd Graham had his epic departure from the Panthers, sending his departure news via text after one season. Jackie Sherrill, who was the last coach to have any major success, had clashes with Pitt over the structure of the athletic department.
Then when Texas A&M showed him $1.6 million, a figure that was unheard of in 1982, it gave Sherrill the motivation to leave. For what it is worth, the Aggies nearly got Bo Schembechler to leave Michigan.
Once confronted, Schembechler didn’t have the heart to leave. Looking back, Sherrill has different feelings about the decision he made, “There’s a lot of mistakes I’ve made in my life. Leaving Pitt was one of them,” Sherrill said back in 2020.
© Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports While there has been a reason for coaches to leave Pitt, Narduzzi has embraced the program more than any coach the Panthers have had in many generations. Michigan State, where Narduzzi worked with Mark D'Antonio from 2007 to 2014 couldn’t get him two times in recent years. In 2015, Dantonio said, "He's been incredibly loyal here.
He's an extremely hard worker. He's been extremely successful. And now it's time for him to grow".
Dantonio also said, "You want the best for your people.” During Narduzzi’s troubles in 2023, he did not panic, he simply went back to the foundation that has proven to be successful for him: “I talk to our guys all the time about our program goals, and I won’t get into four of them, which have been here since I’ve been here in eight-and-a-half season - relationships, it’s the number one thing we talk about all the time. And the relationships I have with our players is critical.
That never ever can change. When you don’t have relationships with your team, you have an issue. I had a great team meeting with them last night.
I think they know where I’m coming from and where I was coming from. I think they get it. Relationships are everything.
It’s why I coach, it’s what I do. It’s what I’ve done for years. To me, it’s always been, players love the coaches and the coaches love the players.
If you don’t have that, you’ve got issues.” It is the relationships, not only with the team but with former lettermen and the community that have Narduzzi positioned well. Back in 2021, he made a six-figure donation back into Pitt football to aid in student-athlete development, facility improvement, technology and recruiting.
“I take great pride in wearing that Pitt Script on my chest each day as the University of Pittsburgh’s head football coach,” Narduzzi said. “This gift is an expression of our thankfulness for the people of Pitt, especially the student-athletes we get to work with each day. Our responsibility is to give them the finest experiences possible — academically, athletically and personally.
” Narduzzi appreciates where he is at in his life, he appreciates being part of Pitt football history, and the Pitt community appreciates him back. It's a situation Pitt hasn’t had in a generation, a Pitt coach who covets the position and it's led to something great..
