University of Pittsburgh Athletics
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Pitt Beyond The Script | Episode 1.5 | Pat Narduzzi & Sean FitzSimmons
Podcasts
Published on 8/4/2026
Podcasts
Published on 8/4/2026
Welcome to Beyond the Script — the podcast that takes you inside Pitt Athletics, past the press conferences and into the real conversations. Host Jason Earle sits down with the coaches, athletes, and administrators who are doing the work every day to build something special in Pittsburgh.
This episode, Jason is joined by football head coach Pat Narduzzi and redshirt senior defensive lineman Sean FitzSimmons as they preview the season ahead. From a returning quarterback to a defense built around experience up front, what does Pitt have to prove after another year of hot starts and tough finishes? Pat and Sean break down the roster room by room and get honest about what it'll take to finish what they start — beyond the script.
Narduzzi's 12th year: 1:01
Return of Mason Heintschel: 6:20
Look at the offense: 9:45
Breaking down the defense: 11:48
Special team thoughts: 16:00
Sean FitzSimmons joins: 18:12
Going down the roster: 22:37
Mentality for 2026: 27:09
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Welcome to Beyond the Script — the podcast that takes you inside Pitt Athletics, past the press conferences and into the real conversations. Host Jason Earle sits down with the coaches, athletes, and administrators who are doing the work every day to build something special in Pittsburgh.
This episode, Jason takes you inside Victory Heights. Deputy Athletic Director Dustin Gray breaks down what opening weekend actually looked like — the Fan Fest, the Blue-Gold volleyball scrimmage, and the first real test of a building six years in the making. Then, Assistant AD for Sports Performance Aaron Duvall goes inside the Martchek Family Strength and Conditioning Center — what's new, what it means for Pitt's 16 programs, and what he's already seen change for the athletes training there.
From the arena floor to the weight room, Jason gets the full picture of Pitt's newest building — beyond the script.
Published on 8/18/2026
Welcome to Beyond the Script — the podcast that takes you inside Pitt Athletics, past the press conferences and into the real conversations. Host Jason Earle sits down with the coaches, athletes, and administrators who are doing the work every day to build something special in Pittsburgh.
This episode, Jason is joined by cross country and track & field coaches Alonzo Webb and Alonzo Webb III, Griff Graves, and men's basketball head coach Jeff Capel. What does it mean to coach alongside your own son — and how does that relationship shape the culture of a program? What's next for cross country as the Panther Open opens the season at Schenley Park? And with 13 new faces and a near-total roster turnover, how is Capel building chemistry and identity into a Pitt basketball team that barely knows itself yet? Jason sits down with our coaches to answer those questions and more — beyond the script.
2:50: Track & Field nationals
7:39: Father-Son coaching duo
8:52: Zo's coaching journey
14:58: Coach Webb and Graves talk culture
21:12: The best dressed coach in track and field
26:30: What to expect this XC season
29:42: Jeff Capel joins the show
33:23: Looking at the roster
41:42: Players stepping up
45:14: What to watch for in 2026
Published on 8/11/2026
Welcome to Beyond the Script — the podcast that takes you inside Pitt Athletics, past the press conferences and into the real conversations. This episode, Abby Schnable sits down with women's soccer head coach Ben Waldrum and senior defender Olivia Lee.
2026 marks the 30th season of Pitt women's soccer, coming off a 2025 campaign that closed with a 1-0 win over No. 1 Notre Dame — the program's first-ever victory over a top-ranked opponent. What does it take to build on a season like that? How does a roster with 17 returners and a wave of new talent find its identity? And what does the program's growing pipeline to the professional ranks say about where Pitt soccer is headed? Ben and Olivia take us inside a program building on its best season yet — beyond the script.
Published on 7/28/2026