Pittsburgh has appointed Allen Greene as its new athletic director.
The university announced this on Friday. Greene is taking over from Heather Lyke, who was let go in early September with a few months left on her contract.
Greene, who is currently a senior deputy athletics director at Tennessee, will begin his role on November 1. He was the athletic director at Auburn from 2018 to 2022.
“In Allen Greene, we have a proven national leader who exemplifies the Pitt way, and who has all of the experience and intangibles to elevate our athletics program in competition and in the classroom,” said Pitt chancellor Joan Gabel in a statement.
Greene will lead a department that is enjoying a successful sports season. The football team is ranked 20th in the nation and has a perfect record of 6-0, marking its best start since 1982. The women’s volleyball team is currently ranked No. 1, and the men’s soccer team is No. 4.
However, the Panthers are facing some challenges off the field. The university is working on a capital project called “Victory Heights,” which will eventually accommodate more than a dozen Olympic sports, including gymnastics and wrestling. The $240 million project has had difficulties in securing independent funding.
“It was apparent from my very first conversation with Chancellor Gabel that Pitt has the highest of aspirations in every endeavor it undertakes,” Greene said in a statement. “That’s tremendously energizing to me and a challenge I fully embrace.”
