The Pittsburgh athletic department made an interesting decision ahead of Saturday’s Week 3 matchup between the Pittsburgh Panthers and the West Virginia Mountaineers.
According to multiple reports, Pittsburgh Athletic Director Heather Lyke has been fired ahead of the Backyard Brawl vs. West Virginia.
“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,” Chancellor Joan Gabel said. “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.”
The change comes as a large shock as Lyke is one year removed from receiving AD of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics in 2023. Her name has also surfaced in searches for various athletic departments over the past few months, namely Northwestern and Ohio State.
“We are immediately initiating a national, comprehensive search for a new Panthers director of athletics,” Gabel continued. “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.”
The Backyard Brawl matchup between Pitt and West Virginia kicks off on Saturday, September 14th, at 2:30 p.m. CT in Pittsburgh.
