WATCH: Former Pitt HC Jamie Dixon Shares Emotional WVU Story

The Backyard Brawl is as fierce of a rivalry as you’ll find in college sports.

Pitt and West Virginia have been playing against each other in basketball for many years, totaling 191 matchups. Just about every one of those matchups has been a heated contest, as the two schools and fanbases battle each other each year in the ferocious “Backyard Brawl” rivalry.

However, while the fans may not like each other come game day, it may not always be full-time hatred between those in the neighboring states.

On Thursday, a video of current TCU and former Pitt head basketball coach Jamie Dixon went viral online. The video shows Dixon, who was asked “what he remembers about West Virginia,” telling an emotional story about the passing of his sister.

“When my sister passed away 18 years ago, my two parents in California had an amazing, they said, ‘Jamie, why are so many of these notes, and emails, and letters that we got from West Virginia?”” Dixon said. “So, people of West Virginia made two people in California going through a hard time feel a little bit better. So, that’s what I remember about West Virginia.”

Watch the video below.

The two schools extended the Backyard Brawl series in 2024. As of now, the game will be played through 2028.

Dixon compiled a record of 328-123 while at Pitt and was named National Coach of the Year.  He is the first and only head coach in Pitt’s history to lead his team to seven consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.