Pitt adds ex-Pine-Richland head coach Eric Kasperowicz to coaching staff

Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi made an addition to his coaching staff on Tuesday, as former Pine-Richland High School head coach Eric Kasperowicz was brought on as a volunteer coaching assistant. Narduzzi also brought on Kraig Urbik, who served as an offensive line coach under Kasperowicz at Pine-Richland. Urbik will serve Pitt in the same capacity.

“[He's a] Pitt man, a Pitt grad,” Narduzzi said on Tuesday. “We’re happy to have him on the staff. Great, great addition. Obviously, a super coach and an even better person.”

Coach Kasperowicz was the talk of the town in April, after he was dismissed from his position as Pine-Richland’s head coach. The move came as a shock to many, as Kasperowicz had just led the Rams to an 11-0 record as well as a WPIAL title and a PIAA Class 5A title in 2020. Pine-Richland was also a perennial power under Kasperowicz, and the Rams finished the 2020 season ranked by MaxPreps as the No. 61 high school football team in the nation.

However, despite his track record of success, the coach was dismissed over allegations of bullying and hazing within the Pine-Richland program. Kasperowicz then filed a lawsuit against the school district for defamation of character in response to comments made by school officials following his dismissal.

Kasperowicz was a linebacker and defensive back at Pitt from 1994 to 1997, and he played under Johnny Majors and Walt Harris. Prior to that, he was a quarterback and defensive back at North Hills High School two miles north of the Pittsburgh city limits. During his high school career, he threw for 6,869 yards and made the 1993 Parade All-America team alongside Peyton Manning and Donovan McNabb. The coach now teaches in the North Hills School District and will continue to do so, working with the Pitt coaching staff in a volunteer capacity after school hours.

Urbik, the former Pine-Richland offensive line coach, also brings some notable expertise to the table, as he played at Wisconsin and went on to become a third-round draft pick in 2009. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Urbik in the draft, and he enjoyed a nine-year NFL career.

As volunteer coaching assistants, Kasperowicz and Urbik will not have on-field coaching duties. Instead, they will assist the Pitt staff with video analysis, scouting and analytics.