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Pitt HC Pat Narduzzi Turned Down SEC Opportunity Before Pitt

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Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi

Pat Narduzzi is in his 10th season as the head coach at Pitt, and while he’s experienced his fair share of ups and downs in the Steel City, it’s home. He couldn’t imagine life elsewhere now.

Narduzzi — who previously spent nearly a decade as the defensive coordinator at Michigan State — hasn’t really left the northeast in his coaching journey. He started at Miami (Oh.) and worked his way through his alma mater Rhode Island, Northern Illinois, Cincinnati and Michigan State before taking the head coaching job at Pitt in late 2014.

It’s well known that he turned down opportunities — head coaching and otherwise — before taking the Pitt job, and he delved deeper into his decision-making process on the Kings of the North College Football Podcast.

“I had a chance to go down to Texas A&M with Kevin Sumlin when he got the job,” Narduzzi said on the podcast. “It took me about a week to turn it down; (Mark) Dantonio was all mad at me, like, ‘What’s taking so long? What the heck?’ But I ended up staying at Michigan State back in the day.

“I had a chance to go down there, but I feel like if I would’ve gone down there, I might not be the head coach in the north at the University of Pittsburgh. I think things happen like that, so you stay regional. (I) had a chance to go out to Colorado; what do I know about Colorado? How am I gonna recruit out there? So, I’ve been really choosey about where to go, and the north is the way to go.”

Narduzzi chose to stick with Michigan State and stay in the northeast. It’s where he was born and raised. He admitted that there was more money down south, but it wasn’t about the money then — and it still isn’t now.

“It’s about location, it’s about where you’re going, what you’re doing,” Narduzzi said. “I was happy where I was with Dantonio, money is not everything. It’s the same thing in this NIL game that people are playing nowadays. You hear some of the bad news that’s happening out there; it’s not about the money.”

Narduzzi admitted that it was a hard decision, certainly financially, but he just didn’t know whether he’d be happy down south. And maybe more importantly, he didn’t know whether his wife and family would be happy.

“One of the big mistakes they made was — I took my wife, I’m like, ‘Honey, this is real, we gotta go check this out, someone just got the job.’ They took her shopping for a house, so the realtor took her out and they’re looking for a house, and she started talking about wild pigs in the back yard, and my wife’s like, ‘We ain’t dealing with any wild pigs. There’s no wild pigs in the north.’ That was one of the closers there.”

Pat Narduzzi stuck with Michigan State, eventually chose Pitt over a couple of other head coaching opportunities and is now staring down his 70th win in Pittsburgh — the second most all-time.

Pitt is in action this weekend against North Carolina at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C. A win would push the Panthers into the Top 25.

Sandy Schall, Coldwell Banker
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kevin
kevin
30 days ago

Good for him! We always said he’s very stubborn. I think it worked out financially for him too. He makes well over $5mill a year, at a job where 8-4 or even 7-5 is acceptable. Texas A&M expects 10-2 or better to keep the job.
H2P!!!

Don
Don
30 days ago

Wheather you like Narduzzi or not, he has brought stability to our program. I think he is right where he needs to be and will probably stay another 10 yrs. Let’s face it, our HC job is a stepping stone for most but Duzz has managed the administration, alumni, donors, and students/athletes very well.

Tim
Tim
30 days ago
Reply to  Don

Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio are the cradle of football. My opinion. H2P!

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