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Pitt category, Page 39

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Pitt’s deep tight end group gives assistant coach Tim Salem lineup options
Tim Salem didn’t want to answer the question. Which was a surprise. Normally, Pitt’s tight ends coach loves to talk about his men, but this question didn’t interest him: Is Pitt’s current crop of tight ends the program’s deepest since he was hired nearly nine years ago? Salem started to...
Bub Means, A.J. Woods hope to get a kick from Pitt’s passing game, special teams
Wide receiver Bub Means has a ready explanation for why he is listed as the No. 1 kickoff returner on the Pitt depth chart. In his mind, it’s simple, really. “They’re trying to get the playmaker the ball. That’s what I see. Me and my dog back there,” he said,...
First Call: Mike Tomlin’s spot among coaches in AP poll; Josh Dobbs’ chances of starting in Arizona
Tuesday’s “First Call” features Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and his place among other NFL coaches. We also take a look at Josh Dobbs’ chances of becoming a starter in Arizona. And we have some wild stats about Johan Oviedo’s complete game win for the Pirates in Kansas City on...
After slight shuffling of personnel, Pat Narduzzi will ‘find out on game day’ Pitt’s true identity
Pat Narduzzi was careful Monday not to inaccurately describe the personality of his ninth Pitt team at the outset of the first game week of the season. “We got a great group of guys,” he said. “I don’t want to say polite.” Polite usually doesn’t carry the day in college...
Madden Monday: ‘There’s just not anything to dislike’ about Kenny Pickett’s preseason for Steelers
After a 3-0 preseason for the Steelers, many in Pittsburgh are bumping up their 2023 win total predictions by multiple games. Mark Madden of TribLIVE and 105.9 The X has a more conservative approach. “I might be coerced into 10-7 instead of 9-8. But, for me, there’s still plenty of...
Jeff Capel credits administrative support system for Pitt basketball turnaround
The dramatically positive revival of Pitt basketball this year was the result of coach Jeff Capel recruiting and developing the right men and helping them bond as more than teammates. In a span of only a few months, they became friends who had each other’s backs. But what spawned the...
Wofford’s Shawn Watson embraces ‘the why’ of coaching as he prepares his Terriers for Pitt
Pat Narduzzi and Shawn Watson will stand on opposite sidelines Saturday at Acrisure Stadium, rival coaches for the three-plus hours it will take Pitt and Wofford to play their 2023 season opener. But it won’t be the first time college football has brought them together. Once, it even tore them...
Fueled by Heather Lyke’s leadership, Pitt athletics experiencing renaissance of success
One by one, they enter the room. Pat Narduzzi. Jeff Capel. Jay Vidovich. Dan Fisher. Every head coach of a varsity program at the University of Pittsburgh shuffles into a room in either the Petersen Events Center or the South Side football facility. They’re all here to meet with their...
Pitt chancellor: Multiple factors will play into a new contract for AD Heather Lyke
New University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Joan Gabel minced no words when it came to her assessment of Athletic Director Heather Lyke. “Heather is without question one of the best athletic directors in the country,” Gabel recently told the Tribune-Review. “She’s been recognized as such (for) wins on the field and...
Mega-donor Chris Bickell helping Pitt level playing field with college football’s elite teams
Chris Bickell is helping to keep Pitt athletics in the game. For starters, there’s the matter of the $20 million — the largest single donation provided to Pitt athletics — he donated in 2021. To put that into perspective, John and Gertrude Petersen of Erie donated $10 million in 1999...
From QB to athletic office, Pat Bostick continues to leave mark at Pitt
When Pat Bostick first arrived at Pitt, his job was scoring touchdowns — either by throwing them as a highly recruited, four-star quarterback or by leading the Panthers offense. Today, Bostick’s job is scoring points with donors: building lasting relationships with deep-pocketed alumni and supporters who part with their assets...
Good not good enough for Pitt in 2023’s new era of college football
Pitt football began in 1890 with a team that played three games, never bothered to name a coach and managed one victory, 10-4, at Geneva. Today, there are 55 Pitt coaches and staff members — from coordinators to nutritionists — who make significant contributions to a program that is among...
Louis Riddick imparts wisdom to Pitt football players
It’s no secret ESPN football analyst Louis Riddick loves Pitt football. He doesn’t hide it: He boasts about the Panthers any time he can to his colleagues and on social media. The 1991 Pitt graduate was the guest speaker at the Pitt Football luncheon Friday at The Westin, where he...
Pitt backcourt shorthanded after Dior Johnson leaves men’s basketball team
A once-prized Pitt basketball recruit who ran into legal trouble and redshirted last season, Dior Johnson is “no longer attending the University of Pittsburgh,” a team spokesman said in a statement Friday evening. The move comes as a surprise after the 6-foot-3 guard joined the Panthers on their preseason trip...
Pitt notebook: Panthers choose 3 team captains for ’23 season
Coach Pat Narduzzi announced tri-captains at the teams’s annual football kickoff luncheon Friday at The Westin. The trio selected by their teammates for the upcoming season includes offensive lineman Matt Goncalves, linebacker Shayne Simon and defensive lineman David Green. Goncalves said he didn’t know if he expected to be named...
First Call: Ex-Steelers QB could start in Arizona; pricey Roberto Clemente bat auction; Aaron Donald’s new ring trend
Friday’s “First Call” sees a former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback on the move. John Lynch’s real opinions on the Nick Bosa situation may be shining through in San Francisco. A piece of Roberto Clemente memorabilia is up for auction. And Penn Hills product Aaron Donald may have started a very unique...
Big week for Pitt punter Caleb Junko as he earns scholarship, starting job
After participating in some light stretching and then booting a couple of balls high into the air at the onset of Thursday’s Pitt football practice, Caleb Junko took a timeout and headed to a familiar spot occupied by his grandfather, legendary former Pitt assistant Bob Junko. “How are you doing?”...
First Call: 49ers reveal QB depth chart for opener vs. Steelers; new ACC expansion talk; will McCutchen hit 300th vs. Cubs?
Thursday’s “First Call” gets the full breakdown of the San Francisco 49ers quarterback depth chart as they prepare for the regular-season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. We also have the network broadcast team for that game, and a little Steelers-Niners history from an opening-day perspective. Plus, we examine the latest...
U mad, bro?: Steelers preseason hype, RB1 debates, SMU in the ACC and lanternflies
There is only one thing that has truly made me mad this week. Lanternflies. Gawd, do I hate those things! I feel like I’m in the Battle of Stirling scene from “Braveheart.” “We’re outnumbered … at least three to one!” Watch the video I posted of the war zone that...
Phil Jurkovec eager to incorporate tight ends into Pitt’s offensive attack 
As Pitt’s Sept. 2 season opener against Wofford grows closer, plenty of questions have been asked about what the Panthers are capable of offensively. Will former Pine-Richland standout and high-profile transfer Phil Jurkovec take the reins seamlessly at quarterback? Are the Panthers prepared to run the football effectively in the...
Pitt football notebook: Phil Jurkovec on another preseason award watch list
Pitt quarterback Phil Jurkovec, a Pine-Richland grad, is among the preseason candidates for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. It marks the second award to recognize Jurkovec as a preseason candidate. The Unitas Award is presented annually to the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with his class....
Pitt’s defense earns revenge against offensive counterparts at 2nd scrimmage
First, it was the Pitt offense that stood out. This time around, the defense took center stage. The Panthers’ second scrimmage of the preseason has been tickling the senses of coach Pat Narduzzi — a defensive-minded guy, mind you — and creating a stir at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex ever...
Leechburg’s Braylan Lovelace making smooth transition to college football at Pitt
Braylan Lovelace was faced with a dilemma when he enrolled at Pitt in January while his Leechburg High School classmates were five months from graduation. Pitt coaches and support staff presented him with this challenge: gain weight, but don’t get fat. Upon early graduation from Leechburg, which plays in the...
Depth, local flavor show up on Pitt’s defensive line
Not one prone to make exaggerated claims, Charlie Partridge rattled off names of 13 players he believes will contribute on Pitt’s four-man defensive line before the end of the season. Roster numbers are important, especially early in the season when heat can be an issue. It’s also good to keep...
Damar Hamlin soaks in return to Pittsburgh — and Steelers, fans return the love
Damar Hamlin was happy to be able to soak in the moment. The sights, the sounds. The … smells? “It kind of felt like college again, that feeling I got when I was playing at Pitt,” Hamlin said of his first football game in Pittsburgh as a pro. “Stadium smelled...


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