Jerry DiPaola stories, Page 112
Former Miami coach Mark Richt says Pitt’s Kenny Pickett ‘the right quarterback’ for Pat Narduzzi
Mark Richt has watched Kenny Pickett’s career at Pitt with special interest. After all, he was there when it started. And the memory is one he’d prefer to forget. Richt was the coach at Miami in 2017, undefeated and ranked second in the nation. Pickett was a first-year freshman, with...
Pitt’s Wendell Davis humbly accepts starting job at middle linebacker
Wendell Davis has confronted temptation and walked away from it — not his toughest task as Pitt’s starting middle linebacker. But staying on course helped him remain healthy and focused, two of the most important attributes any college football player needs to survive this season. Davis was not tempted to...
How Pat Narduzzi used his ORs to row toward the start of the 2020 Pitt season
Sometimes, the preseason depth chart is barely worth the ink used to run it through the copy machine. It can change daily, and coaches, including those at Pitt, might be disappointed if it remains unchanged for too long. That means backups aren’t improving. Pat Narduzzi released his first two-deep (in...
Former major-league catcher Devin Mesoraco joins Pitt staff
Former All-Star catcher Devin Mesoraco joined the Pitt baseball coaching staff as a volunteer assistant. He will work primarily with catchers. Mesoraco, a native of Punxsutawney, played eight years in the major leagues after joining the Cincinnati Reds in 2011. He was drafted by the Reds with the 15th overall...
Covid-19 tests three times a week part of Pitt’s regimen on game week
The practices, meetings and video sessions aimed at preparing Pitt for its opener Saturday against Austin Peay are underway. But that is only part of what players, coaches and staff need to do. Everyone will be tested for covid-19 three times a week during the season. It started Sunday. There...
Pirates’ Ke’Bryan Hayes displays impressive baseball IQ
After only five games, Ke’Bryan Hayes has plenty to prove as a major leaguer. But it is clear the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie third baseman paid attention while his dad was playing baseball. Charlie Hayes played in the major leagues for 14 years, including the 1996 World Series with the New...
Pirates rally in 9th inning to defeat Reds, split series
Cole Tucker took a step off third base and watched intently as the fly ball sailed into right field off Erik Gonzalez’s bat. Not especially deep, but just deep enough. The sacrifice fly scored Tucker with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday, giving the Pittsburgh...
Cole Tucker, Jason Martin will share center field after Anthony Alford’s ‘very clean’ break
Cole Tucker’s move to the outfield appears to be more than just an experiment with a talented athlete. He made his 16th start in center field Sunday in the 3-2 victory against the Cincinnati Reds. That’s 41% of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ games, a percentage that may increase after Anthony Alford...
‘Burgh’s Best to Never Wear It: Honus Wagner holds Pirates records more than a century after he retired
The Tribune-Review is following its Best to Ever Wear It series, a daily countdown of the greatest college and pro athletes to wear every jersey number from 99 to 0/00, by honoring the Best to Never Wear It. The six athletes spotlighted didn’t wear a numbered uniform but brought pride...
Pitt Take 5: Game week … 6 months ago, who thought we’d reach this point?
Back in March, when sports stopped and we had no idea when they would resume, ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit offered these distressing words: “I’ll be shocked if we have NFL football this fall, if we have college football,” he said in a radio interview. This is not meant...
Pitt’s Kenny Pickett, fellow co-captains seek respect after snub from ACC media
When he was a freshman quarterback just trying to figure things out, Kenny Pickett mostly watched as a bad Pitt team lost seven games. A year later, he was on an ACC Coastal Division champion that ended the season on a three-game losing streak. Then, a year ago, Pitt won...
ACC media poll ranks Pitt 8th in preseason rankings
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi was handed more motivational material Friday when the ACC released its preseason media poll and the Panthers were ranked eighth out of 15 teams. Nonetheless, the 134-member panel chose three Pitt players to its All-ACC team: Center Jimmy Morrissey, defensive end Patrick Jones II and safety...
Bowling Green transfer Jarett Doege wins WVU quarterback job
After training-camp competition lasted longer than Neal Brown anticipated, West Virginia coach’s named junior Jarett Doege to be his starting quarterback for the opener Sept. 12 against Eastern Kentucky. “We really feel like we have two quarterbacks on our roster that can win Big 12 games right now, which I...
Pirates nominate Josh Bell for Clemente Award
Josh Bell, who has boosted his community service this year in response to the nation’s current state of social unrest, is the Pittsburgh Pirates’ nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award. The award annually recognizes an MLB player who best represents baseball through Clemente’s character, community involvement, philanthropy and contributions, on...
Bryan Reynolds returns as a new dad, leads Pirates to 6-2 victory against the Cubs
After the ball left his bat at 109 mph and he settled into second base with a double, Bryan Reynolds decided he had earned a place in the spotlight. So he stood tall on the PNC Park infield, allowed himself a slight smile and cradled his arms as if rocking...
Pitt freshman WR Jordan Addison hopes chalk talk, not trash talk, sets him apart
When he heard Pat Narduzzi compared him to Antonio Brown, Jordan Addison allowed himself to smile. Or, was it just a polite grin? “I think that’s great,” Pitt’s freshman wide receiver said, “but I just try to stay humble and focus on myself.” When he was asked if he likes...
Pat Narduzzi tinkers with Pitt’s roster, adds veteran wide receiver D.J. Turner
Never let it be said Pat Narduzzi is satisfied with his roster. Less than two weeks before the first game, Pitt’s coach added graduate transfer wide receiver D.J. Turner to the team. Turner (5-foot-9, 206 pounds) has one season of eligibility remaining — two, if he chooses to take advantage...
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi on Matt Canada: ‘The guy’s awesome’
One day after a year-old video showing Pat Narduzzi criticizing former offensive coordinator Matt Canada circulated on social media, Pitt’s coach was asked Tuesday to describe their relationship. Narduzzi said he hadn’t seen the video of his talk at a coaches’ clinic, but he received two text messages about it....
In coaching clinic video, Pat Narduzzi says former assistant was ‘stupid’ to leave PittVideo
When Pat Narduzzi spoke at a coach of the year clinic last year, his message to the crowd of coaches was “be patient” when thinking about other jobs. Good advice, especially for those who hold good jobs. To illustrate his point, Narduzzi told the story of an offensive coordinator who...
Former Pitt basketball great Demetreus Gore dies at age 54
Demetreus Gore, who played on Pitt’s first Big East regular-season championship teams in 1987 and ’88, died over the weekend. He was 54. Pitt coach Jeff Capel tweeted in tribute to Gore, “RIP to a Panther great. Another brother gone too soon!” RIP to a Panther great, Demetrius Gore. Another...
Pirates finally reach 10 victories, defeat Brewers
If the Milwaukee Brewers want to give away that Toyota Highlander parked high above the field at Miller Park, they may want to find a good auto body repairman. The vehicle Josh Bell hit Sunday in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 5-1 victory might have an ugly dent in it. “That ball...
GM Ben Cherington vague on Pirates’ plan as trade deadline approaches
Ben Cherington had no specific information Sunday about his attempts to finalize trades before the MLB trading deadline at 4 p.m. Monday. He was as vague as possible on his radio show on KDKA-FM, especially when he said, “You’re learning information that may or may not lead to anything in...
Pirates look to former college QB Anthony Alford for outfield help
After Anthony Alford goes through the protocols and joins the Pittsburgh Pirates, he’ll be part of a rotation in center field with Cole Tucker and Jason Martin, manager Derek Shelton said Sunday. Alford, who was claimed off waivers Thursday from the Toronto Blue Jays, caught the eyes of Shelton and...
‘Burgh’s best to wear it, No. 1: Larry Fitzgerald, 37, prepares for his 16th NFL season
When you look back at Larry Fitzgerald’s time at Pitt and in the NFL, much of it is difficult to believe. • In his second and final (sophomore) season at Pitt in 2003, he caught 92 passes for 1,672 yards and 22 touchdowns. • Equally amazing, he didn’t win the...
Pitt Take 5: Pondering the offensive line and key losses on defense
Amidst covid outbreaks, cancellations and reconfigurations, most of us wondered if there would be a college football season this year. But Pitt has been preparing almost without interruption most of the summer, and the scheduled opener is only 15 days away. The season will start one week late, but that’s...
