Pitt Fandoms Misdirected Anger

Pitt has won nine national football championships—the most of any major college program in the East and the sixth-highest total ever. A rich and historied school with many NFL Hall of Famers.

From 1979-1982, Pitt went 11-1 three consecutive times with Quarterback Dan Marino at the helm. Amazing. Marino's records still stand today.

That time period was the last time Pitt football was relevant. In the 41 years since Dan Marino played in Pittsburgh, the Pitt Panthers have had two...TWO seasons of double digit wins. 

2009: 10 wins

2021: 11 wins

The Pitt Panthers have averaged 6.1 wins and 5.7 losses per season for 41 years.

Fast forward to a decade ago. Pat Narduzzi arrives as Head Coach after leading a top defensive unit multiple years at Michigan State under HC Mark Dantonio, winning the Big Ten title in 2013. 

Pitt Football under Pat Narduzzi (2014):

7-5 avg season

2-6 bowl record

Avg recruiting rank of 47th overall

2021 ACC Title 11-3 finished #12 highest ranking under Narduzzi, losing to Michigan State 31-21 in the Peach Bowl. Fitting.

2021 was a fantastic season for Pitt, and an outlier. 

Mark Whipple was the Offensive Coordinator during this time who brought a deep successful NFL resume.

Prior to 2021 Narduzzi's best season was 8-5.

Pitts latest QB transfer is from Alabama.

Nick Saban, recently retired Alabama HC has seven national championships. Eight College Football Playoff appearances in 10 years. The same time frame that Narduzzi has been at Pitt.

To be fair, NO ONE has been Saban. 

But the complacency of Pitt fans is amazing. Narduzzi has been the epitome of mediocre. He's making $3.2 million per year to barely make bowl games. In a major city, major TV market, three pro sports teams, and Pitt plays in an NFL stadium. The Panthers situation is a DREAM for many schools out there. 

Pitt fans can be eternally mad a Penn State and James Franklin. I would be angry too if a school, two hours away, surrounded by Amish people, corn fields & cows consistently beat Pitt in every single facet of their program. But the anger is misdirected.

Until the powers-that-be at Pitt, and the fans, are fed up with repeated mediocrity, nothing will change. Pitt has been awful for a very long time. Way before Narduzzi. But the longer Pitt tolerates where they are, in the age of RPO and NIL, the further they fall behind the rest of those in college football finding ways to succeed and improve.

The worst thing that ever happened to GREAT, was GOOD. Pitt & it's fans accepted "good" a long time ago. They have no one to blame but themselves.




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