Univ. of Pittsburgh Chancellor Patrick Gallagher last night "further upended an athletic department already in a state of flux" by announcing the "stunning firing" of AD Steve Pederson, according to a front-page piece by Sam Werner of the PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. Pitt Vice Chancellor of Research & Compliance Randy Juhl "will take over" as acting AD. Financial terms of Pederson’s departure were not disclosed, but his total compensation in '12, the "most recent data available, was $633,536." Former Pitt Chancellor Mark Nordenberg gave Pederson a "five-year contract extension" in June '13. A source said that the move’s timing "came as a surprise even to high-ranking athletic department officials." Pederson was first named Pitt's AD in '96, but "was hired by Nebraska" in '02 for the same role. He was in Lincoln for five years "before being fired," and returned to Pitt just six weeks later. In his second tenure at Pitt, Pederson "successfully navigated the university through NCAA conference realignment into a comfortable and financially lucrative home" in the ACC. But he also "oversaw a revolving door of coaching change in football," with coach Paul Chryst being the latest to leave the program this week for Wisconsin (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 12/18). In Pittsburgh, Joe Rutter writes Pederson's "inability to find stability in the football program ultimately led to his ouster." Pitt alum and College Football HOFer Bill Fralic said, "He meddled with everything. He was a control freak. Hopefully, we can recover from what he's done there." Gallagher said that he will "conduct a national search for a full-time AD" (PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 12/18).
WORE OUT HIS WELCOME? In Pittsburgh, Joe Starkey writes under the header, "Pederson Had To Go At Pitt." The move itself "was bold and inspired," similar to the moves Pederson "used to make, in his first stint ... before he lost his fastball." Starkey: "Nobody much cared how it went down, only that it did, for it was a sure sign that the man running the university takes the most important athletic program on campus seriously" (PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 12/18). Also in Pittsburgh, Bob Smizik writes the "one undertaking that was too large for Pederson, one crucial element he could not build -- a bridge of support among alumni and fans." What prompted Gallagher to "act so swiftly and decisively is not easily determined." For its part, Pitt "called the decision a mutual one," but "that's unlikely" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 12/18).
