PITTSBURGH — Pat Narduzzi girded himself for a steady stream of knocks at his door during the offseason with players popping in to tell the longtime Pittsburgh coach they were considering entering the transfer portal.

The stream, however, turned out to be only a trickle, tangible proof to Narduzzi that the family-like culture he's built during his decade-plus on the job has become part of the firmament.

Quarterback Eli Holstein stuck around after an occasionally dynamic, injury-marred freshman season. Do-everything running back Desmond Reid and linebacker Kyle Louis, too.

It's not that they weren't necessarily approached. It's just that it never reached the point where they found themselves sitting across from Narduzzi to have a potentially difficult conversation.

“I have a lot of meet

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