Report: Pitt Signs AD to Multi-Year Extension

The Pitt Panthers reportedly signed their athletic director to a multi-year extension.

Nov 4, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; University of Pittsburgh athletic director Heather Lyke in attendance as the Panthers host the Florida State Seminoles at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers reportedly signed Heather Lyke to a multi-year extension to keep her on as athletic director, according to a report from Mike Vukovcan of Pittsburgh Sports Now.

Vukovcan previously reported that Northwestern was looking at Heather Lyke for their vacant athletic director position. He also reported that a source said “people inside the university are worried that the threat of losing Heather is not being addressed by the chancellor," and that the situation will likely conclude in the coming days if she chooses to stay or go.

Northwestern moved previous athletic director Mike Gragg to vice president for athletic strategy following his poor handling of former football head coach Pat Fitzgerald's hazing scandal.

Pete Thamel of ESPN reported that Northwestern is currently targeting Villanova athletic director Mark Jackson over Lyke and that a new deal will be made in the next 24 hours. Washington Commanders' senior advisor Jason Wright was also a serious candidate.

Lyke last signed a six-year extension in May 2018, which meant that there were only a few months until her contract ran out at Pitt. New chancellor Joan Gabel reportedly has managed to keep Lyke with this newer extension.

Lyke came to Pitt in March 2017, after previous athletic director Scott Barnes departed for the same position at Oregon State. She previously served as vice president and director of athletics at Eastern Michigan from 2013-17 and worked in various positions at Ohio State from 1998-2013. 

She has made a number of coaching changes, including firing men's basketball head coach Kevin Stallings and replacing him with Jeff Capel, as well as hiring Randy Waldrum as the women's soccer head coach. 

Lyke has also gotten extensions for football head coach Pat Narduzzi, volleyball head coach Dan Fisher, men's soccer head coach Jay Vidovich and Capel, as they've excelled during her tenure.

Football won two ACC Coastal Division Titles in 2018 and 2021 and their first-ever ACC Championship in 2022. Basketball made it back to the NCAA Tournament in 2023, ending a seven-year drought, and almost made it again last season.

Volleyball is now one of the best programs in the country under Fisher, making eight straight NCAA Tournaments, four straight Elite Eights and three straight Final Fours, the only team in Division I to do the latter. 

Men's soccer made their first NCAA Tournament in 2019, ending a 54-year drought, and also made three straight Elite Eights from 2020-22 and two College Cups during that time.

Women's soccer made their first ever NCAA Tournament in 2022, going to the Sweet 16, and then made it to the Elite Eight in 2023, as Waldrum continues to improve the squad each season.

Wrestling under head coach Keith Gavin also won a share of the ACC team title in 2023 and saw Nino Bonaccorsi finish undefeated and win the National Title at 197 pounds. 

Lyke will need to work on improving Pitt's standing with NIL and fundraising, especially with the new Victory Heighs project, but with this new extensions, she'll hopefully have the time to address those issues.

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