Heather Lyke has changed Pitt's identity and brought back winning. But how long will she stay?

“She came in and made an impact right away,” Steelers quarterback and former Pitt All-American Kenny Pickett said. “I felt the passion that she had, and all the players felt the passion that she had for the university and the kind of changes that she wanted to make. And I think if you look at from the day she got to Pitt and where the football program and the entire athletic body is now, it’s pretty unbelievable what she’s done.”

Last spring, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics honored Lyke as one of its 2023 Cushman & Wakefield AD of the Year Award recipients. She additionally was a finalist for the Sports Business Journal Athletic Director of the Year.

… With a soon to be expiring contract and a polished resume, could her days in Pittsburgh be numbered?
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Lyke worked at Ohio State for 15 years, with new titles and more responsibilities.
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“People were just really comfortable being mediocre,” Lyke said. “The thing that people kept telling me was, ‘We weren’t ready to get into the ACC,’ that we were never prepared. When I got here, we were heading into year six in the ACC, so I asked, ‘When do you think we ought to get ready?’ Because I thought it was time.”
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Addressing the issue with university trustees, she said she was met with silence.

“I was flabbergasted at that because there was no pride,” Lyke said. “That was the mentality I was walking into. There was no confidence or belief that we would ever be good.”
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The start of a new academic year marks 47 years since Pitt last won a national title — its 1976 football team was undefeated. That’s much too long for Lyke.
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… Lyke’s continued guidance isn’t a guarantee for Pitt moving forward. Her contract expires in two years, and her work at Pitt has made her an attractive candidate for the nation’s top college athletic departments.

This past summer, numerous national outlets listed Lyke as a candidate for the athletic director opening at the University of Southern California… another opening is coming soon, one that has plenty of ties to Lyke: Earlier this month, her mentor Gene Smith announced that he will retire as Ohio State AD in June 2024.

She detests any discussion about her future. When the Post-Gazette brought up the possibility of her leaving during the last of many interviews for this story, the normally relaxed and confident Lyke quickly became reserved.

“You always have to look at opportunities,” she said. “I’m not going to dismiss that. That’s reality. I want to be at a place that has great expectations, and I want to be at a place that does it the right way.”

She continued, “I know we can build a quality team here. I love my staff. I love the coaches I get to work with here. As long as we can put our coaches in a position to compete for ACC and national championships, this is where I want to be.
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With a new chancellor in office and her contract up in two years, Lyke will find out in the near future how committed Pitt is toward her championship standard.

An offer from Ohio State is possible, but would that draw her away from her current home?

 

Those who do not follow college sports passionately do not know how important the position of Athletic Director is. Everyone can name Alabama's head tackle football coach but who can name Alabama's AD? But ask a Miami (FL) fan or a University of Florida fan who was the AD during their glory years and they'll be quick with the answer. Or ask a Nebraska fan who was driving the train when the great wreck happened.

This article is true for any passionate alum of the University of Pittsburgh. The settling for mediocrity, the lack of pride. An outsider sees this where insiders do not. The "Major Change in Pitt Football" occurred under a pair of Southern boys, Johnny Majors and Jackie Sherrill. "Pride and Enthusiasm" was Majors' motto when he first arrived. But it is hard to keep people from home. Majors went back to Tennessee after four brilliant years. If Ohio State comes for Heather..."She quickly became reserved." That's telling. At Ohio State she would be stepping into a championship culture. I think it's going to come down to what she said: "As long as we can...compete for ACC and national championships". Will the new chancellor be as ambitious?