Pitt reportedly working on Pat Narduzzi contract extension

A new contract is reportedly in the works for Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi, according to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports.

The deal would keep Narduzzi at Pitt for seven more years, according to Thamel, and would likely include a salary pool increase and a raise.

The news comes as something of a surprise in terms of timing, considering Narduzzi just wrapped up his worst campaign yet with the Panthers, who finished 5-7 overall with a 3-5 conference record that resulted in a fourth-place finish in the ACC Coastal.

However, that 5-7 record includes a big win over then-No. 2 Miami, which is just the latest major upset on the coach’s resume, as he also led Pitt to victories over Clemson and Penn State in 2016. And considering the team posted consecutive eight-win seasons in his first two years on the job, it seems Pitt athletic director Heather Lyke viewed the 2017 season as an outlier.

Narduzzi was first hired as Pitt’s head football coach on Dec. 26, 2014, and he has gone 21-17 overall during his tenure in the Steel City. During that time, the Panthers have made two bowl appearances and earned top-25 rankings in the AP poll during the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

Given the news, it seems Lyke is confident Narduzzi will be able to build on that success in the coming years.