Miami's Michael Haywood takes Pitt job

The negative reaction to the hiring by Pitt athletic director Steve Pederson was similar to that when Pederson, then at Nebraska, hired former Oakland Raiders coach Bill Callahan to succeed the fired Frank Solich following a 9-3 season in 2003. Callahan proved to be a flop, and both he and Pederson were fired by Nebraska in 2007. A few months later, Pederson returned to Pitt, where he had hired Ben Howland as basketball coach during a previous stay from 1996-2002.

Haywood is the first black head coach in a major men's sport at Pitt. Pitt is expected to return at least 16 starters next season from a team that lost badly at home to Miami of the ACC and West Virginia, was upset by Connecticut and lost non-conference games against Utah and Notre Dame.