Notre Dame’s Mike Brey takes lessons learned into game against Pitt
After Notre Dame lost to Syracuse, 84-82, last month, Irish coach Mike Brey was looking for help anywhere he could find it. It was one day after Brey’s high school coach, the legendary Morgan Wootten, died at age 88. Brey played for and coached with Wootten at DeMatha Catholic in...
College wrestling notebook: Franklin Regional grad Michael Kemerer carries Iowa past Penn State
When Iowa defeated Penn State, 19-17, on Friday in a wrestling match that featured the top two teams in country, it was two Franklin Regional grads that led the way. No. 1-ranked and two-time NCAA 125-pound champion Spencer Lee picked up a technical fall win for the top-ranked Hawkeyes. Lee...
Kevin Gorman: Pitt proves wins don’t need to be prettyVideo
Jeff Capel was trying to tell his Pitt players to shoot less with hesitation and more with conviction, no small feat in a game where you wouldn’t hesitate to convict the Panthers for their putrid performance from the perimeter. Miami abandoned its man-to-man defense and packed the paint with a...
Johnson’s ‘big-time’ plays lead Pitt to 62-57 victory against MiamiVideo
Xavier Johnson can smile about it now. But there was some serious business going on — with one voice raised — between Pitt’s sophomore point guard and his coach late in the Panthers’ 62-57 victory over Miami on Sunday in front of a crowd of 9,759 at Petersen Events Center....
Can Pitt reach 10 victories in the ACC?
The question facing Pitt as it ventures into the second half of its ACC schedule is this: Can the Panthers win 10 conference games? Never mind Pitt has done that only once in six previous seasons (11-7 in 2014), and the Panthers have averaged fewer than five in the others....
Chiefs, 49ers coaches, players, execs have connections to Pittsburgh, region
Looking for a local rooting interest in Super Bowl LIV with the Pittsburgh Steelers missing the playoffs for the second year in a row and last reaching the title game nine years ago? There is no shortage of connections to the organization, the region and area colleges when the Kansas...
Pitt’s Au’Diese Toney plays with heavy heart after loss of his grandmotherVideo
When Au’Diese Toney reached for his phone after scoring a career-high 27 points against Duke, he saw a series of texts and missed calls. Some of them puzzling. Pitt lost 79-67 on Tuesday, but people wanted to congratulate Toney, anyway. And why not? He recorded more points than any Pitt...
Pine-Richland grad Schonbachler prepares for ACC meet
In his third season with the Pitt swimming team, Pine-Richland product Ryan Schonbachler is continuing to improve his resume as a long-distance swimmer while also displaying his versatility by incorporating some intermediate-distance events into his repertoire. With less than a month to go until the ACC championships, set for Feb....
Pitt assistant baseball coach mourns loss of ‘absolute gem’ in Kobe Bryant crashVideo
John Sansone doesn’t have time for social media. The Neshannock graduate could make time, but he’s more interested in getting his coaching career started in his first year as an assistant on Pitt’s baseball team. So, he didn’t immediately know what happened Sunday on a hillside in Calabasas, Calif. He...
Chris Doleman, former Pitt player and Pro Football Hall of Famer, dies of brain cancer
Chris Doleman, one of the NFL’s most feared pass rushers of all-time and one of nine former Pitt players to earn induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, died Tuesday night after a prolonged battle with brain cancer. Doleman was 58. Doleman, a defensive end and outside linebacker, was...
Pitt men can’t close gap against Duke; Mike Krzyzewski yells at fansVideo
DURHAM, N.C. — Vernon Carey Jr. had 26 points and 13 rebounds as No. 9 Duke beat Pitt, 79-67, on Tuesday night after both teams honored Kobe Bryant during a pregame ceremony at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The somber opening gave way to a testy battle on the court that included...
First Call: Diamondbacks bask in Starling Marte trade; Montana’s advice for Brady; big games for Pitt and Duquesne
In Tuesday’s “First Call,” Arizona is celebrating the Starling Marte trade in a way we might not like. Joe Montana has advice for Tom Brady. LeSean McCoy talks about his reduced role. Jeff Capel’s return to Duke. And stunning numbers for Duquesne’s big game Wednesday. Hey! You can’t do that!...
Pitt adds a walk-on quarterback to its 2020 roster
Pitt continued to stockpile quarterbacks Monday when Logan Clouse, a two-star prospect from Princeton, N.J., announced his commitment to the Panthers on his Twitter account. Clouse, who played at the Hun School in Princeton, N.J., has offers from Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State. He will join the Panthers as a...
Pitt coach Jeff Capel, players carry heavy hearts into game against DukeVideo
Jeff Capel had many thoughts, plans and concerns running through his mind while preparing Pitt to meet the challenge of No. 9 Duke on Tuesday night. Sadly, he had to do it with a heavy heart matching those of his players after the tragic death Sunday of Kobe Bryant in...
Pitt loses at Syracuse, dropping 6th straight to Orange
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — When the game was on the line, Marek Dolezaj stood tall for Syracuse. The slender 6-foot-10 native of Slovakia had 17 points and seven rebounds, Buddy Boeheim added 21 points, and the Orange held off Pitt, 69-61, on Saturday. The Orange won despite off nights for two...
Pitt football coach Pat Narduzzi in midst of hectic offseason
If you think the life of a college football coach slows down when the shoulder pads are packed away, you haven’t had to keep up with Pat Narduzzi this month. Pitt’s coach has been busy since a 34-30 victory against Eastern Michigan on Dec. 26 in the Quick Lane Bowl....
Pitt freshman Justin Champagnie could be key in disrupting Syracuse zone
The Pitt men’s basketball team faces a tough task. The Panthers (13-6, 4-4 ACC) play at Syracuse on Saturday for a matchup with the notoriously zone-heavy Orange (12-7, 5-3). In years past, Pitt has struggles for an answer for the extended 2-3 zone that has stifled so many teams. The...
First Call: Video of Antonio Brown turning himself in; NFL draft tight end emerges
For Friday’s “First Call,” you can watch Antonio Brown turn himself in as he goes to jail. Maybe the Steelers should pay attention to a small conference tight end who is emerging at the Senior Bowl. Pitt and Duquesne hit the road in college hoops. Robert Morris has a big...
Pitt, WVU baseball will bring the Backyard Brawl back to PNC Park
The Backyard Brawl is returning to PNC Park. The Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pitt and West Virginia athletic departments announced Thursday that the schools’ baseball teams will meet April 29 at the home of the Pirates. It’s the second consecutive season the two rivals will meet at PNC Park. West...
U mad, bro? Prickly Pitt fans, Matt Murray defenders, Barry Bonds debaters sound off
How are we going to start this week’s “U mad, bro?” With me being mad. That’s how. I was mad because I got locked out of my email. My stupid password expired. Why do they make me update that thing so often?! So I couldn’t get to my usual material...
Pitt beats Boston College in closing seconds on Ryan Murphy jumper
Pitt’s lead had vanished. The momentum was long gone. You might think Ryan Murphy’s heart was pumping like a hammer behind his jersey and his knees were turning to rubber when he stood 18 feet from the basket in a tie game, staring at the rim. You would be wrong....
Pitt gets 7 home games in 2020, including a Friday night vs. Virginia Tech
Friday night college football comes to Heinz Field this season as part of Pitt’s schedule that was released Wednesday morning by the ACC. Pitt will host Virginia Tech in a nationally televised game Friday, Nov. 6 — one of seven home games. It will be played on the same night...
First Call: Watt brother to host ‘SNL’, Chris Archer rips Astros, Todd Graham’s new job, Kansas hoops brawl
In Wednesday’s “First Call”: J.J. Watt to host SNL. Chris Archer fires at the Houston Astros. A major basketball brawl. A new home for Todd Graham. Live! From New York … How big of a personality is Houston Texans star J.J. Watt? Big enough to host “Saturday Night Live” on...
Nutrition plays key role for Jeff Capel, Pitt men’s basketball
Jeff Capel compares an athlete’s body to an engine. For the engine to run at peak efficiency, it needs the best fuel. The body functions the same way when it comes to nutrition. As coach of the Pitt men’s basketball team, Capel encourages his players to make healthy choices to...
Mike DeCourcy talks huge night for Duquesne, Pitt hoops; Ben Roethlisberger; Super Bowl
It’s a big night for Western Pennsylvania college basketball on Wednesday. Pitt plays host to Boston College at 9 p.m. Duquesne visits Rhode Island at 7 p.m. And Penn State visits Michigan at 7 p.m. So we turn to college basketball expert Mike DeCourcy from The Sporting News and the...
