Former Pitt player alleges Pat Narduzzi called players, opponents ‘thugs’

The former Michigan State defensive coordinator has been accused by multiple players for racist and racially insensitive comments.

Pat Narduzzi could soon find himself in hot water.

The Pittsburgh football coach–and longtime Michigan State defensive coordinator–allegedly has called his players and opponents “thugs” according to former Pitt linebacker Elias Reynolds.

Reynolds, who entered the transfer portal after graduating from Pittsburgh this year, alleges that Narduzzi called him and his teammates thugs for wearing hoodies under team jumpsuits, or wearing hats backwards. Reynolds also alleges Narduzzi would refer to opponents as thugs if he didn’t like their style of play.

Reynolds doesn’t specifically name him, but Narduzzi has been the head coach at Pitt the entire time Reynolds has been at the school. Reynolds also references he and teammates getting called thugs because they wore their Pitt hats backwards. Former Pitt offensive lineman Justin Morgan, who Narduzzi dismissed from the team in 2018, replied to the tweet while adding his own story with Narduzzi. Morgan alleges Narduzzi told him to cut his dreads.

“Thug,”–literally defined by Google dictionary as, “a violent person, especially a criminal.”–has taken on a racial connotation in recent years as a way to degradingly refer to a black person. Former Cleveland Cavaliers and Michigan Basketball Coach John Beilein was forced to resign from his job as head coach for the Cavs after he described the players as, “playing like thugs,” during a film session.

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