Pitt finds antidote for losing players in portal: Developing new ones who can make plays, too
Word from college coaches, especially those in football and basketball, is that the transfer portal is one of their biggest headaches. Players come and go, and even those who remain on the team need to be recruited all over again to keep another school from poaching them. Two of Pitt’s...
With both teams ranked among top 3, Pitt-Penn State volleyball matchup likely to move needle as never before
For a long time, a meeting between the women’s volleyball teams from Pitt and Penn State was a fairly ho-hum affair. Sure, there was the whole Pitt-Penn State geographic rivalry thing, but, beyond that, there wasn’t much buzz. Between 1987 and 2017, in fact, Penn State won all 16 matchups...
ACC reprimands, fines Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi $5,000 for remarks about officiating after Backyard Brawl victory
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi was fined $5,000 by the ACC and handed a public reprimand for comments he made to ESPN about the officiating crew after the Panthers’ 38-34 victory against West Virginia. ACC officials said in a news release Sunday night that Narduzzi violated the ACC Sportsmanship Policy. Pitt...
Analysis: Pitt has issues, but ability to survive adversity is overriding theme so far
Pitt has many problems that need to be corrected, and Pat Narduzzi started seeking solutions as soon as he clicked on the video machine Sunday morning after church services. He wasn’t especially pleased with everything that happened in Pitt’s 38-34 victory Saturday against West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl. He’ll...
‘It means everything’: Backyard Brawl brings best out of Pitt, West Virginia
More than 66,000 fans jammed into Acrisure Stadium on Saturday to watch the 107th edition of the Backyard Brawl. And while Pitt defeated West Virginia, 38-34, the spectacle of the event itself at times overshadowed the outcome. Fans wearing blue and yellow stood shoulder to shoulder in the stadium and...
Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi claims victory over WVU, officials, prompting response from Neal BrownVideo
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi, in his post-win on-field ESPN interview at Acrisure Stadium, wasted little time in declaring victory over the West Virginia Mountaineers as well as over a secondary party. “Some of the calls we got — late hit out of bounds, they catch a (touchdown) with hands in...
Pitt rallies again, survives Backyard Brawl vs. West Virginia
Pitt’s second improbable rally in eight days leading to its 38-34 victory in the 107th Backyard Brawl morphed into reality Saturday night for many reasons. • Of course, there was the freshman quarterback, Eli Holstein, looking like a senior, shedding his thoughts of what had been a decidedly unremarkable day...
Darrelle Revis reflects on Aliquippa roots, Pitt days as Panthers honor ’24 Athletics HOF ClassVideo
Mid-game during the Backyard Brawl was a fitting time for Pitt to honor former shutdown cornerback Darrelle Revis, one of 10 inductees into the Panthers’ 2024 Athletics Hall of Fame Class. Revis played at Pitt from 2004-06, earning a pair of first-team All-Big East selections before going 14th overall to...
As Pat McAfee knows, some Backyard Brawl memories are impossible to flush
Pat McAfee and Pat Bostick had moved on from their college days long ago and were well into their life’s work when they walked into the men’s restroom in the Heinz Field press box and stepped up to side-by-side urinals. The occasion was a prime-time Thursday night game between Pitt...
Parking advisory set for Backyard Brawl and Pirates game
Motorists beware! Pittsburgh’s North Shore is hosting two big games Saturday afternoon that will be played around the same time. Officials have announced plans and advice to help fans avoid some gridlock. The Pittsburgh Pirates host the Kansas City Royals at 1:05 p.m. at PNC Park, followed by the Pitt...
Football Footnotes: AFC North looks to rebound; WVU’s Marc Bulger recalls Backyard Brawls; ACC transfer QBs making impact
This week’s Friday “Football Footnotes” post examines how AFC North teams besides the Pittsburgh Steelers will try to respond to a winless opening weekend. Kirk Cousins may have tipped-off lingering issues from his recovery during Atlanta’s loss to the Steelers last week. Central Catholic graduate Marc Bulger recalls his Backyard...
Pitt Take 5: Panthers seek 2nd 3-0 start in Pat Narduzzi’s 10 seasons
Pat Narduzzi surely hasn’t given this any thought, but if Pitt defeats West Virginia on Saturday at sold-out Acrisure Stadium in the 107th Backyard Brawl, the Panthers will be 3-0 for only the second time in 10 years and the third in the 14-season post-Dave Wannstedt era. Pitt was 3-0...
Aaron Donald, Jeff Capel named to Pitt AD advisory committee
Pitt chancellor Joan Gabel offered a brief snapshot Thursday of what she and her advisory committee are seeking in their quest to name a new athletic director to replace Heather Lyke, who was fired Monday. “We are seeking a transformational leader to partner with university leadership in efforts to further...
Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi says memories from ’23 Brawl in Morgantown remain fresh in his mind
Pat Narduzzi raised his hand like he was taking an oath in a courtroom when he was asked Thursday if there will be extra hunger on the Pitt sideline in this year’s Backyard Brawl. Pat Narduzzi says he hasn’t forgotten what happened in Morgantown last year … pic.twitter.com/hcoC8oUsdT— Jerry DiPaola...
Former Pitt standout Joe Schmidt, a Pro Football Hall of Famer who helped Detroit Lions win 2 NFL titles, dies at 92
DETROIT — Joe Schmidt, the Hall of Fame linebacker who helped the Detroit Lions win NFL championships in 1953 and 1957 and later coached the team, has died. He was 92. The Lions said family informed the team Schmidt died Wednesday. A cause of death was not provided. One of...
Pitt basketball lands verbal commitment from 6-foot-4 guard Omari Witherspoon
Pitt coach Jeff Capel began the process of restocking his backcourt when he received a verbal commitment Wednesday from 6-foot-4 guard Omari Witherspoon. He is Pitt’s first verbal commitment from the class of 2025. Pittsburgh gets their guy as ‘25 @SJCBoysHoops/@DC_Premier_ Omari Witherspoon. HC Jeff Capel & staff have one...
Pitt QB Eli Holstein’s education will continue against West Virginia
Almost without exception, every time Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi and offensive coordinator Kade Bell step behind a podium, they are questioned by reporters curious about how and why the pressure of the moment hasn’t seemed to rattle quarterback Eli Holstein. After all, he’s a redshirt freshman who never picked up...
Pitt playmakers Desmond Reid, Konata Mumpfield understand benefits of treating their body right
The play started with the Cincinnati defensive back trying to hold hands with Konata Mumpfield. Or, at least, that’s the way it seemed to Mumpfield, the Pitt wide receiver who was just trying to get open for a big catch. It ended less glamorously for Mumpfield, who was blocking far...
West Virginia’s secondary vs. Pitt’s passing attack to be key matchup in Backyard Brawl
West Virginia’s offense has reason to feel confident heading into Saturday’s Backyard Brawl vs. Pitt at Acrisure Stadium. While a valid argument could be made that the Mountaineers simply beat up on an FCS opponent last weekend, West Virginia fired on all cylinders through the air and on the ground...
Who could be considered for Pitt’s athletic director opening and what challenges are they facing?
Pitt Chancellor Joan T.A. Gabel will face challenges on several fronts while seeking to fill the school’s vacancy at athletic director. Two are largely financial and one is more basic, but just as difficult to navigate: finding the right person. On the money side: • The $250 million Victory Heights...
Legendary Pitt-Johnstown wrestling coach Pat Pecora dies at age 70
Pat Pecora, who built the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown wrestling program into a national power and led the Mountain Cats to more wins than any other coach in college wrestling history, died Sunday after a long, inspirational battle with cancer. He was 70 years old. Former Mountain Cats wrestler...
Tim Benz: Heather Lyke’s dismissal at Pitt is a case of what we don’t bother to see in the NIL era
When it comes to roster construction for the four major North American pro sports, we care about the process. We care about free agency, trades and drafts. We care about who the general managers are and how they go about procuring talent. On the college sports level, it’s a lot...
Heather Lyke shares farewell message to Pitt community
Several hours after she was relieved of her duties as Pitt’s athetic director, Heather Lyke responded Monday night with a message on X (formerly Twitter), reflecting on her 7 1/2-year tenure at the university, asserting she left the athletics department in a better state than when she arrived in 2017....
Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi on Backyard Brawl: ‘It’s why you coach football’
The details escape Pat Narduzzi, but he remembers being involved in only one true rivalry game as a player. “Shoot, when I was in college, our rivalry was Rhode Island versus Brown in front of 7,000 people,” he said. He remembers Brown having a good team in the 1980s, but...
Pitt women’s volleyball team reaches No. 1 in the nation for 1st time
In Dan Fisher’s tenure as Pitt’s women’s volleyball coach, the program has stacked “firsts”: first ACC championship, first Elite Eight appearance, first No. 1 seed in an NCAA Tournament, first Final Four appearance. Now the program has another milestone under the 12th-year coach. On Monday, for the first time in...
