New coach Narduzzi committed to building Pitt into national power

The man couldn't stand still.

For a large portion of Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi's introductory news conference, he kept shifting his weight from left to right across his body.

Nervous? Perhaps. Who could blame him if he were?

Narduzzi on Friday was named Pitt's 39th head coach and is charged with finishing the task left by predecessor Paul Chryst: rebuild the football program.

Yet it was more than that. More likely, Narduzzi couldn't wait to start channeling his energy toward the goal he revealed almost immediately after he was introduced by acting athletic director Randy Juhl.

“I'm highly motivated to build this program into national prominence,” Narduzzi said.

Pitt, which has won 10 games in a season once since 1981, hopes Narduzzi is the right man to lead the team to such lofty heights.

He never has been a head coach, but his resume otherwise is glowing.

Narduzzi, 48, has been the defensive coordinator under Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio for the past 11 years, the past eight with the Spartans, the previous three at Cincinnati.

Michigan State is the only school to rank in the top 10 in total defense and rush defense in each of the past four seasons. Last year, he won the Broyles Award, given to the nation's top assistant.

“He has both the track record and the personality and the fit for Pittsburgh,” Juhl said. “I can't judge the X's and O's, but I've been recruiting people to Pitt for a long time, and we do look for that fit. We want someone who's excited to be here, and he's that.”

Executive vice chancellor Jerry Cochran said Narduzzi, a Youngstown, Ohio, native, was at the top his nine-man list of candidates from the moment the Wisconsin job opened Dec. 10 and Pitt officials knew Chryst would take it.

Cochran, the head of the search committee who also was part of the hiring process for men's basketball coach Jamie Dixon and former football coaches Chryst and Todd Graham, said Narduzzi has been on his list for the past five years. Cochran added that he and chancellor Patrick Gallagher had several long discussions with Narduzzi, including one late-night session.

“Long enough that it wasn't until after 11 o'clock when I got home, well past my bedtime,” Cochran said.

For Narduzzi, his first head coaching job is more than a lifetime dream. It's a calling that is part of him.

His father, Bill Narduzzi, a former Pitt freshman coach from the 1960s and later the head coach at Youngstown State, instilled a committed work ethic in his sons, Pat Narduzzi said.

“You better not come home at 11:01 if your curfew is at 11,” said Narduzzi, who played for his father at Youngstown State in 1985. He transferred to Rhode Island the following year when his father was dismissed.

Now after 25 years as an assistant and 12 as a defensive coordinator at three schools, Narduzzi has matched his father career-wise.

“I got goosebumps,” he said. “It's a goal you had since you were a little kid. You watch your dad become a head coach, going from school to school with him.

“I've done what he's done, and it's amazing.”

Next up for Narduzzi is flying to Dallas. H e was scheduled to meet with Pitt players Friday night. There, he will resume leading the Michigan State defense toward its Cotton Bowl date Thursday against Baylor.

It's the same procedure followed by Chryst three years ago when he coached Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl after he was hired by Pitt.

For Narduzzi, the bowl game is an important final step in his previous position.

“It's unfinished business,” he said, acting almost surprised at the question. “I'm a loyal guy.”

He said he may meet up with the Panthers in Fort Worth, Texas, where they will play Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl on Jan. 2.

Meanwhile, fans are free to wonder how long Narduzzi's Pitt tenure will last. The three previous coaches stayed 16 days, 11 months and three years, respectively.

Cochran said he's not worried, even though Dantonio, 58, previously mentioned Narduzzi as his possible successor.

“The (Michigan State) athletic director (Mark Holis) thinks Dantonio is going to be around for another seven to 10 years,” said Cochran, who said he received recommendations for Narduzzi from Holis and Dantonio.

“Pat has ties (to Michigan State), but he has more ties here than he has in East Lansing. This is home.

“If Pat moves on, it will be for different reasons than he looks at Michigan State as being home.”

The difference is Narduzzi, who used to attend Steelers games at Three Rivers Stadium with his father, has stronger ties to Western Pennsylvania than former coaches Michael Haywood, Graham and Chryst.

More importantly, Narduzzi has recruited this part of the country throughout his career.

“That's another reason I came here,” he said.

“I have recruited Pittsburgh full time three or four years, northeast Ohio 15 years, New Jersey the last 11 years and Maryland four or five years.

“We're right in the middle of everything I've been involved with.”

Asked if he knows most of the high school coaches in those areas, he said proudly, “In another year, there will be nobody I don't know.”

Jerry DiPaola is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at jdipaola@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JDiPaola_Trib.