Jerry DiPaola stories, Page 30

Pitt hires Western Carolina’s Kade Bell, 30, as its next offensive coordinator

Two weeks and one day after the end of the season, Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi changed the direction of his offense when he hired 30-year-old Kade Bell, formerly of Western Carolina, as his next offensive coordinator. Pat Narduzzi names rising star Kade Bell as Pitt’s new offensive coordinator ????Bell comes...
Pitt notebook: Jeff Capel finds places in lineup for 4 backups

Jeff Capel reduced playing time for Pitt starters Zack Austin and Federiko Federiko on Saturday night, but four backups took advantage of additional opportunities. All four stepped up in the 82-71 victory against Canisius at Petersen Events Center. • William Jeffress, who brings steady play and defensive diligence to the...
Pitt survives scare from Canisius, escapes with 82-71 victory

Pitt’s struggles Saturday night in an 82-71 victory against Canisius led Blake Hinson to think about something totally unrelated to basketball: Final exams start next week. Pitt trailed the Golden Griffins, 54-47, with 13 minutes left in the game before waking up midway through the second half and ironing out...
Analysis: Quarterback stands above many roster issues confronting Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi

Pat Narduzzi has a quarterback problem, and this time there is no one left to blame. After at least two swings and misses in the transfer portal, where Pitt’s 10-year head coach found Kedon Slovis and Phil Jurkovec not to his liking, he has waded into this offseason burdened by...
Pitt Take 5: Jeff Capel’s recruiting efforts put shooters on roster, points on scoreboard

After a five-game stretch against power conference teams, Pitt coach Jeff Capel said he has stockpiled plenty of information about his team. He knows his players like to shoot and are good at it, and he also knows they work hard on defense. He said recent recruiting efforts were intentionally...
Blake Hinson’s points often come 3 at a time for Pitt, but his contributions stretch beyond scoreboards

Jeff Capel gladly accepts the numbers Blake Hinson adds to Pitt’s score sheet, three at a time. Even when they’re accompanied by Hinson’s fearlessness when shooting the basketball — covered or not, from anywhere on the court. In his second season with the Panthers and after only nine games (6-3),...
Blake Hinson, Will Jeffress lead Pitt to 1st Backyard Brawl victory since 2012

MORGANTOWN, W.Va — Many players were catalysts behind Pitt’s 80-63 victory Wednesday night against West Virginia in the 190th version of the basketball Backyard Brawl. • Blake Hinson scored a career-high 29 points, breaking his personal best (27) set only three days ago. He also broke a Pitt record with...
WVU’s Akok Akok cleared by physicians, will play against Pitt

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia received some good news for its depleted roster hours before its game against Pitt on Wednesday night when fifth-year forward Akok Akok was cleared for play. Akok, a 6-foot-10 transfer who previously played at UConn and Georgetown, collapsed Oct. 27 during a charity exhibition game...
Pitt offensive tackle Matt Goncalves says he’s entering NFL Draft

Pitt lost another senior Wednesday when offensive tackle Matt Goncalves declared for the 2024 NFL Draft. In his announcement over X (formerly Twitter), Goncalves wrote that seeking an NFL career is “a lifelong dream.” He also said that his five years at Pitt have been “the greatest years of my...
NCAA transfer portal, NIL make redshirting athletes risky business

Back in ancient times — otherwise known as the 1990s in terms of college athletics — Pitt coach Jeff Capel thought about transferring from Duke. “I thought about it one time,” he said, “but my dad talked some sense into me.” The NCAA transfer portal opened Monday, and more than...
WVU coach Josh Eilert makes sure players feel ‘passion’ generated by Backyard Brawl with Pitt

Josh Eilert’s plans to prepare his Mountaineers for Pitt’s intrusion into the West Virginia Coliseum on Wednesday night didn’t start with the first day of basketball practice in October. Go back another month. Eilert, the WVU interim head coach, demanded that every player attend the Pitt football game at Milan...
Pitt’s M.J. Devonshire named second-team All-ACC

Senior cornerback M.J. Devonshire, whose ball skills led him to record eight interceptions in the past three seasons, is Pitt’s lone representative on The Associated Press 2023 All-ACC first or second teams. Devonshire, an Aliquippa graduate, transferred from Kentucky before the 2021 season and was named second-team All-ACC as a...
Improved defense, more help from the bench will benefit Pitt on its trip to WVU

When Jeff Capel was asked where Pitt must improve on defense, he covered every aspect of good defensive play, short of building a wall at the free-throw line. “We have to get back to being really good defensive rebounding,” he said. “Our post defense has to be better. We have...
Pitt loses defensive end Sam Okunlola, running back T.J. Harvison to transfer portal

The number of Pitt football players who have opted to enter the transfer portal increased to 12 Monday when two young players — defensive end Sam Okunlola and running back T.J. Harvison — decided to take their talents elsewhere. Okunlola, a redshirt freshman, is a significant loss after he was...
Former Pirates manager Jim Leyland wins election to baseball’s Hall of Fame

On the night he was immortalized as a Hall of Fame manager, Jim Leyland had given up hope. The former manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates was told by National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum officials that — if he was voted in by the Contemporary Era Committee — he...
Pitt can’t handle Clemson in ACC opener, loses 79-70 decision

In the moments before Pitt’s 79-70 loss to Clemson went final, most people in the announced crowd of 7,713 at Petersen Events Center were in an uproar. Many were looking for the Panthers to complete what would have been an improbable comeback Sunday afternoon. When a team is down by...

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