Heather Lyke has been relieved of her duties as Pitt's athletic director, according to a statement from University of Pittsburgh chancellor Joan Gable.
Gable stated that she notified Lyke that she "was making a change in the leadership of our athletics program" Monday morning. The university is immediately initiating a nationwide search for a new director of athletics. Jennifer Tuscano will serve as the interim director of athletics.
"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," Gable stated. "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 replaced Scott Barnes in March of 2017 after serving as the director of athletics at Eastern Michigan and Lyke was named the Cushman and Wakefield Athletic Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.
During her Pitt tenure, Lyke was known for the hiring of men's basketball coach Jeff Capel, women's soccer coach Randy Waldrum, and others. Capel recently signed an extension before the beginning of the school year and Pat Narduzzi received a contract extension in 2022 that would keep him with the program through 2030. Lyke has also extended women's volleyball coach Dan Fisher twice during his stint at Pitt after he led his team to three straight Final Four appearances. Fisher's team also received their first No. 1 ranking in program history on Monday.
Narduzzi opened up his weekly press conference Monday by saying he was grateful and appreciative of working with Lyke over the last seven years:
"She's done a great job and she's got great energy and I'm appreciative of everything she's done there. Again, I wish her and her family all the luck, personally and professionally as far as her next move. She's a strong, strong person who will land on her feet," Narduzzi said. "I know Chancellor Gable is committed to excellence in athletics, committed to excellence and championships in Pitt football, so I have a ton of trust in her and what she's going to do in the future here at Pitt. Then, Jen Tuscano, who's been here a lot longer than I have, we have a great relationship as well and I trust that Jen will do an outstanding job leading the entire athletic department as well as football."
While no real reason was given for Gable's decision, her comments about needing a vision should be pretty telling.
Throughout Lyke's tenure at Pitt, she was tied to other athletic director openings and was most recently tied to the opening at Northwestern before the job was given to Villanova's Mark Jackson. If a person holds an important position within a university and is connected to multiple openings throughout that person's tenure, one might begin to question that person's loyalty to the university.
College athletics are also in a brand new era that is primarily driven by NIL success. Having someone who truly understands NIL and can act on new concepts to bring in money for the athletic department is crucial for the future of the school's success.
Lyke's also won't be able to see her Victory Heights come to fruition as the $240-million facility is currently still under construction. However, the fundraising efforts that were meant to support the project were never successful and could become a financial burden, despite it housing several athletic programs and becoming a permanent home for volleyball, wrestling and gymnastic
