Pat Narduzzi has been known to make an occasional show on Pitt’s sideline, whether it’s having an animated conversation with an official or even kissing a player on the cheek. (Chris Blewitt remembers that one.)
After Getting Kiss from Pat Narduzzi, Pitt Kicker Chris Blewitt Boots Field Goal to Upset Clemson https://t.co/RA8Bmsooxz pic.twitter.com/KCavXCRnKa
— Michael Shamburger (@mshamburger1) November 13, 2016
In those moments, Narduzzi was serious. But Pitt’s head coach was acting in a recent 57-second video produced by the University of Pittsburgh’s marketing department, entitled “Mr. Narduzzi’s Neighborhood.” In the video, he performs a light-hearted impersonation of Pittsburgh legend Fred Rogers, whose children’s show, “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood,” ran on public television for 33 years.
Narduzzii is no Tom Hanks, who played Rogers in the 2019 movie “A Beautiful Day In the Neighborhood.” But he follows the Rogers script well, walking slowly out of his office, politely waving to the camera, putting on a sweater and even changing his shoes — precisely what Rogers did at the beginning of every show.
Won’t you be our Neighbor ????
This Saturday is PITTSBURGH DAY for Pitt vs Cal at Acrisure Stadium ????????#HailToPitt pic.twitter.com/oxy6rsnrR4
— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) October 9, 2024
“It was not my idea,” Narduzzi told reporters Thursday. “I just follow directions.”
Asked if he enjoyed filming the video, he said, “I don’t know if I enjoyed it. I was kind of laughing (saying), ‘What am I doing here? This is kind of funny.’ I guess Mr. Rogers laughed a lot. He smiled a lot. Maybe I did a good job, by accident.”
Narduzzi said he has no prior acting experience. There was no senior class play at Youngstown Ursuline High School, but he did work on the stage crew at the University of Rhode Island, a requirement for a theatre class.
“I wasn’t going out there (on stage). I don’t do that,” he said.
At the end of the video, he says, “See you Saturday, neighbor,” referring to Pitt’s game against California at Acrisure Stadium, which sits across the street from the bronze statue of the real Mr. Rogers.
Said Narduzzi: “Whatever I have to do to promote the University of Pittsburgh, I’ll do it.”
