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Pitt Signs Narduzzi to Seven-Year Extension

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Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi has signed a seven-year contract extension that will keep him at Pitt through the 2024 season, athletic director Heather Lyke announced on Wednesday.

Narduzzi just completed his third year as head coach of the Panthers and has a 21-17 record. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed. Peter Thamel of Yahoo! reported on Tuesday that the new contract included a raise for Narduzzi and an increase in the salary pool for his assistant coaches.

“We’re thrilled Pat Narduzzi is our head football coach,” Lyke said in a press release. “We are deeply committed to helping him, his staff and his student-athletes achieve at the highest levels in the ACC and nationally. Coach Narduzzi is a tireless worker, dynamic leader and passionate about building outstanding relationships with our student-athletes and everyone connected to our Pitt family. He and his staff are fully dedicated to building a national-caliber program the right way, on and off the field.”

Courtesy Pitt Athletics

Since he signed his last contract at the university, Narduzzi was part of the university’s task force that helped select Lyke as athletic director, replacing Scott Barnes.

“I am tremendously blessed to work with such great leadership at the University of Pittsburgh in athletic director Heather Lyke and chancellor Patrick Gallagher,” Narduzzi said in the release. “When I initially accepted the head coaching position at Pitt three years ago this month, I said we could achieve great things if we were all moving in the same direction. Thanks to Chancellor Gallagher and Heather, we are all definitely moving in the same direction with a shared vision for excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community.

“It is a tremendous honor to be the head football coach at Pitt. My family and I are extremely appreciative of the opportunity to be part of this great university and city.”

Narduzzi had previously singed a two-year extension in 2015 that ran through the 2021 season, making his new deal effectively a three-year extension. He was paid $1.83 million in 2016 under his previous contract, according to USA Today.

Narduzzi’s 21 wins in his first three seasons are the most for a Pitt head coach since Jackie Sherrill from 1977 to 1979. But Pitt went 5-7 in 2017 and the program missed its first bowl game in 10 seasons.

In the press release, Lyke emphasized the youth of the Pitt squad that graduated only 10 seniors and started only five in the team’s season-ending upset of No. 2 Miami on Nov. 24.

Sandy Schall, Coldwell Banker
 
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