Column: Lyke is what Pitt Athletics needs for steady success
By Colin Martin | Staff Writer
May 30, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
The best way to build a strong athletic program involves consistency and a direction. It’s very difficult for schools to form their own identity with constantly changing leadership as Pitt has experienced over the past decade with seven different head football coaches. But Pitt now officially has...
Future ACC Studio offers opportunities for Pitt students
By Stephen Cuddy | Staff Writer
May 30, 2018
Filed under Sports
After claiming two conference championships, hiring new basketball coaches and entering the 2018-19 season with a promising young quarterback, Pitt Athletics seem to be entering a period of success. Further proof of that success is is the promise of a new media studio and the projected August 2019 ...
Pre-season preparation: Volleyball and soccer teams train in the offseason
By Dominic Campbell | Staff Writer
May 30, 2018
Filed under Sports
The beginning of summer sounds like freedom for many Pitt students. But for student athletes, it is just the beginning of a long grind that will continue from now until the end of their season. For the women’s volleyball and men’s soccer teams, there are a few athletes who will stay on campus...
Panther pride: O’Neill, Whitehead and Maddox’s journeys to the NFL
By Trent Leonard | Senior Staff Writer
May 30, 2018
Pitt’s 2018 NFL Draft selections — offensive lineman Brian O’Neill, safety Jordan Whitehead and cornerback Avonte Maddox — all share common skills that made them appealing to professional teams — positional diversity and exceptional speed. Had these athletes played for different college teams, they may ...
A night at The Priory
By Grant Burgman | News Editor
May 30, 2018
Filed under City, News, Sports, Sports Features, Top Stories
The ballroom of the Priory Grand Hall, a small hotel in the historic Pittsburgh neighborhood of Deutschtown, is actually a converted church — but last Friday it became a boxing ring. A red-matted ring bordered by red and blue ropes sat in the center of the ballroom, hit directly by the fading ev...
Pitt Ultimate Frisbee makes history
By Dominic Campbell | Staff Writer
May 29, 2018
Filed under Club Sports, Sports, Top Stories
This weekend in Milwaukee was hot — over 80 degrees in the sun, and hotter on the turf fields of the Uihlein Soccer Park, where the Pitt Ultimate frisbee men’s and women’s teams competed for a shot at their respective national championships. But according to rising fifth-year senior Hafeez Shams,...
Pitt baseball falls to Louisville in ACC semifinal
By Trent Leonard | Staff Writer
May 26, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Sports / Other Varsity Sports
While it was an exciting run, all good things must end — and that’s what happened for the Pitt baseball team Saturday afternoon when a 5-2 loss to the No. 5 Louisville Cardinals put an end to the No. 12 Panthers’ ACC Baseball Championship bid in the semifinal round in Durham, North Carolina. A...
Column: Women’s sports need female leaders
By Jordan Mondell | Senior Staff Writer
May 23, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns, Top Stories
Pitt’s new women’s basketball head coach Lance White — who was hired April 18 to replace former coach Suzie McConnell-Serio — seems like a great snag for the program. The former Florida State assistant has it going on — a 350-145 overall record, 12 seasons with 20 or more wins with the Se...
Take 5: Stakes Races, Shaq and Southgate
By The Pitt News Staff
May 23, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
Though Pitt's campus has mostly emptied out, The Pitt News sports staff is still full of hot takes. They're back to round up some of the best — and unexpected — stories of the week. Patience for Pirates Fans The Pittsburgh Pirates finally got a glimpse of their future when centerfielder A...
Pitt Softball loses ACC Championship game
By Stephen Cuddy | Staff Writer
May 15, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports, Top Stories
The Panthers softball team finished its most successful season yet with a 33-18-1 record, earning head coach Holly Aprile the ACC Coach of the Year honor. With two victories over Louisville earlier this month, the Panthers ended the season as ACC Coastal Champions for the first time in school history — and...
Pittsburgh Marathon draws runners from around the world
By Hannah Schneider, Sports Editor
May 15, 2018
Filed under Sports, Top Stories
Despite overcast skies, cool temperatures and the threat of rain, more than 37,000 people showed up at the starting line for the 10th annual Pittsburgh Marathon early Sunday morning. The weekend of races, hosted by Pittsburgh Three Rivers Marathon, Inc., also drew a crowd of more than 200,000 sp...
Photos from race day: Pittsburgh Marathon 2018
By TPN Visual Staff
May 6, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Sports, Uncategorized, Visual
The 10th annual Pittsburgh Marathon took place on Sunday. This year, the event also hosted the 2018 USA Track and Field National Championship race, an elite event which saw finishing times of over a minute faster than the top men's category of the Pittsburgh Half Marathon. Over 20,000 people participated...
Softball team secures first ACC championship in program history
By Trent Leonard | Staff Writer
May 5, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports, Top Stories
The Pitt softball team earned a crucial 9-8 victory over Louisville Friday afternoon to clinch first place in the ACC Coastal Division — marking the team’s first division championship in its 20-year history. The Panthers then took a victory lap on Saturday with a 10-2 win in their second game against...
Aiken basketball legacy to continue at Pitt
By Joanna Li | Staff Writer
May 4, 2018
Filed under Men's Basketball, Sports, Top Stories
The Panthers men’s basketball team secured a legacy talent Thursday night when North Allegheny High School senior Curtis Aiken Jr. verbally committed to Pitt via Twitter. ✅ pic.twitter.com/o7KDwZkQec — Curtis Aiken Jr. (@caiken_14) May 4, 2018 Aiken will join the team next season as a preferred walk-on, meanin...
Lyke announces first class in Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame
By Hannah Schneider, Sports Editor
May 3, 2018
Filed under Sports, Top Stories
After sorting through more than 300 nominations, it should come as no surprise that the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame selection committee chose Panther Football stars Tony Dorsett, Dan Marino and Mike Ditka as inaugural members of Pitt’s Athletics Hall of Fame. Some of the inductees — like class of 191...
Pitt extends contract with Athletic Director Heather Lyke
By Joanna Li | Senior Staff Writer
May 1, 2018
Filed under Sports, Top Stories
Chancellor Patrick Gallagher announced last week a six-year extension to Athletic Director Heather Lyke’s contract. Lyke was hired in March 2017 to replace Scott Barnes — and she had a busy first year. “I am grateful to Chancellor Gallagher and our Board of Trustees for their belief in me, our team a...
Diop announces transfer to Louisville
By Joanna Li | Senior Staff Writer
May 1, 2018
Filed under Sports, Top Stories, Women's Basketball
Pitt redshirt junior forward Yacine Diop announced Monday that she is transferring to Louisville for her final season of eligibility. Once she gets there, she will immediately be eligible to play. With Diop’s departure, the Pitt women’s basketball team loses last year’s leading scorer and rebou...
7 Pitt players find NFL homes in free agent deals
By Hannah Schneider, Joanna Li, and Trent Leonard
April 29, 2018
Filed under Football, Sports, Uncategorized
Only three Panthers were selected in this year’s NFL draft, starting in round 2 with Brian O’Neill. After the Vikings picked O'Neill, Tampa Bay chose Jordan Whitehead in the fourth round. The Philadelphia Eagles then chose Avonte Maddox with the 125th overall pick. The seven Pitt players in the dr...
Philadelphia Eagles snag Avonte Maddox in 4th round of NFL Draft
By Trent Leonard | Senior Staff Writer
April 28, 2018
Just eight spots after fellow Pitt defensive back Jordan Whitehead was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Avonte Maddox joined the NFL ranks when the Philadelphia Eagles snagged him in the fourth round with the 125th overall pick. As a Panther, Maddox was a consistent presence in the defensiv...
Tampa Bay selects Jordan Whitehead with the 117th overall pick in the NFL Draft
By Trent Leonard | Senior Staff Writer
April 28, 2018
Filed under Football, Sports, Top Stories
Pitt football had its second player taken off the board— after offensive lineman Brian O’Neill— when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected safety Jordan Whitehead in the fourth round with the 117th overall pick in the NFL Draft. Despite dealing with two shortened seasons after an impressive first year, Whi...
Minnesota Vikings pick Brian O’Neill 62nd overall in NFL Draft
By Trent Leonard | Senior Staff Writer
April 27, 2018
It took nearly two rounds, but the Pitt football team finally saw some recognition in the NFL Draft Friday night when the Minnesota Vikings selected offensive lineman Brian O’Neill with the 62nd overall pick. This is the culmination of a successful three-year career with the Panthers for O’Neill, whe...
Lyke Plans to “Flip the Pete”
By Joanna Li | Senior Staff Writer
April 25, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports, Top Stories
Athletic Director Heather Lyke wants to “flip” the basketball court at the Petersen Events Center. She announced that the Athletic Department will be changing the layout of the court at a media roundtable discussion at the Pete Wednesday morning. According to Lyke, when Pitt built the eve...
Pitt gains first top-100 basketball recruit since 2013
By Trent Leonard | Senior Staff Writer
April 24, 2018
Filed under Men's Basketball, Sports, Top Stories
The Pitt men’s basketball team received its first verbal commitment of the 2018-2019 recruiting season today at noon when four-star recruit Trey McGowens announced his commitment to the Panthers via Twitter. McGowens, a senior 6-foot-3 guard at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., chose Pitt...
Q&A: Expert gives tips to stay fit for finals
By Dominic Campbell | Staff Writer
April 22, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports
Students hardly have time to work out during the semester, but finding time for physical activity becomes even more of a hassle when finals roll around. Putting time in to study for finals may take precedent this week, but there are plenty of benefits to finding a way to work in a quick run or worko...
Weekend recap: Panthers break records, keep winning on track and field
By Stephen Cuddy | Staff Writer
April 22, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports
The Panthers come out of this weekend with records set on the track and with both the baseball and softball teams continuing their winning ways on the diamond. As students fight through finals this week, the Panthers are sprinting through the finish line. Baseball Pitt went 2-1 this weekend against Miami, moving th...
Take 5: Kiper, Cavs and Kardashians
By The Pitt News Staff
April 19, 2018
Filed under Sports Columns
With finals week quickly approaching, you may have been too busy studying to keep up with the world of sports. No worries — The Pitt News staff has you covered with the most savvy, significant and scandalous sports stories from this week. Keeping up with Khloe and Tristan The Cleveland Cavali...
White About Now: New Women’s Basketball Coach Meets Pitt
By Joanna Li | Staff Writer
April 19, 2018
Filed under Women's Basketball
When Lance White watched Jeff Capel — the next head coach of Pitt’s men’s basketball team — speak about his late father’s advice to take time and sleep on big decisions, he figured he would follow that advice if he was ever given the same opportunity. Instead, when he was offered the role as ...
Panthers put out Golden Flashes, 6-4
By Michael Nitti | Staff Writer
April 18, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports
Pitt softball moved to within two games of first place in the ACC coastal division after winning their second game in a row, 6-4, against the Kent State Golden Flashes Wednesday. Coming off a series win against Georgia Tech, the Panthers (23-16-1) looked to remain on track on what’s been a somewh...
Golden Flashes blind Panthers, 2-0
By Michael Nitti | Staff Writer
April 18, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports
After winning a huge series against Georgia Tech this past weekend, Pitt baseball looked to stay hot and get revenge on nonconference opponent Kent State. In the second of two matchups between the two clubs this season, Pitt failed to get a runner across home, losing 2-0. The Panthers (19-15) suffered a shutout loss...
Luther leaves Pitt
By Grant Burgman | Sports Editor
April 18, 2018
Filed under Men's Basketball, Sports
The Pitt men’s basketball team got an answer to one of its biggest roster questions heading into next season on Wednesday night. Graduate forward Ryan Luther will be transferring to Arizona for the 2018-19 season, according to reports. Luther leaves a big absence in the Panthers’ already-depleted ...
Pitt hires Lance White as women’s basketball coach
By Jordan Mondell | Assistant Sports Editor
April 18, 2018
Filed under Sports, Top Stories, Women's Basketball
Florida State associate head coach Lance White has been hired as Pitt’s new head women’s basketball coach, the University announced Wednesday. Lance, who was named the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association assistant coach of the year in 2017, was hired by Pitt Athletic Director Heather Lyke ...
Column: Pirates’ season a pleasant surprise for fan
By Dominic Campbell | Staff Writer
April 17, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
In one of Pittsburgh’s colder Aprils in recent memory, the Pittsburgh Pirates have remained hot, though it didn’t seem it would be that way just a few weeks ago. Despite trading two All-Stars — outfielder Andrew McCutchen and starting pitcher Gerrit Cole — in the offseason, the Pirates stand on top of the NL Central at 11-6 and are one of the top teams in MLB right now. The Pirates came into ...
Column: J.J. Redick is one for the NBA record books
By Trent Leonard | Staff Writer
April 17, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
Every so often in professional sports, a special athlete comes along who is single-handedly able to elevate their team’s performance to elite ranks. These once-in-a-generation talents carry their teams to the playoffs year in and year out through sheer individual willpower and exceptional abilit...
Capel rounds out assistant coaching staff with hiring of Milan Brown
By Jordan Mondell | Assistant Sports Editor
April 17, 2018
Filed under Men's Basketball, Sports, Top Stories
New men’s basketball head coach Jeff Capel has officially rounded out his immediate coaching staff with the hiring of a third full-time assistant, according to a report from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Capel hired College of Charleston assistant coach Milan Brown to join associate head coaches Tim O’Toole and Jason Capel, both of whom Pitt hired as assistant coaches last we...
Q&A: Jeff Capel looks to rebuild Pitt basketball
By David Leftwich / Senior Staff Writer
April 16, 2018
Filed under Men's Basketball, Sports
After arguably one of the worst seasons in Pitt men’s basketball history, and facing the potential exodus of nearly half of last year’s roster, the program needed to make a change — so Athletic Director Heather Lyke hired Jeff Capel in March as head coach to bring the program back to prominence. The Pitt News sat down with Capel to discuss his transition from the Blue Devils to the Panthers, his ...
Spring Game analysis: Pitt defense shined while offense struggled
By Cale Berger | Staff Writer
April 15, 2018
Filed under Football, Sports, Top Stories
Pitt’s annual Blue and Gold Spring Game may be the first chance of the year for Pitt students, alumni and fans to tailgate and bring their favorite jerseys out of retirement, but it is also an opportunity to get a small taste of what the upcoming season will bring on the field. This year was no ...
Gallery: Spring Blue and Gold game
By Thomas Yang | Visual Editor
April 15, 2018
Filed under Football, Sports, Visual
The Panthers split their football team into Blue and Gold sides Saturday afternoon for their annual Spring Game, a contest in which neither offense looked exceptional. It proved fitting that a defensive touchdown — junior defensive back Dane Jackson’s 60-yard interception-turned-touchdown — handed...
Weekend sports: Track tabs top-10s, tennis trips up
By Stephen Cuddy | Staff Writer
April 15, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports
This past weekend for Pitt Athletics looked like a repeat of the one before it. Track athletes again set personal bests and nabbed top finishes as softball and baseball each won two of three and tennis continued to struggle. Baseball Like tennis and softball, the baseball team also hosted Georg...
Blue beats Gold, 10-3, in Spring Game defensive battle
By Trent Leonard and Joanna Li | TPN Staff
April 14, 2018
Filed under Football, Sports, Top Stories
The Panthers split their football team into Blue and Gold teams Saturday afternoon for their annual Spring Game, a contest in which neither offense looked exceptional. It proved fitting that a defensive touchdown — redshirt junior defensive back Dane Jackson’s 60-yard interception-turned-touchdown ...
Capel hires Tim O’Toole, Jason Capel as assistant coaches
By Grant Burgman | Sports Editor
April 12, 2018
Filed under Men's Basketball, Sports, Top Stories
Pitt men’s basketball coach Jeff Capel hired his brother, Jason Capel, and Tim O’Toole to be assistants on his staff, according to reports Wednesday. https://twitter.com/GoodmanESPN/status/984087393371328513 O’Toole joins Pitt after spending the last two seasons as an a...
Take 5: Spieth, Simmons, Stanley Cup
By The Pitt News Staff
April 12, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
Is Jordan Spieth the new Tiger Woods? Who is and who isn’t a rookie? Will the Penguins win their third straight Stanley Cup? All of that and more — The Pitt News staff is back to round up the week’s best sports stories. Masterful performance Golf is fun. Golf is exciting. This past Sunday was ...
Mountaineers maul Panthers, 12-1
By Michael Nitti | Staff Writer
April 11, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports, Top Stories
Pitt’s bats fell silent on Wednesday as they were unable to score more than one run for the third straight game, losing 12-1 to the West Virginia Mountaineers in Morgantown. West Virginia’s (15-15) offense found life against Pitt (17-13) in the 195th Backyard Brawl and handed the second straigh...
4 predictions for the NHL playoffs
By Max Sirianni | Staff Writer
April 11, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
After 82 games, the NHL regular season has officially ended, and the 16 teams that made the playoffs are ready to face off for the Stanley Cup. Playoff hockey is always full of surprises, so here are some attempts at predicting the madness in an intense playoff format that teaches us to expect the u...
Kent State clobbers Pitt, 4-1
By Michael Nitti | Staff Writer
April 10, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports
After falling behind early in the game, the Pitt baseball team was unable to catch up to Kent State, ultimately falling 4-1 to the Golden Flashes Tuesday. The Panthers (17-12 overall, 6-9 ACC) lost to the Golden Flashes (18-10, MAC) in an out-of-conference matchup at the Charles L. Cost Field. ...
ACC releases 2018 basketball matchups
By Jordan Mondell and Trent Leonard | TPN Staff
April 10, 2018
Filed under Men's Basketball, Top Stories
Jeff Capel and his new squad got a glimpse of their upcoming season Tuesday as the ACC announced conference matchups for the 2018-19 men’s basketball season. Pitt — who will be entering the season with Capel as head coach — will take on every team in the conference. Last season, the team went ...
Pitt gymnastics sets the bar with record-breaking season
By Jon Shaiken | Staff Writer
April 9, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports
Looking back on Pitt’s season, it is hard not to be impressed with the progress the gymnastics team has made under first-year head coach Samantha Snider. Despite finishing at a meager 7-18, new program records and history-making performances defined the Panthers’ season. The Panthers closed out their 2018 season Ap...
Panther Spotlight: Liam Sabino, Kayla Harris, Claudia Bartolome
By Alex Lehmbeck | Staff Writer
April 9, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports
Conference play is well underway for spring sports, with some Pitt teams performing much better than others. As regular seasons come to a close, here are some standout athletes of the last few weeks. Liam Sabino After dropping its first three series in ACC play against Virginia Tech, North Ca...
Column: Suzie McConnell-Serio needed to go
By Dominic Campbell | Staff Writer
April 8, 2018
Filed under Sports, Women's Basketball
Pitt Athletics decided to uproot the second basketball program this offseason as it fired women’s coach Suzie McConnell-Serio Thursday. McConnell-Serio spent five years as head coach with the Panthers but didn’t have much success, going 67-87 overall and 22-58 in the ACC. Pitt had a record of 10-20 a...
Weekend sports: Softball causes upset, gymnastics competes at regionals
By Stephen Cuddy | Staff Writer
April 8, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports
Though some students may be struggling with the stresses that the end of the semester brings, Pitt athletes weren’t cracking under the pressure over the weekend. Track athletes continue to set personal bests, the baseball team improved on their impressive win percentage and the softball team registere...
Gymnastics competes at NCAA regional competition
By Dominic Campbell | Staff Writer
April 8, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports
The Pitt gymnastics team competed in the NCAA Regional Championship in the St. John Arena at Ohio State University Saturday, placing fifth overall out of six teams and finishing with a score of 195.125. This season — Samantha Snider’s first year as head coach — was the first time since 2013 ...
Parker Stewart announces decision to transfer
By Grant Burgman | Sports Editor
April 6, 2018
Filed under Men's Basketball, Sports, Top Stories
First-year Pitt guard Parker Stewart announced via Twitter on Friday that he will be transferring from the Pitt basketball program. Stewart — who was also the first Pitt player to request his release from the program after the firing of former head coach Kevin Stallings — is the only player of the nine that requested their releases to ...
Take 5: Pirates, playoffs, PGA tour
By The Pitt News Staff
April 5, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
There are just two weeks left in the semester and classes are winding down at Pitt. The same can’t be said for news in the sports world. The Pitt News staff is back with a weekly roundup of this week’s best. More of the same Are the Houston Rockets leading the West? Yes. Have the Cleveland Caval...
Q&A: Desiree Garland gets gold for Pitt
By David Leftwich | Senior Staff Writer
April 5, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports
Senior Desiree Garland never intended to become a collegiate sprinter — she began her high school career as a jumper. But after she finished with the best 400-meter time in replacement of a missing teammate at one high school meet, Garland’s path as a sprinter was set. She claimed Pitt’s fi...
Pitt fires women’s basketball coach McConnell-Serio
By Jordan Mondell / Assistant Sports Editor
April 5, 2018
Filed under Sports, Top Stories, Women's Basketball
Pitt women’s basketball head coach Suzie McConnell-Serio was fired from the program, Pitt Athletics announced Thursday afternoon. McConnell-Serio is the third head coach to be fired by athletic director Heather Lyke, with former women’s head soccer coach Greg Miller’s dismissal in December 2017...
Staff picks: Pitt athletics Hall of Fame
By The Pitt News Staff
April 4, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
Pitt Athletic Director Heather Lyke announced in January that Pitt will be implementing its own Hall of Fame, with the inaugural class to be inducted Sept. 7. We’ll have to wait a few months to find out who will make the first Hall of Fame class — in the meantime, The Pitt News sports staff has ...
Randy Waldrum brings change, experience to Pitt women’s soccer
By Dominic Campbell | Staff Writer
April 3, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports, Sports Features
For a team that won just three games last year, hiring one of the most successful women’s soccer coaches in the country might seem unlikely. But that’s just what athletic director Heather Lyke announced in December with the hiring of Randy Waldrum to lead the struggling program. Waldrum has been coaching soccer for the last 30 years. He comes to Pitt as one of the winningest head coaches ...
Cultures come together on Pitt’s tennis team
By Trent Leonard | Staff Writer
April 3, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports, Top Stories
A quick glance at the men’s top 10 world tennis rankings reveals that no two players share the same country of origin. The same can be said for the top eight women in the world — an unusual trend considering certain nations tend to specialize and often dominate in other sports. A microcosm of...
Panthers baseball pounces on Penguins, 9-5
By Jordan Mondell | Assistant Sports Editor
April 3, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports
Pitt baseball snagged their third victory in a row this season with a 9-5 win over Youngstown State Tuesday night. The softball team was also set to take on Penn State the same evening, but the game was canceled due to rain. The Panthers (15-10, 4-8 ACC) swapped runs with the Penguins (8-18, 6-3 Horizon) th...
Pitt cheerleaders and dance team showcase skills before heading to championships
By Marissa Perino | Staff Writer
April 3, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports
On quiet upper campus yesterday evening, an eager crowd gathered to support the Pitt cheerleaders and Dance Team. Under the bright lights of the Petersen Events Center, the teams showcased their polished routines, which will debut at the National Cheer Association and National Dance Association Colleg...
Column: College sports deserve diverse leadership
By Jordan Mondell | Assistant Sports Editor
April 1, 2018
Filed under Men's Basketball, Sports, Sports Columns
Not only is Pitt’s new men’s basketball head coach Jeff Capel a star recruiter and successful tournament coach, he brings something to Pitt that the program has never seen before. Diversity. Specifically, Capel — a black man — is the first-ever head coach of any minority status to oversee ...
Weekend sports: Panthers split across the states
By Grant Burgman | Sports Editor
April 1, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports
The Panthers’ track and field team found both faltered and found success from coast to coast during the weekend while Pitt baseball, softball and tennis stayed home for conference matchups. Track and Field The Pitt track and field team had a jam-packed weekend, with athletes competing in fou...
Panthers fall flat on the track in Texas
By Dominic Campbell | Staff Writer
March 29, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports
In the scorching Texas heat, five Pittsburgh track athletes competed in the annual Texas Relays — the second biggest relays in the country — at the University of Texas at Austin. The Panthers sent four women — seniors Morgan Harvey, Quadaisha Newkirk and Lalia Ismail and first year Breanna Phil...
Take 5: Harden, hot dogs, home runs
By The Pitt News Staff
March 29, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
Oakland has been buzzing about the hiring of a new head basketball coach — our lord and savior Jeff Capel. But while the Pitt community has been busy celebrating the arrival of a new king, the rest of the sports world has continued to make headlines. The Pitt News staff is back to round up some of the...
Capel is more than capable
By Brandon Glass | Staff Writer
March 28, 2018
Filed under Men's Basketball, Sports
Just when it looked like Pitt would be left out in the late March cold without a head coach, Athletic Director Heather Lyke, unlike her predecessor, made a bold decision. Lyke hired Duke assistant coach Jeff Capel Tuesday — 17 days after firing Kevin Stallings. Capel’s hiring comes as a pleasant...
Pitt introduces Jeff Capel as new head basketball coach
By Trent Leonard | Staff Writer
March 28, 2018
Filed under Men's Basketball, Sports
Pitt Athletic Director Heather Lyke introduced Jeff Capel as the next men’s basketball coach during a ceremony at the Petersen Events Center Wednesday. The gym floor was packed with University students and staff, including Chancellor Patrick Gallagher, women’s head basketball coach Suzie McConnell-Ser...
Softball falls to Ohio, 6-1
By Michael Nitti | Staff Writer
March 27, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports
Pitt softball (17-12-1) traveled to Athens Wednesday to take on Ohio University (15-12) in a non conference matchup. Pitt baseball was scheduled to take on West Virginia University in the 156th Backyard Brawl in Morgantown, but the game was canceled due to rain. In Ohio, the Bobcats shut down the P...
Stevenson, Wilson-Frame plan to stay at Pitt
By Jordan Mondell | Assistant Sports Editor
March 27, 2018
Filed under Men's Basketball, Sports, Top Stories
Two Pitt men’s basketball players who requested release from the program upon the firing of head coach Kevin Stallings are staying with program after Pitt hired Duke’s Jeff Capel Tuesday. According to a post on Instagram, first-year guard Shamiel Stevenson has no plans to leave the program, s...
Pitt hires Jeff Capel as men’s basketball head coach
By Jordan Mondell / Assistant Sports Editor
March 27, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Men's Basketball, Sports
Duke assistant coach Jeff Capel has been hired as Pitt’s new head men’s basketball coach, the University announced Tuesday. Capel has made a deal with the Panthers on a seven-year contract. This hiring ends a long, rumor-filled search for Pitt after former head coach Kevin Stallings’ ousting Mar...
Pitt looks overseas for latest lineman
By Alex Lehmbeck | Staff Writer
March 26, 2018
Although a growing demographic, international college football players are hard to find. According to The Growth of a Game, a Belgian-based company connecting football advocates across Europe, only two active Division I college football players were born in Italy as of 2015. Incoming Pitt commit Haba...
European powers gear up for UCL quarterfinals
By Stephen Cuddy | Staff Writer
March 26, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
American soccer fans don’t have much to look forward to this summer, with the U.S. Men’s National Team failing to make this year’s World Cup in Russia. But for those still interested in gearing up for the tournament, the UEFA Champions League should provide great drama and competition. The C...
Weekend sports: Panthers provide weak performances
By Jon Shaiken | Staff Writer
March 26, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports
Basketball season may be officially over for Pitt, but it was still a packed weekend for athletics, as four teams took the stage with varied results. Gymnastics saw strong individual performances once again and softball swept their series. Baseball had a mixed bag against a ranked Duke, and tenn...
‘Stallings 2.0:’ Fans react to Pitt’s reported interest in Mark Schmidt
By John Hamilton / Managing Editor
March 23, 2018
Filed under Men's Basketball, Sports, Top Stories
St. Bonaventure men's basketball coach Mark Schmidt interviewed for the vacant Pitt job Thursday, according to multiple reports. Days after learning Pitt offered Dan Hurley $3 million for the job, fans were underwhelmed -- to say the least -- that Pitt is considering Schmidt. https://twitter.com/AdamZagoria/status/977230454217723904 https://twitter.co...
Column: Don’t cry for Dan Hurley
By Brandon Glass | Staff Writer
March 22, 2018
Filed under Men's Basketball, Sports, Sports Columns, Top Stories
Heather Lyke pushed in all the chips — in excess of $3 million a year — to get Rhode Island’s Dan Hurley to be the new head coach of the Pitt men's basketball team. But Hurley chose to stay in New England, accepting Connecticut's offer, reported to be less than Pitt’s, Thursday. Both teams showed their hands, and the Huskies’ was better — there’s no shame in...
Take 5: Rookies, rejection, re-entry
By The Pitt News Staff
March 22, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
As professional sports seasons begin to wrap up, questions remain — who will win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award? How will the Golden Knights fare in the NHL postseason? Will Johnny Manziel get arrested again? The Pitt News sports staff is back with a weekly roundup of the best in sports ...
Hurley takes coaching job at UConn, Pitt’s search continues
By John Hamilton / Managing Editor
March 22, 2018
Filed under Men's Basketball, Sports, Top Stories
Update: Hurley took the coaching job at the University of Connecticut, the school confirmed Thursday. Athletic Director Heather Lyke wants to make Dan Hurley one of the highest paid coaches in college basketball. According to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, Pitt has offered the Rhode Island coach more th...
Panthers put on show for pro scouts
By Mackenzie Rodrigues | Contributing Editor
March 22, 2018
The newest Panther football players are just getting used to life in Oakland at spring practices. The draft-eligible former players, however, had a chance Wednesday morning to impress NFL scouts and potentially find their new homes. Representatives for all 32 NFL teams gathered in the UPMC Rooney...
New MLB rules may go too far
By Max Sirianni | Staff Writer
March 21, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
We’ve all been at a baseball game that just never seems to end. There are nonstop pitching changes and tedious at-bats. By the seventh-inning stretch, everyone likely wants to go home. Major League Baseball has taken notice. The game times have slowly increased over the last two years after dropping...
Pickett proves worth as rising Panthers star
By Trent Leonard | Staff Writer
March 20, 2018
Filed under Football, Sports, Sports Features
First-year Kenny Pickett wasn’t supposed to take a snap last year, much less lead the team to the biggest win of the season. As the third-string quarterback for the Pitt football team entering the 2017 season, he was firmly entrenched behind redshirt senior Max Browne and sophomore Ben DiNucci. The expec...
Hear me out: The sexiest mascots in college sports
By Jordan Mondell | Assistant Sports Editor
March 20, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
During the first media time-out of No. 2 seed Duke against No. 15 Iona in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament last week, the mascots from both teams hit the court for a dance-off. As I looked on in boredom, waiting for the game to resume again, my mind wandered, and I got to some serious thin...
Bentley brings brute force to Pitt D-line
By Alex Lehmbeck | Staff Writer
March 20, 2018
Rivalries are just for fans? Don’t tell that to 2018 Pitt commit Tyler Bentley. He is looking forward to the Panthers’ battles with one in-state foe as much as anyone else. “The one thing I’m looking forward to is playing Penn State, for sure,” Bentley said. “I have a couple of friends t...
Pitt men’s basketball future up in the air
By Grant Burgman | Sports Editor
March 19, 2018
Filed under Men's Basketball, Sports
The dominoes have started to fall after a tumultuous weekend for the Pitt men’s basketball team, which saw nine current players and two recruits request releases from the program. First-year guard Marcus Carr became the second Pitt player to be granted his release from the program Monday night. H...
Pitt grants Marcus Carr release from program
By Grant Burgman | Sports Editor
March 19, 2018
Filed under Men's Basketball, Sports, Top Stories
First-year point guard Marcus Carr became the second player from the Pitt men’s basketball team to be officially granted his release from the program on Monday night, according to reports from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Carr joins junior guard and forward Jared Wilson-Frame, who was granted his...
Weekend recap: Pitt track leads the way in disappointing weekend
By Michael Nitti | Staff Writer
March 19, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports
It was an up-and-down weekend for Pitt athletics, as some Panthers were at the hands of crushing defeat, while others found themselves above all the rest. Although baseball and women’s tennis struggled and gymnastics came up just short, softball and track and field both found success in North Carolina...
Swimming and diving seniors sent off at championships
By Stephen Cuddy | Staff Writer
March 19, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports, Uncategorized
The Pitt swimming and diving team said goodbye to some of its most accomplished female divers in program history at the NCAA Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships in Columbus, Ohio, this past weekend. The Panthers had four athletes compete across seven events, with two earning top-25 finishes...
Panthers tap out early at NCAA championships
By Stephen Cuddy | Staff Writer
March 18, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports
The NCAA Wrestling Championships took place this past weekend at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. Pitt was represented by senior Dom Forys, redshirt sophomore Taleb Rahmani and redshirt seniors Nick Zanetta and Ryan Solomon. Forys and Rahmani provided the only highlights of the Panthers’ tournament...
Report: seven Pitt basketball players request release from program
By Grant Burgman | Sports Editor
March 16, 2018
Filed under Men's Basketball, Sports, Top Stories
Seven players from the Pitt men’s basketball team have requested their release from the program, according to a report from ESPN. The Panthers have now received nine total requests for release from either current players or committed recruits since the firing of former men’s basketball coach Kevin Sta...
Panther Spotlight: Giorgiona Zeremenko, Matt Pidich, Lydia Rosenthall, Dom Forys
By Trent Leonard | Staff Writer
March 15, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports
While the Pitt swimming and wrestling teams send their top individuals to compete at end-of-season tournaments, the baseball and softball squads are just beginning to get into the swing of things. Here are some of the Panthers’ top performers during the transition from winter to spring sports. Gio...
Take 5: Tiger, Tournament, Tom Crean
By The Pitt News Staff
March 15, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports Columns
While Pitt may not have qualified for this year’s NCAA tournament … or the NIT … or the CBI, there are plenty of other things happening in the sports world Pitt fans can distract themselves with. The Pitt News sports staff is back with a weekly roundup of the best in sports this past week — an...
Pitt brings new quarterback to town
By Alex Lehmbeck | Staff Writer
March 14, 2018
Pitt football midyear junior college enrollee Ricky Town comes to Oakland with three years of college experience spanning three different schools. But despite his winding journey across college football, the quarterback has yet to play a single snap of Division I football. Town was aggressively...
Idowu gets set for senior season
By Michael Nitti | Staff Writer
March 14, 2018
Pitt senior linebacker Oluwaseun Idowu first came to Oakland from North Allegheny High School in 2014. There, Idowu played running back but transitioned to linebacker shortly after walking onto the Pitt football team in the fall of 2014. After redshirting his first year, it wasn’t until his second s...
Parker Stewart requests release from Pitt
By Grant Burgman | Sports Editor
March 14, 2018
Filed under Men's Basketball, Sports, Top Stories
Pitt first-year men’s basketball player Parker Stewart has asked for his full unconditional release Wednesday, according to a report from ESPN. Stewart — who averaged 9.1 points per game this past season and who was emerging as a reliable contributor — asked for the reported release less than a week after for...
Column: When it comes to Stallings’ firing, the blame should be shared
By Brandon Glass | Staff Writer
March 13, 2018
Filed under Men's Basketball, Sports, Sports Columns
In a time of uncertainty for Pitt basketball, one thing is for sure — former head coach Kevin Stallings’ tenure will go down in Panther history as an unmitigated disaster. In two years, the widely criticized coach managed to win just four conference games, go winless in the ACC during the 20...
Column: Potential picks for Stallings’ successor
By Colin Martin | Staff Writer
March 13, 2018
Filed under Men's Basketball, Sports, Sports Columns
Pitt men’s basketball and the athletic administration are officially on the quest for a new head coach to replace Kevin Stallings. The mission is straightforward — find the perfect person to rejuvenate the program and return Pitt to its status as a basketball school. Just like any hiring proces...
Touching base with the Panthers after break
By Max Sirianni | Staff Writer
March 13, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports
Spring break was anything but for the Pitt baseball and softball teams, as both found themselves involved in heated competition over the past week. Both teams found mixed results, the baseball team earning its first conference win of the season and the softball team ending break with a three-game losing ...
Panthers stay busy on break
By Jon Shaken | Staff Writer
March 12, 2018
Filed under Sports, Sports / Other Varsity Sports, Top Stories
While students fled to warm weather and sandy beaches over break, Pitt sports had a busy week. The women’s diving team saw members qualify for nationals, but gymnastics fell short despite a solid performance. Tennis had mixed results and is still seeking the team’s first ACC win, even with near p...
Fans, players react to Stallings’ firing
By Grant Burgman and Jordan Mondell | TPN Staff
March 12, 2018
Filed under Men's Basketball, Sports, Top Stories
The firing of Pitt men’s basketball head coach Kevin Stallings didn’t come as a surprise to many fans and pundits. After a record-breaking losing season for the Panthers — going 8-25 overall and 0-19 in the ACC — a change of leadership was more than expected. But between reports of contentious contract ...
A year of firsts: Young team works to make change
By Trent Leonard | Staff Writer
March 11, 2018
Filed under 2. Featured, Men's Basketball, Sports, Sports Features
Pitt first-year guard Marcus Carr is no stranger to rookie success. As a first-year at St. Michaels in his native Toronto, Carr once scored a season-high 49 points in one game — and was instrumental in leading his team to the quarterfinals of the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association...
Season in review: Women’s basketball lacks luster
By Dominic Campbell | Staff Writer
March 11, 2018
Filed under Sports, Top Stories, Women's Basketball
When the final buzzer sounded against Wake Forest on Feb. 28, the Pitt women’s basketball team finished their season on a flat note — a 72-38 blowout loss in the ACC tournament. The lopsided loss was all too common this season. The Panthers finished 10-20 overall and 2-15 in the ACC, earning a 14th pl...
Season in review: Men’s team has campaign to forget
By Trent Leonard | Staff Writer
March 11, 2018
Filed under Men's Basketball, Sports, Top Stories
Well, it’s finally over. The Pitt men’s basketball season came to a close last Tuesday with a 67-64 loss to Notre Dame in the first round of the ACC tournament, and the 2017-18 Panthers are now history — albeit for not-so-great reasons. Pitt finished the season with an overall record of 8-25 inc...
Players to watch during the tournament
By Cale Berger | Staff Writer
March 11, 2018
Filed under Men's Basketball, Sports, Uncategorized
Each year the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament provides an opportunity for players to breakout on a national stage. College basketball legends like Christian Laettner, Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Shabazz Napier have all etched their names in history with their performances at the big d...