Pitt signs Pat Narduzzi to new contract through 2030

Rewarding him for the stability, success and respect he has brought to the football program, Pitt gave Pat Narduzzi the ultimate vote of confidence Monday, finalizing a new contract for its ACC championship-winning coach that is scheduled to run through the 2030 season.

Financial details were not available, but USA Today reported last year that Narduzzi was scheduled to make $4.81 million in 2022 under terms of his previous contract.

Pat Narduzzi Signs New Pitt Pact ✍️@CoachDuzzPittFB has agreed to a contract extension that ensures his leadership of the Panthers through at least the 2030 season.#H2P » https://t.co/5Z7eCC2wu7 pic.twitter.com/5PQrihu8ts

— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) March 28, 2022

The contract, anticipated for weeks, was announced three months after Pitt concluded the 2021 season with an 11-3 record, the most victories at the school in 40 years.

If Narduzzi remains with the school through the length of the new deal, he will be 64 years old and will have spent more time at Pitt than any coach in history. Jock Sutherland won 111 games from 1924-38. Narduzzi stands fourth all-time among Pitt coaches, with 53 victories against 37 defeats in seven seasons.

The next hurdle for Narduzzi is the difficult task of following up 2021 with another double-digit victory effort. After passing former Pitt coaches Walt Harris (52), Jackie Sherrill (50) and Dave Wannstedt (42) last season, Narduzzi needs eight victories to move into second place. Only Sutherland, John Michelosen (56 in 10 seasons) and Pop Warner (60 in nine) have won more games at Pitt.

“I love Pitt football and the University of Pittsburgh,” Narduzzi said Monday in a statement. “Pitt is truly home for my family and me. We are proud to represent this outstanding university and live in this tremendous city.

“I am so appreciative of our players, coaches and staff. Nothing great can be accomplished without their efforts and commitment. I’ve always talked about the importance of pushing together in the same direction. We have that at Pitt across the board.

“That’s why it was such a special moment down in Charlotte to hand that ACC championship trophy to Chancellor Patrick Gallagher and Heather Lyke, our athletic director. Their support and belief in what our football program can achieve has been vital. They are fully committed to the success of our student-athletes in every respect — academically, athletically and personally. It shows why Pitt is such a special place.”

Narduzzi, 55, was hired in 2014 as a first-time head coach after Paul Chryst left for Wisconsin with a three-year record of 19-20.

The son of a coach, Narduzzi paid his dues prior to coming to Pitt, having worked the previous 12 seasons as the defensive coordinator at Miami (Ohio), Cincinnati and Michigan State.

Pitt was looking for stability at the top of the program after Todd Graham lasted less than one year and Chryst was eager to get home to Wisconsin, his alma mater. Pitt never won more than seven games in any of those four seasons.

During Narduzzi’s first two seasons, Pitt finished 8-5 before slipping to 5-7 in 2017. Only 12 days after the last game — a 24-14 upset of No. 2 Miami — Pitt rewarded Narduzzi with a contract extension through 2024, even though four years remained on his original deal.

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The next season, Pitt won the ACC Coastal for the first time, even while stumbling to the finish with a 7-7 record. Seasons of 8-5 and 6-5 followed before Pitt won 11 games last season, the most victories in the past 40 years.

At no time was athletic director Heather Lyke’s desire for stability more evident than during the weekend of Dec. 3-4 when Pitt won the ACC championship, defeating Wake Forest, 45-21. Of the 10 Power 5 coaches competing for conference championships that weekend, nine of them, including Narduzzi, had been with their teams for at least four seasons. The list included Alabama’s Nick Saban, Utah’s Kyle Whittingham and Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz.

“Our ACC championship season was the result of a strong culture and foundation that Pat Narduzzi has tirelessly built for Pitt football,” Lyke said Monday in a statement. “That foundation has our program positioned for sustained success well into the future.

“Continuity of leadership, especially outstanding leadership like Coach Narduzzi and his staff have provided, has been integral to our program’s rise. We know that we are poised for even more history-making moments in the years to come with Coach Narduzzi on our sideline.”

After a 31-21 loss to Michigan State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Pitt was ranked 13th in the nation in the final Associated Press Top 25.

Winning consecutive ACC championships won’t be easy without quarterback Kenny Pickett, who is expected to be a first-round selection in the NFL Draft next month. But Narduzzi turned to the NCAA transfer portal for a potential new starter, recruiting Kedon Slovis, formerly of USC. Slovis is competing for the starting job with Pickett’s backup, Nick Patti.

A month after the end of last season, Pitt was chosen No. 13 in the nation in an early projection of the 2022 Top 25.