A Surprise Coach on the Hot Seat in 2024: Pat Narduzzi

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A dark horse candidate to be on the hot seat this season is Pat Narduzzi. For most of Narduzzi’s 9-year coaching tenure at Pitt, the team’s record at the end of each season has been around .500.

The last 2 seasons have given the impression that this could be the end of the line on Narduzzi’s tenure with Pitt.

Pat Narduzzi's Seat Warming Up

Narduzzi was hired in 2015 in hopes of bringing back stability and consistent winning, and the win-loss record has shown consistent winning. However, it’s far from the glory the Panthers had in the mid-1970s and into the early 1980s. Narduzzi signed a contract extension through 2030 after his first double-digit win season in 2021. That season saw the Panthers win the Atlantic Coast Conference title for the first time since they joined in 2013.

In 2021, Pitt had the fortune of playing in a poor Coastal division that saw only one other team finish above .500 in their in-conference win-loss record (Miami at 5-3). Pitt appeared in the Peach Bowl and lost against Michigan State.

The football program seemed ready to soar, and a season that should have been a launching pad has since turned sour. The last two seasons have been less than impressive for Pitt. An 8-win season in 2022 was followed by just 3 wins last year. So, the solid footing that the Panthers appeared to be showing back in 2021 has begun to turn south.

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What's Happened Since 2021

The recruiting scene has not taken off. According to On3.com, Pitt’s recruiting rankings have been as follows: In 2022, they finished ranked 60th, and in 2023, they ranked 53rd. While Narduzzi’s recruiting has struggled, his work in the transfer portal has not picked up the slack. According to 247sports.com, Pitt’s transfer portal ranking was 51st in 2022 and then 61st in 2023. Heading into this year, they’re ranked 51st. 

Narduzzi has managed throughout his time with the Pitt Panthers to put together an upset win against a ranked team in just about every season he’s had as coach. Narduzzi’s best regular-sesaon win at Pitt was the upset against No. 3 Clemson in 2016. That year, Clemson went on to win the National Championship.

In 2017, Pitt upset No. 2 Miami in the season's last game and ended Miami’s hopes of appearing in the College Football Playoffs. However, winning a game against a ranked team can not be the end-all-be-all for Pitt Football. Will this be the end of the road for Narduzzi if Pitt has another below-average year? Will the higher-ups at Pitt decide to buy out the remaining six years on Narduzzi’s contract?