University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Narduzzi to Compete in 2026 Southern Company Peach Bowl Challenge
4/16/2026 11:00:00 AM | Football
Narduzzi set to make his eighth appearance in the nation’s premier collegiate coach golf event.
GREENSBORO, GA—Head Coach Pat Narduzzi will once again represent the Panthers in the 19th annual Southern Company Peach Bowl Challenge charity golf tournament, held April 26–28 at Reynolds Lake Oconee outside of Atlanta. This marks Narduzzi's eighth appearance in the event as he looks to add to the $170,000 in charitable winnings he has already earned.
The nation's premier collegiate coach golf event will be played in a two-man scramble format with Stableford scoring over 18 holes. Pairings were determined by balancing handicaps and will feature 12 two-man teams, each pairing an active head coach with a former coach (Legend). One pairing will include two active head coaches (Rhett Lashlee and Jeff Monken).
Shane Beamer (South Carolina) is partnered with Houston Nutt (Legend), while Manny Diaz (Duke) is paired with Ted Roof (Legend). Dave Doeren (NC State) is matched with Steve Spurrier (Legend), and P.J. Fleck (Minnesota) is partnered with Gus Malzahn (Legend). Brent Key (Georgia Tech) is aligned with Hugh Freeze (Legend), and Dan Lanning (Oregon) is paired with Randy Edsall (Legend).
Narduzzi is matched with Chan Gailey (Legend), while Mike Norvell (Florida State) is paired with Urban Meyer (Legend). Scott Satterfield (Cincinnati) is partnered with Mack Brown (Legend), while Kirby Smart (Georgia) is aligned with Tommy Tuberville (Legend). Dabo Swinney (Clemson) is paired with Jim Grobe (Legend), and Kyle Whittingham (Utah) is matched with Paul Johnson (Legend).
This year's field includes an impressive roster of college football greats, featuring six former Dodd Trophy winners and a collective group of coaches who have won nine FBS national championships, 64 conference championships and boast 2,925 career wins.
The 2026 field also features 24 coaches who have previously competed in the event, while Lashlee and Roof are set to make their first appearances.
Proceeds from the competition benefit charitable foundations selected by the coaches. Narduzzi's winnings will go to the UPMC Children's Hospital Foundation, which unites communities and contributors to create healthier futures for all children through life-changing care and cutting-edge research.
To date, 61 head coaches have participated in the tournament during its 19-year history, raising a total of $3.5 million for 78 different charities and foundations. Since its creation in 2007, the event has contributed $10 million in scholarship and charitable initiatives, helping make Peach Bowl, Inc. college football's most charitable bowl organization.
"We've now raised $10 million in charitable funds from this event and look forward to adding to that total thanks to this year's impressive field of coaches," Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO and President Gary Stokan said. "This annual tradition has grown to become the premier collegiate coach golf event, and we're thankful so many of college football's biggest names have participated over the years to give back to causes that have personal meaning to them."
Narduzzi enters the Peach Bowl Challenge as one of the event's most consistent and accomplished competitors, currently tied for 17th on the all-time winnings leaderboard with $170,000. While that figure places him alongside notable names like Al Golden, it only tells part of the story. His résumé is highlighted by a championship performance in 2023, when he and Gailey captured the title, firmly establishing Pitt's presence among the event's elite.
At the top of the leaderboard sits Johnson with $905,000 in career winnings, followed by legends such as Spurrier and Frank Beamer. The field is filled with some of college football's biggest names, including Nick Saban, Smart and Swinney, underscoring the level of competition Narduzzi has consistently faced.
Recent history adds another layer of intrigue, as Norvell and Meyer enter seeking a third consecutive title after winning in 2024 and 2025. However, Narduzzi's 2023 victory remains one of the most recent championship performances in the event, placing him squarely in the conversation among active contenders. With past winners including Johnson, Spurrier, Edsall and Freeze, Narduzzi's name on that list reinforces both his competitive consistency and Pitt's growing footprint in the Peach Bowl Challenge landscape.
