Pitt coaches, AD Heather Lyke tackle pandemic, other issues on Facebook

When four Pitt coaches and athletic director Heather Lyke got together Tuesday night on Facebook Live — with KDKA Radio morning host Larry Richert playing traffic cop — the conversation zoomed.

From protective masks (and why aren’t some Pitt football players wearing them?) to Michael Jordan (and, no, Jeff Capel never did dunk over him).

From the time difference between Pittsburgh and Athens, Greece (seven hours) to ticket refunds (just don’t mention them in front of Pat Narduzzi).

But the big question was put to Lyke by Richert, and it matters more than any other: Will there be college football in the fall?

“The million-dollar question, right?” Lyke said. “I wish I had the million-dollar answer.”

Lyke and Narduzzi have been meeting with their ACC colleagues over the past several weeks, trying to figure out how to start the season in the midst (or, hopefully, near the end) of the covid-19 pandemic.

“We all understand the importance of all of our sports returning, but football in particular,” Lyke said.

Admitting she’s an optimistic person by nature, Lyke said, “I’m not overly confident, but I’m very optimistic.”

Lyke said ACC officials and those in power at member schools have determined conference games will get top priority.

“If anything gets reduced, we will prioritize our ACC conference opponents,” she said, adding all options are being evaluated.

The preseason model all schools hope to get an opportunity to embrace will be getting together six weeks before the first game. In Pitt’s case, that’s July 25.

Of course, keeping everyone insulated from the coronavirus is paramount, with Lyke warning, “We are going to have to have very strict processes and protocols in place to bring them back.”

With players on their own at home since mid-March — coaches check in regularly by phone, FaceTime and Zoom — Narduzzi said he worries about getting players ready for “the physicality of the game, conditioning.”

“How much work can you really do at home?” he said.

Narduzzi said he spoke to some players on FaceTime, making note of the lack of masks over some faces.

“I don’t think our kids are wearing a whole lot of masks as they walk around,” he said. “They kind of don’t think they need to. When they get back with us, we’re going to have them on.”

Narduzzi said it will be difficult to get through all the necessary preparations in six weeks — considering, in a normal summer, players start working out on their own at least two months before the first formal practice in August.

“Same amount of things, but maybe in a smaller package,” he said.

Meanwhile, he’s been busy building his 2021 recruiting class, getting four of his 12 verbal commitments from players who never even visited campus. The class is ranked 26th nationally by Rivals.com.

Coaches, apparently, are working overtime this offseason.

“All of our wives don’t like us too much,” Narduzzi said.

When Richert, sideline reporter for Pitt games on KDKA-FM, mentioned the athletic department’s refund policy for canceled games, Narduzzi was quick with a good-natured admonishment.

“Did you really have to throw that in?” the coach said. “I don’t like you talking about refunding tickets. We’re going to have a football season, and we’re going to watch you on the sidelines.”

Lyke added, “We obviously need sports to restart. I don’t know how much more cornhole I can watch on TV. It’s great, no offense.”

Lyke and Narduzzi were joined on the program by men’s and women’s basketball coaches Capel and Lance White and three-time ACC champion volleyball coach Dan Fisher.

White is eager to return to normalcy so he can begin rebuilding his team with five new players, including freshman Tracey Hueston, ranked 73rd in the class of 2020 by ESPN.

Fisher keeps in regular contact with his players, but he must be careful to know the time of day. His players are scattered across the globe, with Lexis Akeo in Kapolei, Hawaii, and Zoi Faki in Athens, Greece.

If Fisher calls a Zoom meeting for 2 p.m., he said, “I believe that’s 8 o’clock in the morning in Hawaii and 9 p.m. in Athens.”

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