Jerry DiPaola stories, Page 77

A day before Pitt’s 56-52 loss to Monmouth on Sunday night, Jeff Capel saw misfortune taking aim on his team. And it didn’t miss. “I didn’t think we practiced well (Saturday),” he said, “and I think that led to what we did (Sunday). “(Monmouth) played with an energy, a pace...

Kenny Pickett placed his name alongside the greatest players in Pitt football history this season, but he brought his legend onto another plateau Saturday night among the bright lights of Lincoln Center in New York City. Pickett, who led the Panthers to heights not realized or envisioned in 40 years,...

Before he left his apartment Friday, Cal Adomitis took a selfie of his long, blonde hair. It was his last look at something that had defined him since his days at Central Catholic. “Wow!” he exclaimed to himself. “The next time I’m back here, I’m going to be bald.” At...

The book coaches use states clearly that a team up two with only seconds to play should miss its free throws. If the ball goes through the net, the clock doesn’t immediately start and the opponent has a chance to set up a play. Miss it and time runs out...

Pitt broke a four-game losing streak Thursday night at Petersen Events Center, but the 71-68 victory against Colgate was only part of what has pleased Jeff Capel in the past week. After all, it was only one victory against a team that left Pittsburgh with a 4-6 record. But Capel...

Even before he wrestled the football from a Virginia defensive back, Jordan Addison had proven he was the best wide receiver in the nation. Addison’s efforts were rewarded before a national TV audience on ESPN on Thursday night when he was named winner of the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s...

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young won Associated Press college football player of the year honors Thursday, finishing ahead of Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett. Young, a sophomore and first-year starter, is the second Alabama player in as many seasons to be named AP POY, following 2020...

If you paid any attention to what was happening at Heinz Field and inside ACC football stadiums this season, you know about Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett. But who are those other three Heisman Trophy finalists? Here’s a closer look: Aidan Hutchinson DE, Michigan, 6-6, 265 Pickett and Hutchinson will be...

Imagine getting punched in the stomach. You lose your breath, the pain shoots through your entire body and you fall to your knees. Now, imagine having it happen twice within the same week. By that time, you’re so mad, you want to do something about it. That’s the feeling Pitt...

Add another employer to Mark Whipple’s long coaching resume. A day after leaving Pitt as its most successful offensive coordinator in decades, Whipple was named to the same position at Nebraska on Tuesday, joining Scott Frost’s reconfigured staff. #Pitt QB and #Heisman finalist Kenny Pickett told DP that he's "undecided"...

Pitt offensive coordinator Mark Whipple, who helped engineer one of the most prolific scoring units in college football and led quarterback Kenny Pickett through a record-breaking season, resigned Tuesday and will not coach the Panthers in the Peach Bowl. Whipple, 64, is the fourth offensive coordinator to work under coach...

Kenny Pickett ran an offense at Pitt that scored touchdowns at a fast pace. In the ACC championship game, for example, Pitt’s five touchdown drives averaged 80 seconds each. The postseason honors aren’t coming that fast, but he collected two big ones in a span of 15 hours from Monday...

There are only 54 miles and a 70-minute car ride between Kenny Pickett’s home in Oakhurst, N.J., and New York City. Which makes it convenient for Pitt’s record-breaking quarterback and his family to attend the 2021 Heisman Trophy ceremony Saturday night. Pickett was invited, along with defensive end Aidan Hutchinson...

Seven Pitt players, including Offensive Player of the Year Kenny Pickett, were named Monday to The Associated Press’ 2021 All-ACC teams. The teams were chosen by a panel of 14 journalists — one from each conference city — who regularly cover the ACC. Pickett and Jordan Addison were unanimous selections...

Before she climbed atop the stage on the field at Bank of America Stadium, Heather Lyke stood apart from the wild, confetti-laced celebration that ensued after Pitt defeated Wake Forest to win the ACC championship. Yet her role was instrumental in keeping Pitt’s football program stable after years of coaching...

Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi will be back on a football field with Michigan State, but this time, he will be on the opposite sideline. After Pitt (11-2) won its first ACC championship Saturday night and vaulted to No. 12 in the College Football Playoff rankings, the Panthers earned a berth...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Through 12 games, Kenny Pickett made every throw, broke all the records and made the end zone his personal playground. When it came time for No. 13 Saturday night on the ACC’s biggest stage, Pitt’s defensive players all but shouted, “Make room for us. It’s our turn.”...

For years, Pitt football players have gathered in a circle before practice and chanted “ACC championship” before going about the day’s business. Pitt gets to take those words and make them real Saturday night when it confronts Wake Forest at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., with the conference...

Sitting in Pat Narduzzi’s office inside Pitt’s South Side training facility is an old, folded-up piece of paper that his father, Bill Narduzzi, kept in his pocket. Why does he keep it? “It’s called loyalty,” Narduzzi said of what the words on that scrap of paper represent. “I’m all about...

Pat Narduzzi remembers the empty feeling that engulfed him and his team after Pitt’s 42-10 loss to Clemson in the 2018 ACC Championship Game. “After the game, you’re disappointed. You have your head down. ‘What the heck happened?’ ” he said Thursday, sharing his feelings with reporters. But something else...

The words “Kenny Pickett has the flu” rank up there with “Ben has a sore elbow” in terms of creating panic among area football fans. But Pickett assured reporters Wednesday that his bout with the flu was temporary and he will be “good to go” Saturday when Pitt meets Wake...

Only days after the end of the regular season, West Virginia is already planning for 2022. WVU athletic director Shane Lyons announced Wednesday six home dates, plus the renewal of the Backyard Brawl with Pitt, on the 2022 football schedule. The season opens Sept. 3 at Heinz Field with the...

Pitt baseball at PNC Park is becoming an annual tradition. For the third consecutive season, the Panthers will serve as hosts at the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates for games against West Virginia and Penn State. The WVU game is April 19; Penn State arrives May 17. “A special thanks...

Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett, who hit the historic aerial milestones of 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns this season, was named ACC Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year by landslide votes. Pickett received 52 of 64 first-place votes for Player of the Year in balloting by a...

Jeff Capel stood for nearly all 40 minutes of Pitt’s 54-53 loss to Minnesota on Tuesday night at Petersen Events Center. He directed traffic on the court, encouraged his players, sometimes lowered his head when a play didn’t work, perhaps occasionally thought about slamming his hand on the scorer’s table...