Narduzzi backs CFP expansion with caveats

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Pat Narduzzi, after giving interviews on radio row and the ACC Network, grabbed a lunch wrap and pulled up a seat in the team lounge with 15 minutes to go until his ACC Kickoff news conference. Pitt’s coach was in the middle of a busy day at the Westin Charlotte, his sixth media day appearance in seven years.

“So, how are we doing?” the coach asked.

The better question: three weeks from training camp and two months from Pitt’s opener, how was Narduzzi doing?

Narduzzi showed up in Charlotte as one of the ACC’s longest-tenured coaches. Among the ACC Coastal

division coaches who spoke Wednesday, only Duke’s David Cutcliffe has been at his institution longer. Narduzzi, Pitt’s second-longest tenured coach of the past 50 years, has coached 76 games with the Panthers, earning a 42-34 overall record and a 2920 mark in conference play.

Narduzzi is hoping his ACC record is boosted significantly when he arrives in the Queen City this time next year. He brought with him three players who could help make that happen in quarterback Kenny Pickett, wide receiver Jordan Addison and defensive end Deslin Alexandre. And despite losing nine contributors from last year’s team to the NFL, Narduzzi believes his team is positioned to make a run at the Coastal crown.

On Wednesday afternoon, Narduzzi talked to the Post-Gazette about 2021 expectations, his tenure at Pitt, possible College Football Playoff expansion and more.

(This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.)

You guys lost Damar Hamlin, Patrick Jones, Rashad Weaver, etc. You’ve got Kenny and Deslin (Alexandre) over there. Where does leadership come into play here as you approach camp?

Narduzzi: I think you’re always better when you have a player-led team. Leadership is up and down, wherever you are. Kenny’s, like, the best leader. It’s by example. He’ll speak up when you need to. Jimmy [Morrissey], he’s the one you’ll miss. He got it. But we’ll be fine leadership-wise. We’ll develop it.

Along those leadership lines, these guys have been active in promoting and getting their teammates vaccinated. How are you guys on that front right now?

Narduzzi: We’re at 92%, which is outstanding. The kids have bought in and understand the why. It’s two or three guys a day who figure out why we need to do it. I’m proud of our kids. I just want a normal season, you know? Just a normal season. There’s nothing more special than not having the chaos we had last year.

It was a weird year, and it was your sixth year. Now you’re going into your seventh. When you got hired, honestly, did you expect to be here for seven years?

Narduzzi: (Laughs) Yeah, as long as they didn’t fire me. I expected to be here because I’m not a guy that moves around. I was at Michigan State for eight years. Was at Cincinnati, but we left because the head coach left. … I’m not a guy who goes looking around. I just don’t want to do that. It’s no fun looking for a house. It’s nice to know what you have, and it takes time to build. Nothing gets built overnight, unless you’re doing it the wrong way.

With your contract running through 2024, if you’re there for all of that, you’re at Pitt for a decade. That’s a rarity in college football these days. How comfortable are you with what you guys have done so far and what you hope to do this season?

Narduzzi: You know, you want to win a championship, and we haven’t done that yet. That’s the ultimate goal. You always have things working for and against you. But ultimately, it doesn’t matter. What does that win column look like? Can we get to that championship game? And can we get into the playoffs? That’s the expectation. You’re never happy, and you just try to continue to work at it.

You mentioned the playoff. Are you in favor of this possible expansion to 12 teams?

Narduzzi: I think you have to worry about the health and the safety of our kids. Last night at dinner, I asked these three guys about a 12-team playoff. They’re all like, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah.’ They were excited. (Narduzzi looks to his right.) Kenny, come over here for a sec. We’re talking about the playoff and dinner last night. What did you say last night?

Pickett: When I played 14 games (in 2018), it was exhausting. My first year starting as a sophomore, I was pretty beat up. Just mentally, physically, it was a long season. So if it’s 16 games, that’s a lot.

Narduzzi: And we opted out of a bowl game because of mental exhaustion. It wasn’t physical. Just dealing with the procedures and not having a locker room and going back to their apartments. But let’s think about 16 or 17 games. Let’s think about what we’re doing to these kids. It isn’t all about the money. But I went on the ACC call saying I was for it. Why am I for it? I think it’s a great opportunity. It’s been the same four teams every year, and if Pitt can pop in once every three or four years, now you start to make some strides in recruiting and elsewhere. You start to move up the ladder.

So you’re for it, but you see the pitfalls?

Narduzzi: Yeah, I’m for it. There’s good and bad to everything. But why not go from four to eight? Why do we have to go to 12? Who does that? That’s my feeling.