One day after a year-old video showing Pat Narduzzi criticizing former offensive coordinator Matt Canada circulated on social media, Pitt’s coach was asked Tuesday to describe their relationship.
Narduzzi said he hadn’t seen the video of his talk at a coaches’ clinic, but he received two text messages about it.
“Our relationship has never changed,” Narduzzi said. “I love Matt Canada. He’s an unbelievable offensive coordinator. I’m happy he’s with the Black and Gold next door.”
Canada is the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks coach.
Narduzzi said he didn’t want to lose Canada when he left for LSU after the 2016 season. “That’s why I tried to pay him a million dollars,” he said.
Narduzzi, who never mentioned Canada by name at the clinic, said Tuesday the point of his talk was to remind young coaches to remain patient in their quest to climb the coaching ladder.
“It’s an opinion only, of just being patient,” he said.
In the process, however, he said at the clinic, “I don’t think he was worth a million. He wasn’t even that good.”
Canada’s offense set a Pitt record in 2016, gaining 5,808 yards.
Narduzzi and Canada work in the same building on the South Side, with separate entrances and a common parking lot. He said they have not spoken while both teams are in training camp.
“He’s busy. I’m busy,” Pitt’s coach said. “The guy’s awesome. The guy’s going to find his path one way or another, and he made a heckuva lot of money doing it. I know he wants to be a head coach.
”I don’t think anything further needs to be said. If Matt took it the wrong way, I sure hope he didn’t. In our world, it doesn’t matter.”
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