Pitt rewards men’s soccer coach Jay Vidovich with contract extension through 2025
Pitt coupled success with stability in its men’s soccer program Wednesday, announcing a contract extension that will keep coach Jay Vidovich with the team at least through the 2025 season. Vidovich, a five-time ACC Coach of the Year, led Pitt to the best season in its 67-year history in a...
Pitt’s Jimbo Covert: Waiting 20 years to reach Pro Football Hall ‘makes it so much sweeter’
From his humble upbringing in the small Beaver County borough of Freedom, Jimbo Covert has reached a lofty station in life on many levels: • Successful businessman • Pitt Board of Trustees member • Pro Football Hall of Famer (when he is inducted Aug. 7 with the 2020 Centennial Class)...
Pitt pitcher Mitch Myers picked by the A’s in 12th round
Pitt pitcher Mitch Myers, who threw a complete-game, three-hitter to defeat Virginia and two months later led the Panthers to a 5-3 victory against North Carolina in the ACC Tournament, was picked in the 12th round of the MLB Draft on Tuesday. Myers, a junior right-hander, was the 368th overall...
Pitt adds offensive lineman Bradley Mann to its 2022 recruiting class
Pitt’s 2022 recruiting class grew to 12 members Sunday night when three-star lineman Bradley Mann announced his verbal commitment to the Panthers. I am very blessed and thankful for the opportunities that I have had. To my parents, teammates, coaches, family, and friends thank you for being a part of...
Tim Benz: NCAA needs to be fixed, not eliminated. Focus on solutions, not fake outrage
This happens from time to time at “Breakfast With Benz.” I get an email, tweet or a post in the comments section that I want to use for “U mad, bro?” However, sometimes that comment itself gets me mad enough that I find myself writing a response so long, it...
WPIAL graduates give back by organizing, working football clinic in WilkinsburgVideo
The voice was as loud and distinctive as it was during his three seasons at Pitt. Only, this time, it was a bit playful. Clearly, Paris Ford was enjoying himself. A few boys weren’t getting in a straight enough line to suit Ford, one of five NFL players with WPIAL...
Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star team: Tyreese Fearbry, Perry
The Tribune-Review and the TribLive High School Sports Network are profiling each member of the 25-player Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star team. The players will be recognized July 22 during HSSN Media Day at Kennywood Park. When Tyreese Fearbry stands next to Pat Narduzzi — and you can bet Pitt’s...
Kenny Pickett, Jeff Capel advise caution while entering new world of name, image, likeness
Kenny Pickett awakens most mornings with the same routine — brush teeth, get dressed, eat breakfast, work out, continue preparing for the 2021 football season. He didn’t change anything Thursday, but Pickett’s world surely did on the first day the NCAA gave its official blessing for student-athletes across the U.S....
Pitt basketball notebook: Senior guard Jamarius Burton eligible right away
Coach Jeff Capel said Thursday that the NCAA has approved a transfer waiver for Pitt senior guard Jamarius Burton, who is transferring for the second time in his collegiate career. Because of his second transfer, Burton needed the waiver to be eligible this season. Pitt is Burton’s third school in...
Pitt builds support platform to help athletes with their name, image and likeness branding
After Gov. Tom Wolf signed name, image and likeness legislation into the next state budget Wednesday, Pitt has introduced a program designed to help its student-athletes maximize their brand. Pitt’s athletic department announced the formation of Forged Here, a program that will equip Pitt student-athletes with knowledge and resources to...
Pitt signs freshman Cole Mitchell, 10th tight end on the 2021 roster
In the midst of securing verbal commitments from five rising high school seniors in the past three days, Pat Narduzzi also successfully recruited tight end Cole Mitchell. And he doesn’t need to wait to get him on campus. Mitchell, who played this spring at Linganore High School in Frederick, Md.,...
Pitt basketball will host Minnesota in ACC/Big Ten Challenge
Pitt’s 2021-22 basketball schedule has not been finalized, but the Panthers do know they will serve as hosts for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Minnesota, with first-year coach Ben Johnson, will be Pitt’s opponent Nov. 30 at Petersen Events Center. Game time and TV designation will be announced at a later...
Pitt lands Virginia offensive lineman; class of 2022 grows to 11 prospects
Pitt’s class of 2022 continues to grow in a short space of time after offensive lineman Isaiah Montgomery said Monday he plans to enroll next year. 100% committed @Pitt_FB @CoachDuzzPittFB @CoachBorbs @RivalsFriedman @BrianDohn247 @LHRubama @hatfieldsports @ReeseBecker pic.twitter.com/8DoiY0FBQQ— Isaiah Montgomery (@IsaiahMontgom13) June 28, 2021 Montgomery, who attends Landstown High Schol in...
Pitt secures verbal commitment from Florida prospect Camden Brown, 2nd wide receiver in class of 2022
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi and his staff were busy Sunday, serving as hosts to eight prospects and securing verbal commitments from at least three, making the Panthers’ haul of high school talent four in the past two days. The first to publicly reveal his commitment was three-star wide receiver Camden...
Pitt gets commitment from Texas defender Marquan Pope
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi reached into the talent-rich state of Texas on Saturday, getting a verbal commitment from safety/outside linebacker Marquan Pope. Pope, 6-foot-1, 206 pounds, has scholarship offers from Kansas and service academies Army, Navy and Air Force. Unranked by Rivals.com, he also has offers from Liberty, Tulsa and...
Pitt volleyball adds Penn State transfer Serena Gray
After leading Pitt volleyball to its first NCAA Regional Final this year, coach Dan Fisher hopes he improved his lineup by adding Penn State transfer Serena Gray to the team. Gray transferred to Pitt after earning Honorable Mention All-America from the American Volleyball Coaches Association in 2018 and 2019. “I’m...
U mad, bro?: Fans have anxiety about trading Adam Frazier, doubts about the Pirates draft, concerns about college sports
Anxiety about an Adam Frazier trade. Depression over the Pirates draft philosophy. And concerns over the future of college sports. That’s what filled up the comments section in the columns, email inbox and Twitter interactions for this week’s “U mad, bro?” We start with a tweet from Kenny. He agrees...
Sports law expert: Potential for big NCAA changes exist but are ‘not going to happen overnight’
Monday’s Supreme Court loss for the NCAA in the Alston case got a ton of attention nationally. But it could be years before a substantive change comes as a result. Michael McCann is a sports legal analyst for Sportico and was a longtime contributor to Sports Illustrated. He’s also a...
Norwin alum Emily Harrigan transferring to Pitt
Emily Harrigan is coming home. The former Norwin star has left Rutgers and will have three years of eligibility when she arrives at Pitt to continue her soccer career. Harrigan, a redshirt sophomore, has battled hamstring problems for the last three years as she tries to get into a rhythm...
Tim Benz: Supreme Court mocks notion of NCAA ‘amateurism;’ now let’s mock goal of ‘fair’ NCAA economics
Pick a topic. Not just sports. Any topic. Now pick a handful of conservative people you know and a handful of liberal people you know and have them discuss. See if you can get all nine or 10 of them to agree. On anything. Let me know how that goes....
Former Pitt star Jaylen Twyman shot 4 times in Washington, D.C., expected to recover, agent says
Former Pitt defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman, a sixth-round draft choice of the Minnesota Vikings this year, was shot four times while visiting a family member in Washington, D.C., but he is expected to make a full recovery, his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told ESPN on Monday. “Wrong place, wrong time,” Rosenhaus...
Pitt hires former player Gilbert Brown as director of player, alumni development
Jeff Capel has replaced one Pitt man with another. Former Pitt player Gilbert Brown, who scored 1,048 points, was part of five NCAA Tournament teams and made an Elite Eight appearance with the Panthers in 2009, was named Director of Player and Alumni Development. Brown was associate head coach at...
Oddsmakers rank Pitt’s schedule 2nd-easiest, Georgia Tech’s toughest in ACC
If you believe in the power of numbers and analytics, Pitt has the second-easiest schedule among ACC football teams this season. Odds-makers at SportsBettingDime.com developed a formula that leads to a ranking of the schedules of all 130 FBS teams. The formula sounds all-encompassing, taking into account opponents’ 2020 efficiency...
Pitt’s Jeff Capel secures 1st commitment from class of 2022
With his 2021-22 roster largely — if not totally — finalized, Pitt coach Jeff Capel received his first verbal commitment from the Class of 2022 on Friday when rising high school senior Judah Mintz announced his plans to enroll next year. “Limits like fears are often just an illusion”????????➕ pic.twitter.com/VoG4wlUARd—...
ACC will bring its softball tournament to Pitt in 2022
Improvements to Pitt’s Vartabedian Field at its Petersen Sports Complex have led to the school landing the host role for the 2022 ACC Softball Championship tournament. The event will be held May 11-14. It will be the third ACC championship held at Pitt after the 2015 and 2020 wrestling tournaments...
