I guess Pat Narduzzi figured if he was going to burn a bridge, he might as well eliminate it completely.
The Pittsburgh coach is still stuck on this wild claim that Mario Cristobal tried to broker a deal with quarterback Mason Heintschel to join the Miami Hurricanes. He made the accusation during the ACC Kickoff, and blamed the Miami coach for Pittsburgh being forced to offer an upgraded NIL package to keep a great player. Once again, he's back to his old tricks.
#Pitt HC Pat Narduzzi on Mario Cristobal and Miami trying to poach QB Mason Heintschel in the offseason:
— Brendan Howe (@bybrendanhowe) October 19, 2026
“If the NCAA can’t get a hold on it and Congress can’t get a hold on it, there’s nothing you can do. He’s playing by his rules and we’ll try to play by our rules.” #H2P pic.twitter.com/5EflT2Scry
Sounds like another coach that can't adjust to today's college football landscape. Being forced to compensate great players on the roster? Imagine that.
This isn't the first time Narduzzi has flipped out over losing a player. He actually called Lincoln Riley to scream at the USC coach because Jordan Addison decided to transfer there in 2022 after winning the Biletnikoff Award.
Narduzzi's comments about Addison at the time always stuck with me.
"Jordan’s a great kid, great player. We had fun with him for two years. I think we helped him get to where he is today,' Narduzzi said. "I think we helped him win a Biletnikoff and be the player that he is. ... He had one of the best quarterbacks in the country throwing him the ball every day. Some people forget how they got where they are."
He displayed such an outdated mentality of when college football coaches thought they owned players. He wanted to take credit for Addison's success and truly believed that one of the most talented wide receivers in football needed him to succeed.
Mario Cristobal and Miami should have something special saved for Pat Narduzzi
Narduzzi has run his mouth enough, and it's time for Cristobal and the Hurricanes to slam it shut. Cristobal will never admit it publicly because he's always going to focus on the matters at hand, but it's hard to believe that Narduzzi's constant whining and finger pointing hasn't annoyed him to no end.
If interest from Miami or any other school forced Pitt to give Heintschel what he deserved, then the system is working. I'm sure Narduzzi would want nothing more than to return to the old days or get a lifeline from the government, but that's not the way the world works, buddy. If you want to be part of big-time college football, then you have to be willing to make the changes.
In Addison's only year at USC, he was first-team Pac-12 and was eventually drafted in the first round by the Minnesota Vikings. Amazingly, he did all of this without Narduzzi whispering in his ear. It's almost like the kid worked hard to get the most out of his talent, and didn't need some ridiculous coach to show him the way.
With Heintschel injured, Pitt's chances against Miami are slim. So, maybe, this is Narduzzi's master plan to get Cristobal and the Hurricanes off their game. Good luck with that. The hope is that the newly minted No. 1 team in the country puts up a big number against Narduzzi and reminds him why top players would much rather be in Coral Gables playing for Cristobal than freezing in Pittsburgh with him.
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