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Oct 25, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi touches the Panther statue for luck before entering Acrisure Stadium to play the North Carolina State Wolfpack. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Pitt's Pat Narduzzi Up for Prestigious Award

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Panthers on SI
By Owen Lenson | Last updated Nov 19, 2025 1:21 PM ET

One good piece of news for Pitt Panthers football this week was head coach Pat Narduzzi being named a semifinalist for the 2025 George Munger College Coach of the Year Award. The award is given out by the Maxwell Football Club and Narduzzi is one of 24 semifinalists.

This announcement has definitely come out at an awkward time. Narduzzi is currently under some fire for his comments prior to the matchup against Notre Dame and the results of the game.

Pitt ended up losing to Notre Dame in a blowout. The defense was alright, but the offense couldn't get anything going. It's hard to place the blame on one person, but the O-line, play calling and quarterback Mason Heintschel all had to be much better.

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman is actually the most recent winner of the George Munger Award.

Narduzzi was very apologetic in his postgame press conference. The Panthers are now focused on their next matchup against Georgia Tech, which will determine if the ACC championship is in-play or not.

Narduzzi's Highlights of the Season

Despite the recent bad game, Narduzzi has definitely earned praise this season. After a disastrous two game stretch with back-to-back losses to Louisville and West Virginia, Narduzzi was on the hottest seat imaginable.

Narduzzi made the tough choice of benching sophomore quarterback Eli Holstein for true freshman Mason Heintschel. Since then, Pitt went on a five game winning streak, winning several tough road games before their loss to Notre Dame. Heintschel himself has already had some electric performances.

This quarterback switch may have seemed obvious in hindsight, but Narduzzi should really be applauded for this choice. In the 2024 season, the Panthers started 7-0 with Holstein at quarterback. The season only derailed after Holstein got injured. Narduzzi could've stuck with the quarterback he's won with before, but he decided to take a big risk that paid off.

Currently, Pitt's offense averages 37.2 points per game, which is top 15 in the country. Narduzzi and the offensive coaching staff have done a great job at using a wide variety of weapons. Wide receivers Kenny Johnson, Cataurus "Blue" Hicks, and Raphael "Poppi" Williams Jr. have all been integral parts of the offense.

Pitt's defense has continued to stand out as well. Star linebackers Rasheem Biles and Kyle Louis obviously play a huge part, but the defense has still been good when those two have dealt with injuries.

The defense currently allows opponents to rush 90.3 yards per game, which is in the top ten best in the country. That stat was even better before Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love ran all over the defense with 167 rushing yards.

Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Recruiting

No matter if it's basketball, football or volleyball, Pitt coaches know how to recruit. Narduzzi has been no different this season.

Pitt already has the commitments from multiple high schoolers with impressive resumes. They've also gotten extra help recruiting players that might be a reach.

Pitt has done a great job taking advantage of the Penn State fiasco by targeting players who's commitment to Penn State is now in question. Will the Panthers have to compete with Virginia Tech for those players now?

The Panthers have also been using the transfer portal to gain more talent, recently offering a Slippery Rock transfer. Pitt wide receiver Blue Hicks is also a Louisville transfer who has made a big impact for the team.