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When Virginia Tech takes on Pittsburgh on Friday, Oct. 2, in a highly anticipated Week 5 college football matchup, it will mark a reunion of two coaches whose paths have been intertwined for over a decade. James Franklin, now in his first season as head coach at Virginia Tech, will face off against Pat Narduzzi, who has led the Panthers for 12 seasons. Both teams enter the game undefeated, adding significant weight to the ACC championship race.
Franklin and Narduzzi previously coached at rival institutions—Penn State and Pitt—where their interactions were often contentious. Franklin was dismissed from Penn State last October but quickly landed at Virginia Tech, placing him in the same conference as Narduzzi. Despite their history, Narduzzi downplayed any personal animosity during a Monday press conference on Sept. 28.
"The players play the game. Coaches don't," Narduzzi said. "We don't get on the field. We're not going to have a boxing match before the game. He's a first-class coach. I see myself as a first-class guy, as well. It's just coaching. I think people love to make something of nothing, which if that's what they like and it gets them fired up and lets them buy tickets, then let's go."
While Narduzzi may be trying to temper expectations, the history between these two coaches is well-documented. Here are some of the most notable clashes that have defined their relationship.
The Clap Flap (2016)
After a 16-year hiatus, the Pitt-Penn State rivalry resumed in 2016, with the Panthers securing a 42-39 victory in Pittsburgh. The loss ultimately contributed to Penn State missing the College Football Playoff despite winning the Big Ten. Three days later, Franklin pointed to Pitt defensive players clapping as a disruption to his team's cadence. "You're not allowed to do that," Franklin said. However, Big Ten officials had told him during the game that the clapping was legal, a stance echoed by Big Ten coordinator of officials Bill Carollo. Narduzzi fired back the next day: "That's just another excuse." He explained that clapping was a communication method for his defense, a tactic he also used at Michigan State. Video from Pitt's previous game against Villanova showed linebacker Matt Galambos clapping before a snap. "We clap. We raise the roof with our hands. We twist our arms. We do kind of like a cowboy lasso," Narduzzi said. "We did it at Michigan State. But the offense has to do something to make us clap, and if they stand still most of the time, we don't do a whole lot of it."
Akron-gate (2017)
Penn State avenged its 2016 loss with a 33-14 win over Pitt in State College, fueled by Saquon Barkley's 133 total yards and two touchdowns. After the game, Franklin appeared to downplay the victory. "I know last year for their win (against us), it was like the Super Bowl," Franklin said. "But for us, this was just like beating Akron." The comment was perceived as a slight toward Pitt, especially since Penn State had beaten Akron 52-0 the week before. Franklin later clarified during his post-game press conference, saying he considers every game a Super Bowl for his team. "Everyone 'oohed' during my opening statement, but don't think too much into it," Franklin said. "I've been saying the same thing for years."
Changing Signals (2019)
Four years before Connor Stalions made headlines, Penn State and Pitt had their own signal controversy. Before their 2019 matchup, Franklin said his team changed all offensive and defensive hand signals after former Penn State safety John Petrishen transferred to Pitt in August. Franklin claimed the move was necessary because Petrishen "knows all of our signals." Narduzzi quickly responded. "We haven't been thieves, I guess," he said. "But usually the people who are paranoid are the people stealing them." Narduzzi also noted that Penn State had a former Pitt staffer, Eric Thatcher, on its staff. "We're busy getting our own signals in," Narduzzi said. "Just think about this: Are we going to signal to our defense, and then tell them what the offensive play is? There's no time for that. Our eyes are on our kids. Signals, I mean, I could have their notebook. If I had their notebook sitting right here, which, maybe I do. I don't know. I could have their notebook, but that ain't gonna help me win a football game. I can promise you that. OK? Defensively, your hands are tied. You can't steal signals. That's me. Maybe I'm just a dumb defensive coach."
A Rivalry in Peril (2019)
The war of words coincided with uncertainty about the future of the Pitt-Penn State rivalry. The teams played from 2016-19, but no further games were scheduled. Pitt expressed interest in continuing the series, but Penn State remained non-committal. The stalemate raised questions about the rivalry's relevance in modern college football. Pitt shifted its focus to West Virginia, renewing the Backyard Brawl in 2022 after an 11-year break. The Panthers and Mountaineers played three consecutive seasons and will meet annually from 2029-36. Pitt and Penn State haven't played since 2019 and have no future games scheduled. "We embrace rivalries," Narduzzi said at ACC media days in 2024. "We'd love to play Penn State if they would play us. If they won't play us, we'd love to play West Virginia as many times as we could play them."
A Detente? (2026)
Any lingering friction between Franklin and Narduzzi has not been publicly evident this week. Narduzzi said he and Franklin have always had a good relationship and that he reached out to Franklin after he was hired at Virginia Tech last November. He described the Hokies as well-coached. "You can play up the rivalry and all that stuff, but coaches are coaches," Narduzzi said. "We all get along. We spend time together off the field. You guys get revved up more than, I think, the coaches. It's part of the game." Franklin also expressed respect for Narduzzi. "I think he's done a phenomenal job in his 12 years there at Pitt," Franklin said. "Obviously, when you think of Pitt and you think about Narduzzi, you think about their defense. He's done a phenomenal job. They're playing really good defense. They've got a system, they've been running it for a long time and it is difficult to run on. It is difficult to pass on from a protection standpoint—they're playing really good defense as they consistently have done there."
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Originally reported by usatoday.