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Pitt athletic director Heather Lyke says discussions underway toward contract extension for Pat Narduzzi | TribLIVE.com
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Pitt athletic director Heather Lyke says discussions underway toward contract extension for Pat Narduzzi

Jerry DiPaola
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AP
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi celebrates after a win against Wake Forest in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, in Charlotte, N.C.

New to her job in 2017, Heather Lyke made a bold move when she extended Pitt football coach Pat Narduzzi’s contract seven years through 2024 — only days after the conclusion of a 5-7 season.

Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that Pitt’s athletic director confirmed Tuesday that another extension for Narduzzi has been discussed.

“Pat and I will work on his arrangement and deal, and we are and we have. When we’re ready and able to share that, we absolutely will,” she said during a news conference where the university formally accepted the invitation to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

While winning two ACC Coastal Division titles and claiming the conference championship this season, Narduzzi has moved into fourth place among all-time Pitt coaches in total victories (53). He trails Jock Sutherland (111, 1924-1938), Pop Warner (60, 1915-1923) and John Michelosen (56, 1955-1965).

Narduzzi’s overall record is 53-36, including 36-22 in the ACC. Dating back to the latter part of the 2020 season, Pitt has won 10 of its past 12 conference games. He was hired as a first-time head coach after the 2014 season, replacing Paul Chryst, who left for Wisconsin after three seasons at Pitt.

Narduzzi is the longest-tenured Pitt coach since Walt Harris served from 1997-2004.

With one game left in his seventh season, Pitt (11-2 and No. 12 in the College Football Playoff rankings) has a chance to claim a 12th victory Dec. 30 by defeating Michigan State in the Peach Bowl. That has been done only once in Pitt history — 12-0 in the 1976 national championship season.

Lyke said the first contract extension worked out as she had hoped.

“It is what I believed we could do,” she said of winning the ACC championship. “There’s no question I had confidence they could make a good run this year. I’m not surprised one bit.”

Jerry DiPaola is a TribLive reporter covering Pitt athletics since 2011. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in 1993, first as a copy editor and page designer in the sports department and later as the Pittsburgh Steelers reporter from 1994-2004. He can be reached at jdipaola@triblive.com.

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