Extensions. Contract lengths. Those are all vague concepts when it comes to contracts for college coaches. The buyout is the thing, and a new contract/extension for 7 years (or a 2 year extension if you prefer) certainly will up the buyout.
Sorry, burying the lead. During the basketball game last night, there were tweets coming out of an extension in the works for Coach Pat Narduzzi. Along with increasing the salary pool for assistants.
Sure enough.
Pitt announced the extension this morning.
University of Pittsburgh Director of Athletics Heather Lyke announced today a new seven-year contract for head football coach Pat Narduzzi that ensures his leadership of the Panthers through at least the 2024 season.
Narduzzi is establishing Pitt as a rising contender in the highly competitive Atlantic Coast Conference. The Panthers have won 21 games under his direction, the most victories by a Pitt head football coach in his initial three years since Jackie Sherrill (28 wins from 1977-79). Narduzzi is 2-0 against teams ranked among the nation’s top two.
“We’re thrilled Pat Narduzzi is our head football coach,” Lyke said. “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.”
“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. “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’s relatively brief tenure has witnessed many milestone moments and achievements, including:
- A season-ending 24-14 victory over No. 2 Miami, the highest-ranked opponent the Panthers have ever defeated at home. Pitt snapped the nation’s longest active winning streak at 15 games by beating the Hurricanes.
- Defeating two teams that finished in the top 5 of the final 2016 College Football Playoff rankings. The Panthers gave No. 2 Clemson — last year’s eventual national champion — its only loss (43-42) and kept No. 5 Penn State out of the playoff field by defeating the Nittany Lions, 42-39.
- Sending 14 of his former Pitt players into the NFL. The Panthers had five players selected in the 2017 NFL Draft, their highest total in six years.
- Eleven ACC All-Academic Football Team honorees the past two years, the second-highest total among conference schools.
This past season Pitt fielded one of its youngest lineups in recent memory. The Panthers had only four seniors in their starting lineup against Miami. Narduzzi’s defense — which limited the Hurricanes to regular-season lows in total yards (232) and points (14) — utilized only one senior starter in the final month of the campaign.
“We are really enthusiastic about the team we have coming back for 2018,” Narduzzi said. “We had a lot of younger players who had to grow up on the job this past season. It all came together in the Miami win on both sides of the ball and we’re looking forward to continuing that momentum with a great offseason.”
The terms, as usual with Pitt, were not disclosed.
Since his hiring in December 2014, Narduzzi has only been included once on Pitt’s federal tax documents, which indicated he made $1.83 million in total compensation from July 1, 2015, to June 30, 2016. Base compensation was $1.31 million at that time, but Narduzzi was given a two-year contract extension by former athletic director Scott Barnes in December 2015, which also almost certainly boosted his pay.
The boost to the assistant pool is good news. Not that I expect significant changes in the coaching staff — Narduzzi has already been emphatic about OC Shawn Watson coming back in 2018. But with the NCAA allowing a 10th assistant coach on the staff, it’s good to have some extra flexibility in hiring.
It obviously is good for recruiting as it makes it a little harder to negatively recruit against Pitt by claiming Narduzzi is looking to leave or Pitt isn’t committed.
This move also looks good for Pitt as far as committing to pay for a coach they want, even after a season where the team took a step back. Especially if the optimism that ended this season is born out in 2018.
We are seeing how crazy the coaching carousel is. In the power conferences, teams are making decisions almost frantically from year to year. Throwing even bigger bucks around as more programs keep pursuing that “next level,” that “next coach.”
And with few exceptions, everyone keeps overestimating the appeal of their own program. (How’s it going Tennessee?)
Even below the Power 5 programs, you see it. Chris Hudspeth was fired from Louisiana Lafayette after a 5-7 season. Three years ago, Hudspeth was a rising star a guy some pushed Pitt to pursue. He suffered a few rough seasons and is out despite taking the Ragin’ Cajuns to six bowl games in seven years.
This doesn’t guarantee Narduzzi doesn’t leave at some point. All it does is make it clear he is wanted here, and harder for some other school to pry him away.
Any name college team can come in and put a ridiculous $$$ offer on the board, and Narduzzi is gone…extension or not.
Not fair but it’s life in the NCAA. See Majors and Sherrill!
I believe Narduzzi is the coach to do it.
Anyhow, like the other loyal 38,385 I will be in my seat in 538
for Albany and State Penn in September. God willing!
The NCAA needs to step in and regulate these institutions of higher learning (lol) when it comes to coaching salaries. It is apparent that the school presidents do not have the power themselves because of outside influences (boosters). Therefore they need to relay upon some institutional control via the NCAA. On the other hand those that can pay should think about separating from the NCAA and form semi-pro status and get it over with. Lets start to call it what it is. Its play for pay. No one can tell me that some of these kids are paid , schools just know how to hide it better.
If the NCAA or the schools themselves cant police coach pay scales then perhaps the congress or state legislatures should step in. Folks, these are colleges not pro sports franchises.
If the recruiting comes together(big IF), that lightning may just strike. KP might just be the spark and I hope to see him play for a few more years.
As long as PSU draws > 100k when playing Southwest Directional St and OSU brings in > $100M in annual revenue, high profile coaches are going to get paid handsomely.
Even with the raise, I expect PN to be near the bottom of the ACC in salary since most of the coaches were making nearly twice than what he was.
“Pitt, once a heavyweight, has become an afterthought”
ESPN should do a documentary on their problems…
Alternatively if he hits it big with a string of 8-10 win seasons, he’s likely gone with the wind. When paying $7M/season, no big deal paying another few million of the buyout.
For Pitt or any college with limited resources its lose-lose situation.
However, the undeniable fact that we all have to live with is that the ONLY chance for success is continuity, changing coaches every 3-4 years is a dead end path to failure. Recruiting classes lost, O and D schemes constantly in flux,which is an additional barrier to players’ success.
Lyke has to hold her breath, sign the deal, and hope that Duzz is both a good enough coach to significantly improve the team and honorable enough to respect the contract. I give both a less than 50-50 shot.
ESPN had its day but will soon be gone, best to ignore them. Their game announcers are horrible, biased, and generally boring.
Florida, Florida State , Nebraska and then the almighty Texas A&M all have large giving bases.
Texas A&M’s contract funds came from some rich boosters and is already paid for. The schools mentioned above did not have packed stadiums this year. Florida State last game attendance made Heinz Field look filled.
At some point the lunacy will end with I hope the NCAA stepping in with limitations. The college game is being destroyed with this type of behavior, less people are attending and cable TV revenues are down and most likely will continue to drop. You live within your means I guess. Narduzzi is a good coach but not a high draft choice in coaching circles. As far as being a 10 or 11 win team, dream on. Next year we play Penn State, Notre Dame, improved Miami and maybe UCF could all be loses. Our last game only shows we have perhaps a good quarterback and Miami was taken by surprise. It will not be that easy next year when all teams can prepare better for our new QB, there still is a lack of good talent on this team and major elements will be leaving this off season. The goal I have is to win 7 or 8 games and I will be happy.
Note: 3 of the 4 playoff teams have HC’s with no prior HC-ing experience. Dabo is in his 10th season at Clemscum, Kirby Smart year 2 at Georgia and Lincoln Riley is in his 1st year as head coaches. All three were coordinators prior to landing their 1st HC-ing gig.
Difference between Pitt and these 3 playoff teams besides winning records this year – their schools all made a boatload of money off the football program with packed houses and big diners. Pitt, well you can answer that…
H2P! and may we have no more losing seasons in the next 7 years with a few 10+ win seasons sprinkled in.
(sarcasm)
There is no formula for success. Charlie Strong was great at Louisville in his first stint at HC but was a bust at Texas.
Gary Anderson was 24-22 at Utah St, 19-7 at Wisc and then went 7-23 at Oregon St.
Diner = doner
Thanks for the laugh!
Same can be said for the LB position.
We practices are top secret – let’s hope the recruiting of 4* talent is top secret as well, but is at least in process and we see some real results soon.
H2P!
I know he has better resources and admin support – but TCU was nothing before JD and Pitt was something before KS.
Now, Pitt is nothing with KS and TCU is something with JD.
Factual snapshot, don’t you think?
For the record, I was a JD supporter, but his recruiting was less than average towards the end.
15 in a row.
That is my point before you jump in like you know something. You are so far up Pitt Basketball’s ass you have no clue. Remember all your give Stallings time and he deserves this and that. Well Boston College just beat Duke so throw that win out the window. He will maybe win 1 game in the ACC. Keep blaming Dixon for Stalling’s Flaws. He is ranked #20 and he had to get someone else’s players. I say what I want this isn’t your blog. WVU suspended best player and will still win by 18. We suck.
Besides, this was a football post talking about Duzz’s extension and you toss in a basketball link to … wait for it … troll … with a coach you absolutely hated.
I do find it funny that someone who throws around sophomoric insults and nicknames like they’re candy at a parade, would accuse someone else of talking like a 16 year old. Come on, man. My 16 year old self would call that lame.
In regards to support, I’ve been saying for years the drop off with Pitt basketball started with SP coming back. Pitt basketball happened to peak when SP was here but everything was already in motion to be successful under Jeff Long. Assistant and recruiting budgets both took a hit and within a few years were a shell of what it was pre-SP. So please stop with your fake “points” that are hardly original and been discussed for years.
Disappointing 1-3 start to the season.
No dome, not much passing. Just good old fashion smash mouth football by some great young Americans.
Hail to the USA!
Let’s face it…we read this blog (and others) for news about the Pitt programs. I don’t mind a negative comment now and then, I’m negative about things now and then but if you don’t have anything positive to say then you’re a troll. Face it…you’re a troll. HTP
HCPN needs to stay for at least two or three more years. Probably longer unless things completely implode. Stability will absolutely help, but it will never get Pitt into the Top Ten perennially – PN isn’t that good and the system is completely stacked against Pitt. Factor in an administration that appears happy to cash conference checks with minimal investment in return, and that spells mid-pack ACC with an occasional division run. Sorry – that’s just the facts.
Some people come here for news. Others come to vent/bitch/gripe/commiserate. It all depends on the day/week/month/season/game. If all you want is the happy, candy coated, fan-boy stuff, I would direct you to the official Pitt websites that will be more than happy to inform you that “everything is awesome”. Conversely , you could watch the first Lego movie and save yourself a lot of trouble. Regardless, I like a healthy dose of controversy and skepticism – it keeps things interesting. I learn a lot every time I come here, which is more than I can say to the standard issue media outlets. The enigma of Pitt is harsh enough for the hard core fans – having an athletic department and administration that peed on our legs for years and told us it was raining has consequences. if you want pollyanna BS, this isn’t the right place.
And just to set the record straight – WVU is better than Pitt right now. They have been for a while. This year was ugly for them, and they still wound up in a bowl. Yes, it’s a shitty bowl, but Pitt will be at home watching (or at least hearing about) them. It’s OK to hate WVU – I always will – but they ARE better than Pitt and that’s a fact. So is PSU, and so are a LOT of D1 programs at the moment. Can HCPN turn it around? I sure hope so, because for me, 5-7 doesn’t inspire me no matter how many #1 or #2 teams Pitt beats on it’s way to a losing record.
Even more interesting will be to see if Pitt increased the money required to take Coach N away from here