…Well, that Tom Bradley hiring comes to mind. Whoops. Bad example.
I’m not saying that Pat Narduzzi will be the next head coach for Pitt football. I am, however, trying to determine the appropriate shortening of his last name as a nickname. Is it “the Nard,” “Nardy,” “Duzz (pronounced doo-zz)” or “Duzzi?”
The confidence level that Narduzzi will be the next head coach rose significantly yesterday evening with Pat Forde of Yahoo! calling him the “leading candidate.”
Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi has emerged as the leading candidate to become the next head coach at Pittsburgh, sources told Yahoo Sports on Monday.
Narduzzi had interviewed with both Pittsburgh and Colorado State within the last week, sources said. Narduzzi was the leading candidate for the CSU job as well, but sources say he was more interested in the Pittsburgh job. He’s been a candidate for several head-coaching jobs in recent years – he turned down Connecticut and interviewed with Louisville last year, and also was in the mix at Cincinnati before it hired Tommy Tuberville two years ago.
The 48-year-old Narduzzi has been one of the top assistant coaches in the country, coordinating a Michigan State defense that consistently has been among the nation’s best.
Joe Schad of ESPN echoed the sentiment a couple hours later.
Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi has emerged as a focus of Pittsburgh’s head coaching search, according to a source.
Narduzzi views Pittsburgh as a destination position, which is critical to the school after having been through massive turnover in recent years.
Narduzzi’s prominent candidacy for the Panthers’ head coaching position was first reported by Yahoo! Sports.
…
Narduzzi had a shared interest with Colorado State but he viewed the Pitt position as a more ideal fit.
This isn’t really a surprise. Narduzzi has seemed like the primary candidate for nearly a week. What makes the stories last night seem like it is closer may actually be a case of bad headline writing — or careful hedging in the copy.
The stories only point to Narduzzi as the primary or focal point of Pitt’s coaching search at this point. Something that is certainly appeared to be true even before the national stories. Meanwhile, the headline for the Yahoo! story claimed the two sides were “in talks.” That takes on the idea of more significance. As in negotiations on a contract and all the things that go with becoming the face of Pitt football.
Locally, no one really knows anything. KDKA sports reporter Richie Walsh has made various claims of things, but has missed so many times in recent days — not to mention making hyped twitter leads that are relatively empty or already known — that his credibility is called into question.
It wouldn’t surprise anyone if Narduzzi is already in negotiations. Nor would it be a shock if he was introduced today — with the requisite chance to show up at the basketball game tonight (oh, yeah… that).
It also wouldn’t be a shock to not have a decision made until after Christmas. But of course, who is ever that patient for their present at this time of year?
I think Pitt was willing to go for a successful & established HC, but then realized that nobody was more of a perfect fit than Narduzzi.
H2P!!!
Eminently qualified guy from a major media market with experience working under Boomer Esiason, who had worked his way up in the business…
Like that is hiring qualified people.. Talented, motivated people who have moved to the top of their profession for a reason…
It’s the exact opposite of being lazy and hiring some geezer that’s been on the local beat for 40 years spewing the same lame, boring schtick…
I mean how is this not obvious to the program director… or whoever the hell is running the show over.. I don’t know how the provincial attitude that is so prevalent in Pittsburgh and WPA, sneaks into the the business world…
Always substantive and good stuff.
Pitt is trending positively!
But I heard a few callers ask him what I thought was a very valid question – namely, if he’s so good, why didn’t he ever get another job after leaving Penn State? Other PSU coaches tied to JoePa and the scandal got jobs. And lord knows we’ve seen plenty of other instances where coaches got second, third and fourth chances. And even so, Bradley was supposedly squeaky-clean as his fan club continues to insist, so why did no one came calling for him?
Ace recruiter and defensive genius at an iconic program who reportedly had no involvement in that awful scandal, yet no one wanted him?
I’d love to know why. Callers brought this point up to Cook yesterday and all he responded with was, “Look, man…you asked me for my opinion and I think he’s a better guy for the job.” Way to not answer the question, Ron.
As far as Poni goes, his “always the contrarian” act is so horribly transparent and his delivery so poor that I can’t take the guy seriously.
I’m not a huge fan of Colin Dunlap, but credit to him yesterday for taking the Bradley Media Fan Club to task here.
link to pittsburgh.cbslocal.com
The only one left at 93.7 that I care to listen to is Chris Mueller. He’s been very good with his discussions of the Chyrst transition, the state of the program and the Pederson dismissal.
I don’t expect Pitt’s flagship to be “rah-rah Pitt” or not be critical of this hiring. I’d like to hear both sides of it. But fans of Pitt looking for coverage of this deserve something better and more substantive than the circus sideshow that Cook and Poni were providing yesterday and today.
1. WVU fans have told me he’s gone after 2015,
2. his hiring may have been forced on Holgy as a last-ditch move to improve their defense, and
3. it’s the first coaching job he’s had since leaving Penn State a few years ago.
Again, what took so long?
Even on their flagship station it is fashionable to be completely negative about Pitt. Even their post game shows are hyper-critical. You don’t sell Pitt Football or anything that way.
Pitt needs to counter the hatchet jobs with some positive programming. There are plenty of outlets for the trolls, but not on your flagship station.
Why should Pitt take Bradley, a guy that obviously nobody else wants, not even Temple.
At least Pitt was smart enough not to leak to these Donkeys, braying all the time.
Why would hieing Holiday be more big time than Narduzzi, I get the HC thing, but he still isn’t paid that much. How do we know he wasn’t using Pitt to get a raise while waiting for his dream job? His beloved Mountaineers.
I did not realize The Fan is the ‘flagship’ of Pitt. So that is something else then Corehole did not get right and the next AD should.
You absolutely need positive press from at least ‘your’ station.
Ron Cook just says stuff to piss people off because somehow that is how he stays employed… which — his employment — has been a mystery to me over the years… thinks he is so smart and really so stupid… amazing.
the Bradley thing must be kissing someone’s a$$ such as the Rooney family or something.
Holliday I would have supported but again… they guy just signed an extension for $600K/yr.. 2/3 of what Nard Dog made as DC… and Holliday was not getting any national buzz I know of for any other open job in the country.
I listend to one interview that said Narduzzi was the assistant HC for 3 years as well and that the HC there had been “grooming” him for a HC job… if true it means this guy has been getting exposure to what it will take.
Finally, he has had a long time to think about how he would launch into this HC job… so the dude should have a plan…
David Lawrence Hall @PittDLHall · 4h 4 hours ago
Things that the Tom Bradley Media in Pittsburgh also like: rotary phones, 8-tracks, punch card computer systems.
I like the hire of Narduzzi. I’m willing to give him a chance and see what he can do. I couldn’t care less if 93.7 doesn’t like the hire. They are jagoffs….n’at.
