Published Dec 14, 2021
Narduzzi: No answers on Pickett or interim OC
circle avatar
Chris Peak  •  Pitt Sports News
Publisher
Twitter
@pantherlair

Pat Narduzzi is facing two significant questions as his team gets closer to the Chick Fil-A Peach Bowl on Dec. 30:

Who will be Pitt’s quarterback?

Who will be the Panthers’ offensive coordinator?

The two questions became relevant last week when record-breaking Heisman Trophy finalist Kenny Pickett said he had not yet decided if he would play in the Peach Bowl, which came shortly after offensive coordinator Mark Whipple announced his resignation from the Panthers.

The week that has passed since those announcements has been filled with questions. During a press conference announcing Pitt’s formal invitation to the Peach Bowl, Narduzzi didn’t have any answers.

“I have not decided that yet,” the Pitt head coach said when asked about naming an interim offensive coordinator. “We’re getting through recruiting tomorrow and then we’ll start to dig into that.”

National Letter of Intent Signing Day is Wednesday following a full week of on-the-road recruiting for the coaching staff and a weekend spent hosting official visitors. Pitt also is not practicing this week due to finals.

“It’’s been our norm here at Pitt that, during finals week, we’re focusing on finals, so we don’t practice at all this week,” Narduzzi said. “The kids are welcome to come in and watch tape and get involved with their coaches if they want to, but the priority is finishing up our finals strong. We want to be champions of the classroom as well, and then we’ve got plenty of time to get prepared for the next game.”

Once finals week is over, the team will start diving into preparation for its meeting with Michigan State at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Dec. 30. But Narduzzi said the coaches will be measured with how they move forward in practice.

“I’ve been a part of different staffs where I think the kids started getting bored with the game plan going into game week. So that’s the first priority: just give them a little bit of the game plan as we go.

“We’re in the development mode right now; we’ll go out on Saturday and get some development in. But we’ll make sure that they’re not so - that when we get to Atlanta, they’re not bored with the game plan. We’re not going to have long practices; we’re going to be sharp, we’re going to be fresh and we’re going to be fast.”

There’s still the question of Pickett, who became Pitt’s all-time leader in virtually every passing category this season. He was named ACC Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for 4,319 yards, 42 touchdowns and seven interceptions to lead the Panthers to the ACC championship.

At the conclusion of the conference title game, Pickett said he planned to play in Pitt’s bowl game, but he has since said that he will discuss the matter with his family before making a final decision.

On Tuesday, Narduzzi defended his quarterback’s approach.

“I think everybody’s got a business decision to make, and not everybody is going to agree with decisions that I make or Kenny makes or anybody else makes, but they’re business decisions and we all have to respect those decisions, whatever they are. We all know what we’d like, but not everybody in this room has to deal with the consequences of playing or not playing. So those are big-boy decisions, and as soon as I know something, I’ll certainly let you guys know.”