Jerry DiPaola stories, Page 139
Pitt coaches hope to cook up more turnovers, but defense isn’t sufferingVideo
Anybody wondering how much emphasis Pitt’s defensive coaches place on gaining turnovers should watch practice. Most of the time spent there is not for public eyes, but safeties coach Cory Sanders offered a glimpse Tuesday. When the football is in the air and a defender so much as lets it...
Injuries create cloud of uncertainty as Pitt prepares for Duke
Pat Narduzzi appeared irritated Monday during his weekly news conference, and that was to be expected. Not that Pitt’s coach usually shows up in a bad mood for his weekly give-and-take with reporters, but there are circumstances that surround his team that might have him on edge. The Panthers (3-2,...
Duke’s ability to protect QB could slow down Pitt’s pass rush
While preparing for Saturday’s game at Duke, nothing should concern Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi more than his opponent’s reputation for protecting the quarterback. The Blue Devils (3-1, 1-0 ACC) are one of three teams (Air Force and Georgia are the others) that have allowed only one quarterback sack this season....
Clint Hurdle’s firing kills the Christmas spirit in Pirates’ clubhouse
The last day of the miserable 2019 Pittsburgh Pirates season started strangely, yet peacefully. Clubhouse musician and starting pitcher Steven Brault was listening to Michael Bublé’s rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” One of the last things Clint Hurdle said to reporters before he was fired Sunday was...
Pitt has questions as it prepares for matchup at Duke
A week ago, Pitt looked like a team with something to prove and an accomodating schedule in which to prove it. Then, reality infringed on Pat Narduzzi’s season. Pitt’s next opponent — Duke in Durham, N.C., on Saturday night — beat Virginia Tech, 45-10, in the Hokies’ biggest defeat in...
Pirates players balance fondness of Clint Hurdle, willingness for changeVideo
One by one, Clint Hurdle’s men lined up outside his office to say goodbye. Men, not players, by that time. To Hurdle, they were always more than names on a lineup card. It was difficult for the Pittsburgh Pirates to play a meaningless baseball game Sunday, and they lost it...
Pirates’ Neal Huntington says he’s looking for ‘good baseball man’ to replace Clint Hurdle
First on Neal Huntington’s to-do list this offseason is finding a replacement for former manager Clint Hurdle, who was fired Sunday. Huntington will get the chance to hire the second field manager of his 12-year tenure as Pittsburgh Pirates general manager. Hurdle replaced John Russell after the 2010 season. “I...
Pirates fire manager Clint Hurdle
Neal Huntington called this season of losing streaks, clubhouse fights and on-field brawls “a collective shortcoming” by everyone in the organization. But the only man out of a job Sunday was manager Clint Hurdle, fired at PNC Park an hour before the Pittsburgh Pirates’ last game of the season. He...
Pitt’s Todd Sibley makes most of playing time vs. Delaware
With his black-rimmed spectacles, Todd Sibley looked like he just left the library. Until you saw the sweat on his face. And the stats next to his name in the box score of Pitt’s 17-14 victory Saturday against Delaware. With A.J. Davis and Vincent Davis sidelined with injuries, Sibley joined...
Behind backup QB Nick Patti, Pitt hobbles to victory against DelawareVideo
Pat Narduzzi growled the words like a parent whose kids just let him down. “Critical errors all over the place, 13 penalties, ridiculous,” Pitt’s coach said. “I don’t think we came out with the emotion. We came out flat. “Blame me for that because we have to come out revved...
Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi ready for anything vs. old foe Bill Cubit
Former Big Ten foes Pat Narduzzi and Bill Cubit get together for the first time in six years Saturday when Pitt meets Delaware at Heinz Field. And Narduzzi has been worrying about the reunion all week. Cubit was offensive coordinator at Illinois in 2013 when the Illini met Narduzzi’s Michigan...
Delaware latest FCS force to test Pitt, Pat Narduzzi
Let’s be clear about something before Pitt fans worry about Delaware authoring an upset Saturday at Heinz Field. Pat Narduzzi never has lost to an FCS team (4-0), although victories against Youngstown State were one-score games — 45-37 (2015) and 28-21 (‘17) in overtime. Paul Chryst, Pitt’s coach before Narduzzi,...
Pitt’s front four getting pass-rush job doneVideo
Pat Narduzzi did not want to give away any secrets, so he was reluctant to talk about how frequently Pitt calls a blitz. But he is pleased with the pressure his four down linemen are putting on quarterbacks. The Panthers are fourth in the nation with an average of 41⁄2...
What keeps the Pirates’ Clint Hurdle coming back for more after nearly 50 years in baseball?Video
Clint Hurdle pondered the question, repeated it, then spent almost two minutes answering it. In a season of turmoil and losing, finally, a topic the Pittsburgh Pirates manager wanted to embrace with both arms. Before the game with the Chicago Cubs on Thursday night at PNC Park, Hurdle was told...
Pirates ride Dario Agrazal’s strong start to victory against Cubs
Dario Agrazal’s last outing of his rookie season turned out to be one of his best. The Pirates used Agrazal’s strong start and effective relief work from Francisco Liriano, Michael Feliz and Keone Kela to defeat the Chicago Cubs, 4-2, in front of an announced crowd of 10,592 at PNC...
Report: Clint Hurdle will return to manage Pirates in 2020Video
In the wake of a 91-loss season, Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle told Stephen Nesbitt of The Athletic he has been assured by team officials that he will return next season, his 10th with the organization. But while speaking to several reporters Wednesday night after the 4-2 victory against the...
Pirates’ Clint Hurdle compares Bryan Reynolds, Kevin Newman to a Roman emperor
There have been many plaudits directed toward Pittsburgh Pirates rookies Bryan Reynolds and Kevin Newman this season. Most of the praise was tied to their efforts on the field, where they were first and second on the team in batting average — .314 for Reynolds and .309 for Newman before...
Pitt’s Kenny Pickett ‘brings that dog’ out of teammates
Kenny Pickett allowed himself a chuckle when he was asked Wednesday about his body’s level of soreness. It doesn’t hurt when he laughs, and doesn’t hurt enough to keep him out of the game Saturday against Delaware. “Pretty sore on Sunday,” the junior quarterback said. “Getting a lot better now....
Season ends for injured Pirates Josh Bell, Starling Marte, others
The offseason has started early for injured Pittsburgh Pirates Josh Bell, Starling Marte, Cole Tucker and Elias Diaz. Todd Tomczyk, the Pirates director of sports medicine, said the team’s management and medical personnel have decided to shut down those injured players for the remainder of the season. In the cases...
Pitt defense looking for turnovers, dunks
Pitt defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman still lis ooking for his first turnover this season. But if he continues to hit the quarterback the way he has done it the first four games, his wait won’t last much longer. So he better polish up those basketball skills. Huh? Pitt’s defense wanted...
Pitt tight ends coach Tim Salem brings energy, speaks his mindVideo
Don’t get Tim Salem started. On second thought, why not ask Pitt’s tight ends coach what he thinks about, you know, anything? You’re sure to get the truth, with as much passion as his sleep-deprived brain can manage. Mention, for example, the fact his tight ends are targeted more often...
Pitt gets first basketball commit from 2020 class
Pitt coach Jeff Capel secured the first verbal commitment from the class of 2020 on Monday when three-star power forward Noah Collier announced on Instagram his plans to enroll next year. Westtown's Noah Collier commits. Pittsburgh gets a versatile forward with high bball IQ, motor, and an evolving productive skill...
Deeper roster helps Pitt withstand injuries
The last thing Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi wants to discuss is the number of important players struck down by injuries this season. Whether it’s trying not to sound like he’s making excuses or simply hoping to avoid giving the opponent a competitive advantage, he’s reluctant to get into specifics. But...
Delaware game is personal for Pitt coach Pat NarduzziVideo
Every game matters to Pat Narduzzi, but Saturday’s game against Delaware at Heinz Field will be special for many reasons. This one he wants to win for his dad. “I tell our kids all the time, ‘These games have got to be personal,’ ” Narduzzi said Monday at his weekly...
Pitt notebook: Pat Narduzzi retains trust in struggling kicker Alex Kessman
Win or lose, no team leaves a game totally pleased. There are too many plays and players. Plus, opponents are constantly trying to make your team look bad. Coaches always will have something to complain about during Sunday video study sessions. Such was the case after Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi...
