Heather L the University of Pittsburgh's athletic director since 2017 was unexpectedly relieved of her duties just a few months before the expiration of her contract the announcement made by pit Chancellor Joan Gabel came as a surprise given L's accomplishments during her tenure despite her successes cabel explained that the university felt it was time for a new Direction in the ever evolving landscape of College athletics we need a new vision and a new leader of our athletics department Gabel stated in her announcement she thanked like for her leadership but emphasized that a Fresh Approach was necessary as the university looked to position itself strategically in the face of Shifting Dynamics within Collegiate Sports likes tenure marked a transformative period for pit Athletics during which several programs achieved historic Milestones under her leadership the pit football team captured its first Atlantic Coast Conference ACC title in 2021 a significant achievement as the program solidified its standing within the competitive conference additionally L's decision to hire Jeff cable as the men's basketball coach in 2018 helped rejuvenate a program that had struggled in previous Seasons under cable Pit's basketball program began to rebound achieving marked improvements in performance and National recognition Beyond football and basketball like also oversaw the rise of several other pit programs the women's volleyball team became a national Powerhouse during her time consistently competing at the highest level the men's soccer team reached the prestigious NCAA college cup twice in 2020 and 2022 further elevating Pit's athletic profile these accomplishments highlighted ly's ability to cultivate success across a diverse range of sports one of ly's most ambitious projects during her tenure was the launch of the Victory Heights initiative announced in 2020 just before the onset of the covid-19 pandemic Victory Heights is a $240 million multiport Athletic Facility currently under construction located adjacent to the Peterson Events Center the facility is set to serve as the home for 16 of Pit's 19 Intercollegiate Sports programs including volleyball wrestling and gymnastics designed to accommodate up to 3,000 Spectators Victory Heights represents a major investment in the future of pit Athletics the facility is scheduled to open in the fall of 2025 but like will no longer be at the helm to see her vision come to fruition despite these notable achievements like had begun exploring other opportunities in recent months most notably as a finalist for the athletic director position at Northwestern University Northwestern however ultimately chose to hire Villanova's athletic DOR ctor Mark Jackson for the role in a statement posted to social media following her departure like reflected on her time at pit expressing pride in the accomplishments achieved during her tenure today I reflected on the wise words from a mentor if you leave a place better than you found it you can be proud of your work she wrote I Am immensely proud of the accomplishments of the student athletes coaches staff alumni donors and community members that I have had the privilege to serve alongside at the University of Pittsburgh as pit looks at ahead the university will begin the process of searching for a new athletic director in the interim Jennifer Tuscano who has been part of the Department's leadership team will step in as athletic director until a permanent successor is named Gabel confirmed that the school will undertake a comprehensive search to find a new leader to guide the athletics department through the next phase of its development L's departure marks the end of a significant chapter for pit Athletics and the university now faces the challenge of building on her successes while preparing for the future amid the everchanging landscape of college sports