Heather Lyke fired by Pitt with mystery over director’s axe and huge issues on NIL emerging after college statement

THE University of Pittsburgh has fired its athletic director in a shock midseason move.

Heather Lyke was dropped by Pitt as they seek to navigate "a new era in college athletics." Lyke has served as the AD at Pitt since 2017, rebuilding many of the school's sports into contenders once again.

Pitt football won the ACC Championship in 2021, men's and women's soccer have both made deep runs in their respective tournaments, and the women's volleyball team is a mainstay in the Final-Four of the National Championship.

Lyke also hired men's basketball coach Jeff Capel, who rebuilt the program from an 8-24 record in the 2017-18 season to back-to-back 20+ win seasons and the school's first March Madness bid since 2016.

The 53-year-old was named the NACDA Athletic Director of the Year after spending eight years building up Pitt's athletics.

Read more on college football Despite these accomplishments, Lyke reportedly didn't see eye-to-eye with new Pitt chancellor Joan Gabel, especially on NIL.

"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," Gabel said in a statement.

"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." Lyke's contract was set to expire next year, and she was a recent finalist for the athletic director job at Northwestern.

Most read in Athletics She had openly searched for other jobs in the past, including at Ohio State earlier in 2024.

Reports had broken recently of a contract extension between Lyke and Pitt, but those talks never came to fruition.

Pitt football head coach Pat Narduzzi held a press conference on Monday and spoke briefly on the situation.

"The only comments I care to have are that I'm grateful and appreciative of Heather Lyke for the last seven years," he said.

"I know Chancellor [Joan] Gabel is commited to excellence, so I have a ton of trust in what she'll do for the future of Pitt." Executive associate athletic director for sports administration, Jennifer Tuscano, has been elevated to interim athletic director while Pitt searches for their next executive.

Some names have popped up as potential candidates for the job in the hours since Lyke was relieved of her duties.

BELOW are the top 25 rankings of college football's best programs after Week 2 Georgia (2-0) Texas (2-0) Ohio State (2-0) Alabama (2-0) Ole Miss (2-0) Missouri (2-0) Tennessee (2-0) Penn State (2-0) Oregon (2-0) Miami (2-0) USC (2-0) Utah (2-0) Oklahoma State (2-0) Kansas State (2-0) Oklahoma (2-0) LSU (1-1) Michigan (1-1) Notre Dame (1-1) Louisville (2-0) Arizona (2-0) Iowa State (2-0) Clemson (1-1) Nebraska (2-0) Boston College (2-0) Northern Illinois (2-0) Oklahoma deputy athletic director Marcus Bowman is a Pitt alumni and played on the men's basketball team from 2002-2006.

He also previously served as the assistant athletics director for administration and planning at Pitt before moving to UNLV and then to Oklahoma.

Another name is Doug Whaley, former NFL general manager for the Buffalo Bills and former Pitt safety.

Whaley served as an advisor to Pitt's NIL collective, Alliance 412, and was the senior vice president of the XFL.

A wild card name to look at is ESPN personality Louis Riddick.

Read More on The US Sun Riddick is a high-profile Pitt alum who, while working for ESPN, has been a constant candidate for NFL general manager positions.

If Pitt is serious about increasing their NIL initiatives, they will likely hire a big name with strong ties to the university, similar to the previously mentioned names..

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