Pittsburgh said Wednesday that Steve Pederson would no longer be its athletic director.
The news came on the same day the university announced that football coach Paul Chryst was leaving to fill the opening at Wisconsin.
"Before beginning a robust national coaching search, Steve Pederson and I spoke this morning and we mutually agreed that this would be the appropriate time to make a change in athletic department leadership," said Pitt chancellor Patrick Gallagher, who took over in August.
Pederson signed a new five-year contract in June 2013 that was to keep him with the university until at least 2018.
He first served as Pitt's athletic director from 1996 to 2002 before a five- year stint as Nebraska's AD and more recently spearheaded the Panthers' move to the Atlantic Coast Conference.
"With major decisions to be made about the future of football, I thought it was in the best interest of the University of Pittsburgh for Chancellor Gallagher to assemble his own team," Pederson said in a statement.
Pitt vice chancellor Randy P. Juhl will serve as acting athletic director.
Offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph will lead Pitt in the Armed Forces Bowl against Houston on Jan. 2.
[SportsNetwork.com]
