Report: Pitt moving on from athletic director Heather Lyke

The University of Pittsburgh is making a change at the top of its athletic department. Pitt is moving on from Heather Lyke, the university announced Monday.

Pitt chancellor Joan Gabel released a statement about Lyke’s dismissal.

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“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 reads, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 

“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 continued. “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.

“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.”

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Lyke, 53, had served as Pitt’s AD since March 2017 when she replaced Scott Barnes. Before that, she was Eastern Michigan’s AD for five years. The Canton, Ohio, native also was an assistant AD at Ohio State from 1998-2013 and at Cincinnati from 1996-98.

Lyke’s first major hire came in March 2018 when she brought aboard former Duke assistant Jeff Capel to lead the Panthers’ men’s basketball program. Capel’s run started with four straight losing seasons, but, since, he’s rattled off back-to-back campaigns with 22 or more wins. During the 2022-23 season, Pitt won its first NCAA Tournament games since 2014 when Jamie Dixon was still the head coach. After this past season, Lyke extended Capel through 2030.

Panthers head football coach Pat Narduzzi was with the school before Lyke took over as AD. That said, in March 2022, Lyke extended Narduzzi through 2030. The previous fall, Narduzzi led Pitt football to its first-ever ACC championship, and quarterback Kenny Pickett became a Heisman Trophy finalist.

Other Pitt programs achieved notable success under Lyke, too, such as women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s soccer. Plus, Lyke was overseeing the development of “Victory Heights,” a 240,000 square-foot facility that will, among other purposes, host Pitt volleyball, gymnastics and wrestling events.

In 2023, Lyke earned the Cushman & Wakefield AD of the Year award from the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. But now, well into 2024, Pitt is making a change and moving on from Lyke after her seven and a half years leading the Panthers’ athletic department.