My first issue with Coach Narduzzi

[pantherzooh2p]

Ok I am excited about Narduzzi, but I would like to point out 1 thing that has occurred a few times in the past week that I have not been thrilled with.

3 times in the past week, Narduzzi has pointed fingers at his players in the media. I do not think that is a good habit to get into as a head coach. You do this behind closed doors. It might work now, but if the team starts losing and he points fingers it becomes a way where you lose a teams respect and they quit playing for you.

Example 1
Pitt brings out the offense on 4th and inches and tries to draw Iowa offsides.

Narduzzi defends his decision not to go for it by calling out Artie Rowell in the media stating he should have snapped the ball when the Iowa players flinched on the hard count.

Example 2
Pitt punts on 4th and inches

Narduzzi defends his decision again by again calling out one of his players in the media stating it would have been a better decision had the punter punted the ball inside the 10 like he wanted.

Example 3
Narduzzi goes with Nate as QB an defends his interception

States Boyd should have came back and broke up the play and calls him out in the media

Again, these are things a coach needs to inform his players behind closed doors in meetings. Calling them out in the media to defend your decisions makes you look bad displacing the blame. I just hope it's not something that continues or players will get sick of it in my opinion. I think this is an area where a first year head coach needs to learn.

 

[pittzap]

I think there is a difference in throwing a player under the bus and being constructively critical. He took some of the blame with the coaches, but in order to make corrections, you have to correct players at times. He didn't say a particular player lost the game, but pointed out that they need to correct things.

 

[pittmeister]

Ok I am excited about Narduzzi, but I would like to point out 1 thing that has occurred a few times in the past week that I have not been thrilled with.

3 times in the past week, Narduzzi has pointed fingers at his players in the media. I do not think that is a good habit to get into as a head coach. You do this behind closed doors. It might work now, but if the team starts losing and he points fingers it becomes a way where you lose a teams respect and they quit playing for you.

Example 1
Pitt brings out the offense on 4th and inches and tries to draw Iowa offsides.

Narduzzi defends his decision not to go for it by calling out Artie Rowell in the media stating he should have snapped the ball when the Iowa players flinched on the hard count.

Example 2
Pitt punts on 4th and inches

Narduzzi defends his decision again by again calling out one of his players in the media stating it would have been a better decision had the punter punted the ball inside the 10 like he wanted.

Example 3
Narduzzi goes with Nate as QB an defends his interception

States Boyd should have came back and broke up the play and calls him out in the media

Again, these are things a coach needs to inform his players behind closed doors in meetings. Calling them out in the media to defend your decisions makes you look bad displacing the blame. I just hope it's not something that continues or players will get sick of it in my opinion. I think this is an area where a first year head coach needs to learn.

I tend to agree...

 

[pantherzooh2p]

I think there is a difference in throwing a player under the bus and being constructively critical. He took some of the blame with the coaches, but in order to make corrections, you have to correct players at times. He didn't say a particular player lost the game, but pointed out that they need to correct things.

I agree you need to be critical behind closed doors, but not in the media to defend your decision. Own the decision you made and your team will respect you more for it. Make excuses as to why it didn't work and they won't respect you.

 

[ratking17]

It all depends upon the rapport of coach with his players. I think he is correct on everything that he said regarding these players. You do though walk a tight line with the Todd graham and tino when tino lit up south Florida for like 400 yards and Todd criticized him in the media. I get the sense that Narduzzi is a players coach and he was using this as motivation. Especially boyd. He is 100% correct on boyd. Everyone knows boyd is an nfl receiver. But there are little things that separate the good from great and I think Narduzzi was using this as motivation for boyd to show how great he is. Again, you do walk the tight rope though when you do this out in the public instead of in the locker room

 

[ThePanthers]

I had no problem with the way he did it. I don't think the tone was malicious and I don't think he was throwing anyone under the bus. He was being critical of finer points and coaching moments. He wasn't like "my stupid QB doesn't understand my system and he blew the whole game".

I don't know, that is just me.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Ok I am excited about Narduzzi, but I would like to point out 1 thing that has occurred a few times in the past week that I have not been thrilled with.

3 times in the past week, Narduzzi has pointed fingers at his players in the media. I do not think that is a good habit to get into as a head coach. You do this behind closed doors. It might work now, but if the team starts losing and he points fingers it becomes a way where you lose a teams respect and they quit playing for you.

Example 1
Pitt brings out the offense on 4th and inches and tries to draw Iowa offsides.

Narduzzi defends his decision not to go for it by calling out Artie Rowell in the media stating he should have snapped the ball when the Iowa players flinched on the hard count.

Example 2
Pitt punts on 4th and inches

Narduzzi defends his decision again by again calling out one of his players in the media stating it would have been a better decision had the punter punted the ball inside the 10 like he wanted.

Example 3
Narduzzi goes with Nate as QB an defends his interception

States Boyd should have came back and broke up the play and calls him out in the media

Again, these are things a coach needs to inform his players behind closed doors in meetings. Calling them out in the media to defend your decisions makes you look bad displacing the blame. I just hope it's not something that continues or players will get sick of it in my opinion. I think this is an area where a first year head coach needs to learn.

Who cares. I am happy as heck that Narduzzi can string together 2 coherent sentences in a row that actually make football sense, something that Chryst couldn't do. Narduzzi is offering Pitt fans more insight with his careful public constructive criticism. These are not kids or amateurs. They are professional athletes getting paid with free education, and a ton of other perks not available to regular students. If they cant take it, I dont want them.

Holgy and Huggy publicly ridicule individual players and they recruit like its going out of style. As someone said, its all about the rapport you have with them.

 

[Saboteur]

Non issue with me.

 

[pantherzooh2p]

it will be an issue if he continues to do it. I will chalk it up as learning on the job.

 

[PantherO]

He didn't go out of his way to throw anyone under the bus. Some people are blunt and "a matter of fact" like. We can applaud a coach for being honest, but then call him out when he is being honest?

Yes, he could have thrown out a blanket statement saying that he needs to coach them up more. Which may be true. However, he may also be teaching that everyone is accountable. Something that may not have been the case in the past.

I don't think it is a big deal. And if it causes issues, then hopefully he will address it.

 

[wbrpanther]

Ok I am excited about Narduzzi, but I would like to point out 1 thing that has occurred a few times in the past week that I have not been thrilled with.

3 times in the past week, Narduzzi has pointed fingers at his players in the media. I do not think that is a good habit to get into as a head coach. You do this behind closed doors. It might work now, but if the team starts losing and he points fingers it becomes a way where you lose a teams respect and they quit playing for you.

Example 1
Pitt brings out the offense on 4th and inches and tries to draw Iowa offsides.

Narduzzi defends his decision not to go for it by calling out Artie Rowell in the media stating he should have snapped the ball when the Iowa players flinched on the hard count.

Example 2
Pitt punts on 4th and inches

Narduzzi defends his decision again by again calling out one of his players in the media stating it would have been a better decision had the punter punted the ball inside the 10 like he wanted.

Example 3
Narduzzi goes with Nate as QB an defends his interception

States Boyd should have came back and broke up the play and calls him out in the media

Again, these are things a coach needs to inform his players behind closed doors in meetings. Calling them out in the media to defend your decisions makes you look bad displacing the blame. I just hope it's not something that continues or players will get sick of it in my opinion. I think this is an area where a first year head coach needs to learn.

I can agree with this. As a first year coach Narduzzi has to pick his way through a lot of situations. I'm sure he addressed these things with the players in question privately but he should be more careful with what he says in public.

That being said I have seen many instances where fans get pissed at coaches because they didn't call a kid out in public when they screwed up in a game thus upsetting those particular fans.

 

[OriginalEther]

Bear Bryant's words (I'm paraphrasing)
As a coach, when you win, you credit the players. When you lose, you take the blame.

That said, I think the main issue is Narduzzi defending that 4th down call while blaming the punter.

 

[KennyTheKangaroo]

Holgy and Huggy publicly ridicule individual players and they recruit like its going out of style. As someone said, its all about the rapport you have with them.

Two model citizens that we should all try to emulate.

 

[pittdan77]

Why are we feeding a troll?

 

[TIGER-PAUL]

I guess he could have said 'I gaffed because our center is on one leg and our punter hasn't kicked one inside the 20 since who knows when'.

 

[ShoelessAntonio]

My only issue with HCPN is that he wears those stupid Transitions Lenses. Never trust anybody who wears those
Hail To Pitt

 

[rc79]

BTW, the punter didn't execute. He's merely pointing out a fact. At this level you better be able to handle it and crank up your performance.

Coach was effective in tone by pointing it out. I'll let him try and motivate and coach up these players how he's sees fit. Nice guy Paul Chryst was frankly poor at it.

Paul Johnson is way more course than the Duzz. I could care less if the head coach is beloved by the players. I want them to respect that he brought out the best in them and treated them as adults.

 

[ratking17]

BTW, the punter didn't execute. He's merely pointing out a fact. At this level you better be able to handle it and crank up your performance.

Coach was effective in tone by pointing it out. I'll let him try and motivate and coach up these players how he's sees fit. Nice guy Paul Chryst was frankly poor at it.

Paul Johnson is way more course than the Duzz. I could care less if the head coach is beloved by the players. I want them to respect that he brought out the best in them and treated them as adults.

In fact, PC went out of his way to always compliment the other team instead of his own.

 

[drunkinoakland]

BTW, the punter didn't execute. He's merely pointing out a fact. At this level you better be able to handle it and crank up your performance.

Coach was effective in tone by pointing it out. I'll let him try and motivate and coach up these players how he's sees fit. Nice guy Paul Chryst was frankly poor at it.

Paul Johnson is way more course than the Duzz. I could care less if the head coach is beloved by the players. I want them to respect that he brought out the best in them and treated them as adults.

My problem is, he has a full spring, a full camp, and a full 2 games, plus all the film from last year that shows his punter stinks. You can't expect a punter who stinks to execute.

The staff should be doing everything they can to make sure the offense and defense decide the games, because Winslow and Blewitt are high school specialists.

 

[Black_Man_Panther]

Once again... the statistics prove out - in both NFL and college - you lose when you punt inside the opponents territory. Fact. He should just admit his blunder and move on.

 

[big marty]

Why ask questions of coaches and then have a problem with an honest answer ? I love he said Ty Boyd needs to block. Fabulous. This is big time Football. I hated Graham but his riding Tino was right on. its refreshing to heat Narduzzi respond honestly.

 

[rc79]

My problem is, he has a full spring, a full camp, and a full 2 games, plus all the film from last year that shows his punter stinks. You can't expect a punter who stinks to execute.

The staff should be doing everything they can to make sure the offense and defense decide the games, because Winslow and Blewitt are high school specialists.

Now that's a dang good point. I'll bet that factors into decision making in the future. Both these kickers are an issue right now.

 

[Pitt79]

Good for Narduzzi! I'm sick of the weak attitude of "don't criticize KIDS", that's as bad as giving participation trophies! They are 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 year olds or even older, they should suck it up and swallow any criticism they deserve.