Aaron Donald, LeSean McCoy named honorary coaches for Pitt spring game
Aaron Donald will get the chance to improve on his 0-1 record as a Pitt spring game coach when he opposes former Panthers running back LeSean McCoy at 1 p.m Saturday in the Blue-Gold Game at Heinz Field. Donald, a former Pitt All-American defensive tackle who has developed into the...
Replacing Pitt’s 1,000-yard backs may be toughest task of the springVideo
Pat Narduzzi makes no promises about his team in April, but it’s safe to say he’s looking for improvement in Pitt’s running game and among those trying to stop it. Asked to gauge his backs’ progress through the 12 practices since March 6, he said, “It depends on who they...
Kevin Gorman: Pitt scores by bringing back colors but must build pride in Panthers
Pitt’s search for an athletic identity started with a switch from its iconic script logo and school colors by turning its uniforms into a Notre Dame knockoff, a poor man’s version of the Panthers. Finally, Pitt is back where it belongs. A change of heart finally led to a change...
Smashing senior season for Norwin grad Connor Perry at PittVideo
Connor Perry is one of the most productive hitters in the ACC, but a few years ago, a significant setback made the Norwin graduate contemplate giving up the sport. Before the senior outfielder became the linchpin of Pitt’s batting order, he was a freshman at Division II Lock Haven. For...
Reveal shows off Pitt’s new school colors and Panther head logo
Pitt revealed a new color scheme and secondary logo on Sunday in a celebration on its Oakland campus, returning to its royal blue and gold roots and introducing a Panther head logo that will be worn on the uniforms of all of its athletic teams. The university also held a...
Florida defensive end Sam Williams is first to commit to Pitt
Pat Narduzzi had a busy Saturday, leading his team through its 11th practice of the spring – a scrimmage at Heinz Field – and getting his first verbal commitment from the class of 2020. While visiting the university and after watching the scrimmage, defensive end Sam Williams announced on his...
Air Narduzzi at Pitt? Maybe not, but passing game undergoes transformation
When Pitt’s coach was questioned about the perceived notion of “Air Narduzzi” that is flying around spring ball, he smiled and quickly cleared up any confusion. “Don’t believe Air Narduzzi,” Pat Narduzzi said. “We’re going to run the ball. Don’t forget that.” Yet, it was a fair question because two...
Pitt’s Carter Warren stakes claim to starting job at tackleVideo
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi is constantly searching for good offensive linemen, and he’s not shy about finding them on another school’s roster. Nothing wrong with that. Aside from quarterback, it’s probably the toughest position to master, and it’s difficult to find big guys who have the agility to move laterally...
Pat Narduzzi likes to experiment during Pitt spring drills
With no immediate need to prepare for an opponent, Pat Narduzzi can do almost anything with his roster during Pitt spring drills. To that end, he’s not afraid to use players on both sides of the ball, even if it’s just as a temporary experiment. Redshirt freshman Kaymar Mimes, still...
Malik Ellison becomes latest player to leave Pitt basketball program
Malik Ellison is the latest member of the Pitt basketball program to leave the team. Ellison is expected to graduate this spring and transfer from Pitt, the university announced Wednesday. He has one season of eligibility remaining. Pitt announced on Monday that sophomore guard Khameron Davis also will transfer. That...
Small details in Pitt’s passing game could help the big picture
When wide receivers Aaron Mathews and Taysir Mack enrolled at Pitt, they figured they would be expected to catch the football when it’s within reach, run crisp routes and block. They never figured on Chris Beatty throwing another mandate into the mix. When the daily meeting in Beatty’s office is...
Pat Narduzzi says NFL scouts are ‘awful happy’ to visit PittVideo
After practice Tuesday, Pat Narduzzi defended Pitt’s treatment of NFL scouts in light of a Sports Illustrated story that mentioned Pitt among schools that “aren’t always easy to visit.” The story, written by SI senior writer Andy Staples, used information from anonymous scouts because they weren’t authorized by their teams...
Guard Khameron Davis to transfer from Pitt basketball
Khameron Davis will transfer from the Pitt basketball program, university officials announced Monday. The 6-foot-4 sophomore guard from Denver averaged 2.5 points and 2.2 rebounds a game this past season, and averaged 3.3 points and 2.6 rebounds while shooting 35 percent (35 of 100) on 3-pointers in 58 games over...
Last home match for Pitt tennis a big draw in Wexford
Alex Santos could handle the difficult logistics surrounding his team, even if he had to drive 30 minutes for home matches. Pitt’s women’s tennis coach didn’t complain publicly. He just rolled up his sleeves and went to work, trying and often succeeding to find players on four continents to build...
Pitt linebackers coach looks for leaders
Please, don’t ask Rob Harley to name the three linebackers he plans to insert in Pitt’s starting defense this season. Even if he knows – and he probably has a preliminary idea he prefers not to share at this time — the opener against Virginia is five months away, and...
Pitt’s Jared Wilson-Frame will shoot for $100,000 in national 3-man championship
Jared Wilson-Frame, one of the most prolific 3-point shooters in Pitt history, will be in Minneapolis, site of the Final Four, starting Friday while representing the ACC at the second annual Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship. Teams are comprised of four seniors from the same conference who have exhausted their...
Pitt forward Kene Chukwuka undergoes hip surgery
After playing in pain for much of the season, senior Pitt junior forward Kene Chukwuka had hip surgery Thursday at UPMC. “Kene dealt with back and hip ailments throughout the season,” coach Jeff Capel said. “We are hopeful the surgery will correct the issues and enable him to return to...
Robert Morris Andy Toole handicaps Sweet 16, talks 2019 matchup vs. Pitt
Robert Morris basketball coach Andy Toole joins us once again for our “Breakfast With Benz” podcast. He is our unofficial bracketologist for the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Both of our Final Fours are still intact after the first weekend. But this is where it gets dicey. RMU coach Andy Toole handicaps...
New faces in Pitt’s backfield present challenges
Nowhere in Pitt’s lineup are the holes left behind by departing seniors larger than at running back. The Panthers lost two 1,000-yard rushers, Qadree Ollison and Darrin Hall, who totaled 2,357 yards. Fullback George Aston, who bulldozed hopeful tacklers and scored touchdowns, is gone. Coach Pat Narduzzi put every NFL...
Pitt wrestler Taleb Rahmani: ‘I don’t want to be done’
When Pitt wrestler Taleb Rahmani was talking to former Panthers coach Matt Kocher last week, he was looking for one final piece of advice before the NCAA Wrestling Tournament. Kocher found just the right words. “He told me, ‘Compete like it’s your last time,’ “ said Rahmani, who is the...
5 quarterfinal bouts to watch on Day 2 of the NCAA Wrestling Championships
With Day 1 in the books at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, it’s time to look for the best matchups in Friday’s quarterfinals at PPG Paints Arena. There are going to be some good ones, especially at 133 pounds. 5-Jack Mueller, Virginia (19-0) vs. 4-Ronnie Bresser, Oregon State (25-1)...
Latrobe grad Pletcher off to good start at NCAA Wrestling Championships
When Latrobe graduate Luke Pletcher walked out on the mat for his first-round match at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on Thursday, he heard a young fan yelling his name. Pletcher said he usually would nod, but when he saw the kid wearing a Latrobe wrestling sweatshirt, he gave...
Penn Hills grad Campbell, North Allegheny’s Woodley pull off upsets in NCAA 1st round
For Ohio State senior Te’Shan Campbell and Oklahoma freshman Jake Woodley a trip home turned out better than ever after both claimed wins in Round 1 of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on Thursday at PPG Paints Arena. Campbell snapped a scoreless tie with a takedown in the third...
Pitt, Duquesne jointly pledge return of the City Game in 2020 and 2021
The City Game is going away, but only for one basketball season. Athletic directors Heather Lyke of Pitt and Dave Harper of Duquesne said Thursday that their teams won’t play each other next season for the first time since 1969, but the series will resume with games in 2020 and...
Pitt wrestlers Phillippi, Bonaccorsi, Thomas win NCAA first-round matches
Pitt’s Micky Phillippi felt the butterflies all too briefly as he walked out to wrestle the first NCAA tournament match of his career. Then it was time to get down to business. Phillippi, a Derry graduate, was one of three Pitt wrestlers to win their first-round bouts at the NCAA...
