Inside The Panthers

Pat Narduzzi Named Wild Card Candidate for Michigan State Job

The Athletic's Bruce Feldman believes the Pitt Panthers head coach should be considered by the Spartans.

Stephen Thompson

Pat Narduzzi Named Wild Card Candidate for Michigan State Job
Pat Narduzzi Named Wild Card Candidate for Michigan State Job /
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PITTSBURGH -- Michigan State has announced that they intend to fire head coach Mel Tucker for cause after Brenda Tracy - a rape survivor and activist - accused him of sexual harassment and, according to one college football insider, the Spartans could look towards the Pitt Panthers when seeking their next head coach.

The Athletic's Bruce Feldman wrote this week that Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi, who served as defensive coordinator at Michigan State from 2007 to 2014, could be a "wild card" candidate to fill the vacant coaching position in East Lansing, Michigan. 

"One wild-card sitting head coach option: Narduzzi, a beloved former defensive coordinator under Mark Dantonio," Feldman said. "The 57-year-old was a superb DC and brought plenty of edge to MSU. ... Would he want to go back to East Lansing? I’m not sure about that. He has a good job in a great city, but he has been there a long time, and the Big Ten has a lot more stability than the ACC."

While Fledman acknowledged it is a long shot, this move would make some sense for the Spartans. If nothing else, Narduzzi has taken a Pitt program that had churned through four coaches in 14 years and had won seven or fewer games in 10 of those seasons into an outfit with a much higher floor, in addition to winning the ACC in 2021, posting consecutive top-25 finishes and a wealth of success sending players to the NFL Draft. 

Michigan State would likely be able to extend a more lucrative contract offer than Pitt can, especially considering the new, larger payouts that will come from an expanding Big 10, but by that same virtue, it's a tougher job than Pitt is at the present moment. Narduzzi is currently under contract with the Panthers through 2030. 

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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