Pittsburgh To Name Pat Narduzzi New Head Coach On Friday

The Pittsburgh Panthers will name Pat Narduzzi as their new head football coach on Friday, replacing Paul Chryst, who recently took the Wisconsin job.

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Nothing’s official, yet the Pittsburgh Panthers will have a new coach on Friday, as Pat Narduzzi will reportedly become the team’s lead man a week after former coach Paul Chryst took the vacant Wisconsin position.

Narduzzi gains his first head coaching position with a FBS program after spending the last 11 seasons as an assistant to Mark Dantonio at both Cincinnati and Michigan State. He was immediately Pittsburgh’s top target after Chryst departed for Wisconsin. Narduzzi will be formally announced at a news conference set for 3:30 pm eastern on Friday.

Of the 12 FBS coaching hires since the end of the regular season, Narduzzi will be the first defensive coordinator to receive a position.

Pittsburgh opened the season with an impressive 3-0 start behind the running of All-America running back James Conner, but a home loss to Akron was one of the low points of a regular season that finished 6-6. The Panthers defeated Miami (Fla.) for the school’s first win in Miami since 1963, allowing them to become bowl eligible and head to the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, where they will play the University of Houston on January 2.

Only Michigan remains without a head coach, and barring the unforeseen, Santa’s not bringing Jim Harbaugh to Ann Arbor in time for Christmas. The Wolverines remain locked in on Harbaugh, who could likely make a decision after the San Francisco 49ers season finale on Sunday.

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