Heather Lyke out as athletic director at Pitt

Passed over for the Northwestern athletic director’s job last month, Heather Lyke now finds herself out as AD at Pitt.

Pitt chancellor Joan Gabel released a statement Monday morning, ending Lyke’s 7 1/2-year tenure as head of the athletic department.

“Today, I informed University of Pittsburgh director of athletics, Heather Lyke, that I was making a change in the leadership of our athletics program,” Gabel’s statement began.

“Upon her arrival at Pitt in 2017, Heather guided our program through a unique period in college athletics, and we thank her for her leadership during that time. Her tenure included successes from football’s first ACC championship to volleyball reaching its first-ever NCAA Final Four, while representing the university at the conference and national levels.

“However, as we enter a new era in college athletics, one that seems to change by the day, we need a new vision and a new leader of our athletics department. On behalf of all Panthers, we wish Heather and her family the best with appreciation for their service to Pitt.”

Lyke’s contract was due to expire this year, and she had been considered for or openly seeking other jobs for the past several years. She was one of three finalists for the AD’s job at Northwestern that went to Mark Jackson, who held the same position at Villanova.

In the past several years and into the future, Lyke had been facing daunting tasks to raise Pitt closer to most of its ACC rivals in NIL funding, plus confront revenue sharing while college athletics began paying student-athletes for their services.

Several hours after Gabel’s announcement, Lyke tweeted a farewell message Monday night, asserting she leaves Pitt in a better situation than when she arrived in 2017.

It said, in part, “Today, I reflected on the wise words from a mentor: ‘If you can leave a place better than you found it, you can be proud of your work.’ Those words ring true for me.

“I am immensely proud of the accomplishments of the student-athletes, coaches, staff, alumni, donors and community members that I have had the privilege to work alongside at the University of Pittsburgh.

“This great university’s reputation and standing in intercollegiate athletes has never been stronger — a testament to the work of so many during my tenure.

“With the focus on our purpose to build champions and remain committed to excellence, while preserving the mission of collegiate athletics, we have adapted our mindset, and internal and external operations, to ensure sustainability and long-term-victories for the Panthers.

“We have worked tirelessly to establish and cement a national brand for Pitt Athletics that embodies selflessness, confidence, relentlessness and tranformation.”

She also thanked coaches, staff, student-athletes and “donors, supporters and strategic thinkers” for their contributions in seeking to reach those goals.

A year ago, Gabel addressed Lyke’s contract situation with TribLive. Gabel said Lyke’s contract would be driven largely by a market evaluation and compensation of other athletic directors performing at her level.

“If it comes to that, we would absolutely do a market assessment and see where Heather sits,” Gabel said.

She added during that 2023 interview, “Heather is without question one of the best athletic directors in the country. She’s been recognized as such (for) wins on the field and academic progress.”

At his regularly scheduled Monday news conference, football coach Pat Narduzzi addressed the change in the department’s leadership.

“I’m grateful and appreciative of the last seven years working with Heather Lyke,” he said. “She’s done a great job. She’s got great energy. I wish her and her family all the luck, personally and professionally, as far as her next move. She’s a strong, strong person and will land on her feet. She’s been outstanding and supportive, and I can’t thank her enough.”

In her statement Monday, Gabel named Jennifer Tuscano as interim director of athletics. Tuscano has been with the university since 2004, most recently as executive associate athletic director for sport administration and senior woman administrator.

“I know Chancellor Gabel is committed to excellence in athletics, committed to excellence in championships in Pitt football,” Narduzzi said. “I have a ton of trust in her and what she’s going to do in the future here at Pitt.”

He said he has “a great relationship” with Tuscano, adding he hoped to meet with her Monday afternoon. “I trust that Jen will do an outstanding job leading the entire athletic department, as well as football.”

He declined further comment.

“We are immediately initiating a national, comprehensive search for a new Panthers director of athletics, and we are confident that under the direction of interim director of athletics Jennifer Tuscano, Pitt athletics will continue to do its part to elevate our university and win the Pitt way — both in the classroom and in competition.”

Lyke’s initial contract was extended in 2018, one year after she was hired by former Chancellor Patrick D. Gallagher to be the first female athletic director at Pitt.

Over the past year, Gabel, who replaced Gallagher in July, 2023, and Lyke had not resolved Lyke’s expiring contract situation. Meanwhile, Lyke’s name surfaced yet again as a candidate for another school’s position when she was identified as one of three finalists at Northwestern. Previously, Lyke had been considered for AD jobs at Michigan State, Ohio State (where she served on the athletic department’s executive team for 15 years) and USC before those schools hired others.

Lyke’s seven years at Pitt included several stories of success and failure after she was hired to replace Scott Barnes, who left for the same job at Oregon State.

She did not hire Narduzzi, but she extended his contract twice: once after a 5-7 season in 2017 and again after Pitt won the 2021 ACC championship. Narduzzi is signed through the 2030 season.

She fired men’s basketball coach Kevin Stallings after an 0-18 ACC record in 2018 and hired Jeff Capel, a prominent Duke assistant. She stayed with him after four lean seasons, although an expensive buyout clause in Capel’s contract might have been a factor. Then, she extended Capel’s contract for a second time, this time through 2030. Plus, she has extended women’s volleyball coach Dan Fisher’s contract twice after he led the team to three consecutive Final Four appearances. Men’s soccer coach Jay Vidovich also received an extension after leading his team to the 2020 College Cup.

With those extensions, Lyke achieved stability in Pitt’s two most high-profile programs — football and men’s basketball — and two of its most successful (volleyball) and (men’s soccer).

Other hires that turned out well include wrestling coach Keith Gavin, who helped Nino Bonaccorsi win a national championship in 2023, and women’s soccer coach Randy Waldrum, who resurrected the program and led it into the NCAA Elite 8 in 2023.

Last year, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics named Lyke a recipient of the Cushman & Wakefield AD of the Year Award.

But she also has hired and fired three coaches whose tenures did not turn out well: women’s basketball coach Lance White, gymnastics coach Samantha Snider and softball coach Jodi Hermanek. Joe Jordano, the winningest baseball coach in school history, resigned during Lyke’s tenure.

Lyke has pushed vigorously for funding for the $240 million Victory Heights project, which is under construction on campus next door to the Petersen Events Center. It will serve 16 of Pitt’s 19 intercollegiate programs and include a 3,000-seat arena for gymnastics, volleyball and wrestling.

Victory Heights is expected to open in the fall of 2025.

“Pitt Athletics has a long tradition of being one of the nation’s leading athletics programs,” Gabel said in her Monday statement, “with world-class student athletes, coaches and staff, and amazing fans and donors, all anchored in one of the world’s top research universities. The program truly represents the front porch of our university, bringing in our community by serving as an important access point across campus, our region, our nation and the world.”