Pitt HC Pat Narduzzi Talks Tampering, Scheduling on ACC Network
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PITTSBURGH -- Fresh off leading the Pitt Panthers to their first conference title in history, head coach Pat Narduzzi sat down with the ACC Network's Jordan Cornette, Kelsey Riggs and Dalen Cuff for a conversation about the seismic changes happening in his conference and the larger world of college athletics.
Narduzzi and the Panthers are the new kids on the block -- not only one of the most recent additions to the conference but also the first team from north of Clemson, South Carolina to wear the conference crown since 2010. As a result, Narduzzi said arriving for Spring Meetings with the rest of the ACC "feels a little different".
Not only is he arriving at these meetings atop the pecking order for the, but Narduzzi is also at the center of college football's biggest controversy. Perhaps his best returning player, junior receiver Jordan Addison, is in the transfer portal amid reports that USC and other blue-blood schools tampered and offered the Belitnekoff Award winner millions of dollars in NIL deals. Narduzzi reportedly called USC head coach Lincoln Riley multiple times to express his displeasure when he first learned that Addison had been contacted by Trojan coaches.
Narduzzi said that he knows schools and coaches are skirting the rules and that every coach in America could tell endless stories about their players being illicitly recruited. He added that Pitt will continue to recruit like they always have.
"We know things are not being done the right way. It's unethical. It's not why we got into the game," Narduzzi said. "We like to recruit our players. We like to develop our players. We like to have great relationships. ... So we're going to keep staying in our lane and doing what we do."
Narduzzi did not bemoan the existence of lucrative NIL deals. In fact, he said that he wants the players to make money and added that the players are not paid enough. But, as he has since NIL was legalized, Narduzzi called for regulation from the NCAA.
"We want our players to get paid and make money. ... They don't make enough. But you got to have some structure."
He spoke specifically about Addison and said that while he may not approve of the tactics other schools are using to recruit him, Narduzzi knows there is too much on the line for Addison not to entertain the offers.
"These are big decisions for these young men," Narduzzi said. "And that's why I want to respect Jordan Addison and his decision. He's got to make a decision about what's best for him. ... We don't have to like how it's done, but we have to respect the decision."
Narduzzi said that retaining star players tempted by money involves not just one-off meetings or counteroffers, but the construction of reliable and healthy relationships with the players.
The final few minutes of the segment were dedicated to the rumored restructuring of the ACC's football schedule and championship format. Athletic directors and coaches are entertaining scrapping the two-division format and allowing for all teams to play each other on a rotating basis.
Narduzzi said that the actual implementation of these changes might have to wait until after the major conference realignments that were agreed to last summer are actually in place. But he added that he likes the division format and the familiarity that interdivisional rivals have with one another.
Plus, the potential to win a championship, even if only a division title, is significant for teams. According to Narduzzi, Pitt's 2018 division title and subsequent blowout loss to No. 2 Clemson, helped shape the 2021 ACC Championship team.
"When it comes to our division championship in 2018, it fueled us to a championship this year," Narduzzi said. "I think there is some merit to being a champion. ... If it's going to be just one champion and everyone else is losers, to me, that's not a good feeling."
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