Dorsett, Cavanaugh, to return for spring game

Pitt head football coach Pat Narduzzi is flashing back to the 1970s for the annual Blue-Gold Game this month.

On Saturday, Narduzzi announced that former Panthers from Pitt’s 1976 national championship team, Tony Dorsett and Matt Cavanaugh, will be honorary coaches for the Blue-Gold Game on April 16. The Blue-Gold Game, which will begin at 11 a.m., is a scrimmage between Pitt football players that ends spring practice for the Panthers.

Last year’s honorary coaches and Pitt alums were former Pitt defensive tackle Aaron Donald and Arizona Cardinals’ wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

In a release announcing the coach selection, Narduzzi emphasized Dorsett and Cavanaugh’s legacy. Forty years ago, as Panthers, the teammates capped off a 12-0 record with a 27-3 Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia.

“These men helped set the standard at Pitt. Our players and coaches walk past their images every day in our practice facility,” Narduzzi said in a release. “They are Pitt legends and we are honored to have them back.”

Dorsett, a running back who went on to play 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and one season with the Denver Broncos, won the Heisman trophy as a senior at Pitt in 1976.

“I always love coming back home to Pitt and being around the current players,” Dorsett said in the release. “There is an unspoken bond because we are all Panthers. I told Coach Narduzzi to get those guys ready. Matt and I are expecting to see big things when they take the field for the spring game.”

Cavanaugh, a 1977 All-American, is currently a quarterbacks coach for the Washington Redskins, after spending 14 years as an NFL signal caller.

He played five seasons with the Patriots before going on to play with the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. Dorsett and Cavanaugh have been to five Super Bowls between the two of them.

“Having the opportunity to do this with my old teammate Tony [Dorsett] makes it even more special,” Cavanaugh said.