Narduzzi isn’t leaving for personal glory, loyal Pitt man

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Fourth week of college football and the biggest game is a first-year head coach of a team facing the team he left during the FBS college football playoffs.

Lane Kiffin is a college coaching vagabond, LSU marks his fifth head coaching opportunity. He took over the Tigers in late November after leading Ole Miss to an 11-1 regular season. It was as the playoffs were to start, he bolted for conference foe LSU. He left the team that had a shot at a national title for personal glory.

With large resources, Kiffin had big-time success with Ole Miss, 32-6 in his last three seasons, but he was just looking to parlay that into something for himself.

Without some of the advantages Kiffin had, Pat Narduzzi took Pitt to where many may not have thought possible, a pair of ACC title games and a championship in 2021. He didn’t jump for the next job. Oh, he got a raise and made sure to get raises for his assistants, but it wasn’t about him.

Both coaches had successful football coaching fathers, the lessons were different for Narduzzi.

“My dad was big on loyalty,” Narduzzi said after Pitt won its ACC opener Thursday. “I guess I inherited that from him, but that's what it comes down to, being loyal. I came here in 2015 to coach at Pitt and I had no intentions of ever leaving. Had opportunities to leave, I've stayed but, again, it's because I love being here.”

“I'm a Pitt man and I'm proud to lead this program.”

Narduzzi coached in his 144^th game at Pitt Thursday night which broke Hall of Famer Jock Sutherland’s record. The team gave him a game ball and as he put it ‘threw some water on my head’, which he said was great.

There is a deep connection between Narduzzi and his players. It doesn’t mean Narduzzi can’t be opinionated, stubborn, maybe gruff is a good word. He isn’t looking to tell you what you want to hear, but he’ll tell you what he thinks. That can be annoying at times.

Regardless of what you might think of him, he’s brought stability to Pitt. Are there more games to be won? Of course. Is there another step for the program to take? Absolutely. But think about the program leading up to Narduzzi.

Besides a three-year stretch under Dave Wannstedt where Pitt went 27-12, it was a struggle. In a dozen years with the Panthers, Narduzzi has two losing seasons. Even with all of the turmoil in college football, Narduzzi remained. He’s a football coach.

For any of his faults or not winning enough games, Narduzzi is still in it for the right reasons. Then there are his players. I remember covering the Sun Bowl in 2022, when the executive director got up to a podium after the news conference was essentially over and all had spoken. He wanted all to know something about that Pitt team. In all the years he had run that bowl, that Pitt team and staff were the most respectful and polite he’d ever been around.

There are more games to win, but know as a Pitt fan you have a Pitt man, who honors those before him by the athletes he brings to the university.

“What I told those guys in the locker room was they're fun to coach,” Narduzzi said Thursday after getting that game ball. “My job is easy. It's just fun to be here at Pitt.”

How refreshing.