Pitt reportedly hiring Utah State AD Scott Barnes
Pitt has found its new athletic director.
According to ESPN, the school is planning to hire Utah State athletic director Scott Barnes.
Barnes has been with Utah State since 2008 and the football team has made a drastic turnaround under his watch. After Gary Anderen was hired in 2009, the team has gone 45-33. Four seasons were with Andersen and two with current coach Matt Wells. Before Andrsen went 7-6 in 2011, the last time Utah State finished above .500 in a season was in 1997, when the team was coached by John L. Smith.
He’s also served as the chairman of the NCAA Men’s Basketball committee.
One of the biggest priorities, at least for a segment of the Pitt fanbase, once Barnes starts his tenure at Pitt will be the possible continuation of the Backyard Brawl rivalry series with West Virginia. Last week, new West Virginia athletic director Shane Lyons said the possibility of renewing the series existed.
Wednesday, new Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi also expressed a willingness to play the Mountaineers again. Narduzzi, Michigan State’s former defensive coordinator, was hired to replace Paul Chryst after Chryst left for Wisconsin (to replace Andersen, who went to Oregon State).
“I did read those articles on the West Virginia game, and obviously, the Backyard Brawl is something that I’ve grown up with,” Narduzzi said during an ACC teleconference. “I think that’s something the new athletic director here will have to answer that, and I’m sure we’ll have that conversation when he gets here and also with Chancellor Gallagher as well on campus here.
“Obviously, you love to have those rivalries, and West Virginia is a great team in a great conference. We want to play the best. So we’re always going to schedule some of the best opponents we can and really embrace future and past rivalries.”
Pitt and West Virginia haven’t played each other in football since 2011.
For more Pitt news, visit Panther-Lair.com.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
