The Panther-Lair Podcast typically focuses on the big issues facing Pitt football, basketball and recruiting. But guests are part of the equation, too, and since March, the Friday podcasts have featured a conversation with someone connected to Pitt athletics.
Coaches, players, administrators, historians - all have been featured on the Friday conversation podcasts. In case you missed one of the conversations, here's an archive of the guests we've had.
THE CONVERSATION ARCHIVE
To get an in-depth look at Pitt football in 2020 and the prospects for the Panthers, we spoke to former Pitt QB and color commentator Pat Bostick.
A conversation with Pat Bostick
The COVID-19 pandemic changed a lot of things about college athletics - especially recruiting. Pitt men’s basketball head coach Jeff Capel joined us to talk about what it’s like to recruit in quarantine and the challenges of doing everything virtually.
A conversation with Jeff Capel
In the early part of the 21st century, Pitt developed a reputation as “Wide Receiver U.” Every Pitt fan remembers Larry Fitzgerald and most recall Antonio Bryant, but before both of those players won the Biletnikoff Award, there was Latef Grim. He spoke to us about his career at Pitt, the Panthers’ legacy at receiver and more.
A conversation with Latef Grim
Scott McKillop was a force in the middle of Pitt’s defense in 2007 and 2008 - a tackling machine at middle linebacker and a leader for the defense and the team as a whole. He joined the podcast to talk about linebackers, leadership and more.
When it comes to leaders, there weren’t many who were better than Pitt’s starting quarterback from 2004-06: Tyler Palko. He was our guest on the podcast to reflect on his career as a Panther, where leadership comes from and that moment in South Bend.
A conversation with Tyler Palko
Maurice Ffrench set the Pitt record for receptions in a single season last fall, and while he’s looking forward to playing with the Kansas City Chiefs this year in the NFL, the New Jersey native told us that he thinks so highly of Pat Narduzzi, Mark Whipple and Chris Beatty that he wishes he had another year with the Panthers
A conversation with Maurice Ffrench
Curtis Martin is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and, as of this year, the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame. But Martin’s story is more complicated than that, and he joined the podcast to talk about his career as a Panther, why he thinks it was underwhelming and how he matured into one of the best running backs in NFL history.
A conversation with Curtis Martin
When Johnny Majors passed away in June, we turned to Sam Sciullo, one of the foremost authorities on Pitt history, for some perspective on what Pitt was when Majors arrived, how Majors turned the program around and the lasting legacy of the last coach to win a national championship with the Panthers.
A conversation with Sam Sciullo
Donna Sanft has been involved with Pitt athletics as a student-athlete, a coach and an administrator since the early 1970’s. She has been a champion of women’s athletics and a leader on a number of initiatives over a 40-year career that always focused on one primary objective: to improve the experiences of the student-athletes.
A conversation with Donna Sanft
When it comes to passion for Pitt athletics, few people have more than E.J. Borghetti. As Executive Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations, he is the chief spokesperson for Pitt athletics, and he shared some of that passion, knowledge and history on the podcast.
A conversation with EJ Borghetti
Gus Mustakas was part of Dave Wannstedt’s first recruiting class, played as a true freshman and eventually became a starter on a very good defense for Pitt’s 10-3 team in 2009. He joined the podcast to go down memory lane and reminisce about some difficult years early in Wannstedt’s tenure, the program’s turnaround and more.
A conversation with Gus Mustakas
The first collegiate snap for Greg Cross was a good one: he took a direct snap and ran 17 yards for a touchdown to help beat Iowa in 2008. But that play never really turned into more, as Cross eventually moved to receiver and then finished his career without making much of an impact. Now Cross is coaching in junior college, and he joined the podcast to talk about his Pitt career, JUCO football and a lot more.
A conversation with Greg Cross
Ron Idoko was a Pitt football player under Walt Harris and Dave Wannstedt, but since then, his life has followed an interesting path. Now he's working in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Pitt as the Diversity and Multi-Cultural Program Manager. The position serves the University as a whole, but Idoko is still connected with athletics, and he joined us to talk about diversity at Pitt, social issues and how student-athletes are adapting to the current times.
Central Catholic is a traditional WPIAL powerhouse and the Vikings match their on-field success with a long history of producing Division I players. Terry Totten has been Central's head coach for 15 years, and he joined the podcast to talk about the changes he has seen in recruiting, some of the players he has sent to Pitt and a lot more.
A conversation with Terry Totten
Everybody always talks about recruiting rankings. Four-star prospects, five-star prospects, no-star prospects - how are those rankings determined? What's the process that goes into handing out stars? To get some answers, we spoke with Mike Farrell, the Rivals.com National Director of Recruiting. Farrell talked about the rankings process, how recruits get evaluated and what he thought of some of Pitt's biggest stars when they were prospects.
