Former Pitt standout Joe Schmidt, a Pro Football Hall of Famer who helped Detroit Lions win 2 NFL titles, dies at 92
DETROIT — Joe Schmidt, the Hall of Fame linebacker who helped the Detroit Lions win NFL championships in 1953 and 1957 and later coached the team, has died. He was 92. The Lions said family informed the team Schmidt died Wednesday. A cause of death was not provided. One of...
Pitt basketball lands verbal commitment from 6-foot-4 guard Omari Witherspoon
Pitt coach Jeff Capel began the process of restocking his backcourt when he received a verbal commitment Wednesday from 6-foot-4 guard Omari Witherspoon. He is Pitt’s first verbal commitment from the class of 2025. Pittsburgh gets their guy as ‘25 @SJCBoysHoops/@DC_Premier_ Omari Witherspoon. HC Jeff Capel & staff have one...
Pitt QB Eli Holstein’s education will continue against West Virginia
Almost without exception, every time Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi and offensive coordinator Kade Bell step behind a podium, they are questioned by reporters curious about how and why the pressure of the moment hasn’t seemed to rattle quarterback Eli Holstein. After all, he’s a redshirt freshman who never picked up...
Pitt playmakers Desmond Reid, Konata Mumpfield understand benefits of treating their body right
The play started with the Cincinnati defensive back trying to hold hands with Konata Mumpfield. Or, at least, that’s the way it seemed to Mumpfield, the Pitt wide receiver who was just trying to get open for a big catch. It ended less glamorously for Mumpfield, who was blocking far...
West Virginia’s secondary vs. Pitt’s passing attack to be key matchup in Backyard Brawl
West Virginia’s offense has reason to feel confident heading into Saturday’s Backyard Brawl vs. Pitt at Acrisure Stadium. While a valid argument could be made that the Mountaineers simply beat up on an FCS opponent last weekend, West Virginia fired on all cylinders through the air and on the ground...
Who could be considered for Pitt’s athletic director opening and what challenges are they facing?
Pitt Chancellor Joan T.A. Gabel will face challenges on several fronts while seeking to fill the school’s vacancy at athletic director. Two are largely financial and one is more basic, but just as difficult to navigate: finding the right person. On the money side: • The $250 million Victory Heights...
Legendary Pitt-Johnstown wrestling coach Pat Pecora dies at age 70
Pat Pecora, who built the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown wrestling program into a national power and led the Mountain Cats to more wins than any other coach in college wrestling history, died Sunday after a long, inspirational battle with cancer. He was 70 years old. Former Mountain Cats wrestler...
Tim Benz: Heather Lyke’s dismissal at Pitt is a case of what we don’t bother to see in the NIL era
When it comes to roster construction for the four major North American pro sports, we care about the process. We care about free agency, trades and drafts. We care about who the general managers are and how they go about procuring talent. On the college sports level, it’s a lot...
Heather Lyke shares farewell message to Pitt community
Several hours after she was relieved of her duties as Pitt’s athetic director, Heather Lyke responded Monday night with a message on X (formerly Twitter), reflecting on her 7 1/2-year tenure at the university, asserting she left the athletics department in a better state than when she arrived in 2017....
Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi on Backyard Brawl: ‘It’s why you coach football’
The details escape Pat Narduzzi, but he remembers being involved in only one true rivalry game as a player. “Shoot, when I was in college, our rivalry was Rhode Island versus Brown in front of 7,000 people,” he said. He remembers Brown having a good team in the 1980s, but...
Pitt women’s volleyball team reaches No. 1 in the nation for 1st time
In Dan Fisher’s tenure as Pitt’s women’s volleyball coach, the program has stacked “firsts”: first ACC championship, first Elite Eight appearance, first No. 1 seed in an NCAA Tournament, first Final Four appearance. Now the program has another milestone under the 12th-year coach. On Monday, for the first time in...
Heather Lyke out as athletic director at Pitt
Passed over for the Northwestern athletic director’s job last month, Heather Lyke now finds herself out as AD at Pitt. Pitt chancellor Joan Gabel released a statement Monday morning, ending Lyke’s 7 1/2-year tenure as head of the athletic department. “Today, I informed University of Pittsburgh director of athletics, Heather...
At the dawn of WVU week, undefeated Pitt still has significant clean-up dutyVideo
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi’s main thrust Sunday at the start of West Virginia week is to wash off the euphoria of a big victory and get ready for another difficult test next Saturday at Acrisure Stadium. There was so much good about the 28-27 comeback victory against Cincinnati that some...
Pitt’s rousing rally brings back memories of comebacks for former QB Dave Havern
Dave Havern was enjoying a relaxing afternoon Saturday, listening to the Pitt game on the radio while driving to Erie to celebrate his wife MaryJean’s birthday. “We listened to it up until about Meadville,” the former Pitt quarterback said. “I thought that I heard the field goal was good, but...
Pitt notebook: Road victory held hometown feel for Ben Sauls, Rasheem Biles
Included in the crowd of 37,992 that witnessed Pitt’s 28-27 victory against Cincinnati on Saturday were several friends and family members of kicker Ben Sauls and linebacker Rasheem Biles. Biles grew up in Columbus, Ohio, 97 miles from Cincinnati. Sauls’ hometown of Tipp City, Ohio, is only 40 minutes up...
Pitt rallies with 22 unanswered points in 2nd half to defeat Cincinnati, 28-27
Perhaps the belief that helped Pitt crawl purposefully out of a huge hole to record a 28-27 victory against Cincinnati started when the embarrassment of 3-9 started to settle into players’ brains. The belief appeared to grow over the winter and spring months and throughout summer training camp until it...
Pitt Take 5: Cincinnati game offers opportunity for rare road victory vs. Power 4 school
Without giving it a second glance, Pitt’s game Saturday at Cincinnati looks like just another noon kickoff among so many others across the country. Yet the game against a Big 12 foe presents an opportunity for the Panthers to start regaining some of their national relevance. First of all, it’s...
Pitt needs stronger run ‘D’ to prevent 2nd consecutive loss to Cincinnati
After the final score, the next-most important number Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi will want to see Saturday at Nippert Stadium is Cincinnati’s yards gained on the ground. Perhaps no Pitt unit on either side of the ball will have a more challenging task than the rebuilt defensive line. The Bearcats...
Eli Holstein’s high school coach says mix of humility, confidence set Pitt QB on right path
One of the first to speak to Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein on Saturday after his successful introduction to college football was David Brewerton, his coach at Zachary (La.) High School. “We talked after the game for a while,” Brewerton said. “It was good to hear his voice.” Brewerton’s praise for...
Special teams, Desmond Reid play big role in Pitt victory, but kicker Ben Sauls is willing to wait his turn
The football rested on the Kent State 10-yard-line, fourth down, 5 yards to go. It was early in the second quarter Saturday, and Pitt was leading the Golden Flashes by a mere touchdown. Decision time for coach Pat Narduzzi. Should he opt for the 28-yard field goal and an easy...
Quarterback question closed for ‘right now,’ Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi concentrates on cleaning up the ‘bad and ugly’
Pat Narduzzi gave a quick — and totally expected — response Monday when he was asked directly if Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein is “the guy” moving forward. “Right now he is,” Pitt’s coach said. Smart on Narduzzi’s part to include that “right now” qualifier. There are 11 games remaining and...
Pitt notebook: Eli Holstein’s connection with his new teammates started in JanuaryVideo
Football is a game of trust, camaraderie and the ability to mesh different skill sets and personalities into one efficient unit. So, how is this possible? The seven players most responsible for Pitt amassing 570 yards and seven touchdowns Saturday in a 55-24 victory against Kent State were attending four...
Pitt surpasses the half-century mark in 55-24 victory against Kent State
Finally, after 3 hours, 26 minutes, 14 carries, 145 yards and the decisive touchdown run in the third quarter, Desmond Reid was stopped in his tracks. All it took was a question in the postgame news conference after Pitt’s 55-24 opening day victory against Kent State on Saturday in front...
Pitt senior running back Rodney Hammond ineligible for 2024 season
Pitt’s depth at running back suffered a significant blow Friday — the day before the opener against Kent State — when senior Rodney Hammond Jr., who’s been a valuable member of the offensive unit since 2021, was declared ineligible for the entire season. Pitt officials did not give a reason....
Pitt Take 5: Playing clean game just as important for Panthers as scoring lots of points
At the end of Pitt’s opener Saturday against Kent State at Acrisure Stadium, the statistic that will matter most will be points scored. But unless the Panthers beat the 551⁄2 over/under by themselves — 50 is offensive coordinator Kade Bell’s goal, anyway — it might be more instructive to check...
