After tough year, Heather Lyke said it's time for Pitt athletics 'to stand back up'

May 13—Heather Lyke tells the story of basketball coach Jeff Capel purposely buying a house in Shadyside — mere blocks from Pitt's campus — with the intent of having his players close enough to visit.

Then, covid-19 happened.

Not only were dinners with the coach discouraged for the next year, but everything changed elsewhere in Lyke's athletic department, including fundraising for the ambitious Victory Heights facilities project targeted for the upper campus.

Heinz Field and Petersen Events Center were nearly empty for every football and basketball game. Thousands of seats went unsold, putting a significant — Lyke's word — dent in revenue that helps support Pitt's 19 sports.

Meanwhile, the university administered more than 29,000 covid tests to student-athletes at $100 each — total cost, $3 million — to ensure everyone's safety for the academic year.

When Lyke met with reporters Wednesday on a video conference call, she remained upbeat about where Pitt athletics has been, and where it's headed.

The best news may be, unlike other athletic departments around the country, Pitt did not eliminate any sports or lay off coaches. Lyke credited Chancellor Patrick Gallagher and the Board of Trustees for the "value" they place on athletics.

"They supported us through this financial downturn. I think we were really good stewards of the resources that we were provided."

The high points:

—The wrestling and baseball teams were and are nationally ranked.

—The university is bidding to hold an NCAA baseball regional at its Charles L. Cost Field.

—Women's volleyball, which has won three consecutive ACC championships, reached the NCAA Tournament's Elite 8 last month.

—Men's soccer will play in the College Cup on Friday in that sport's equivalent of the Final Four.

—The first phase of Victory Heights is complete — the renovation of the third floor of the Petersen Sports Complex — and the remainder is going forward, Lyke said. A total of $9 million was raised before the pandemic, fundraising has resumed after a year's pause and Pitt hopes to break ground on a new arena sometime in the summer 2022. The goal is to open a 3,500-seat facility in the fall of 2024 for wrestling, volleyball and gymnastics, with a sports performance area for 16 of the 19 teams.

—More than half of Pitt's student-athletes have been vaccinated against covid-19.

That's the good news.

Lyke still has problems to iron out, not the least of which is the basketball team losing five players to the NCAA transfer portal, plus Justin Champagnie to the NBA, in less than three months this year.

Lyke was adamant in her support of Capel, whose teams are 15-39 in the ACC in three seasons.

Admitting no one expected the volume of transfers (more than 1,500 nationwide) with the NCAA easing restrictions on players who want to leave, Lyke said, "I have great confidence in Jeff Capel. It's hard on the coaches. I'm confident we're going to get through this."

Lyke did admit to "a little bit of team chemistry, team issues" that Capel needed to manage during the season.

"You have to grow from those. There's no question Jeff knows what that needs to look like. Having won as a player at the highest level, having coached at the highest level, all of that is great. The thing I didn't realize he was really good at is building relationships with student-athletes. They are his sons.

"There's no question he took over a tough situation," she said, pointing to Pitt's 0-19 ACC record the year before Capel arrived.

But she added, "That's not to say it can't be done."

Pitt's women's soccer was 1-18-1 in the ACC in the two seasons before coach Randy Waldrum was hired after the 2017 season.

"We had 11 (total) wins this year," she said. "It takes time. You have to build it the right way."

After meeting recently with ACC coaches and athletic directors, Lyke reported they "are not excited about the (overall) state of men's basketball (in regards to transfers).

"Men's basketball is suffering, if you will. I don't know if that is too strong of a word."

She also wondered about the message sent by making it easy for players to walk away from schools that recruited them.

"The culture when things aren't perfect, when things don't go well, you can easily leave, I'm not sure that's teaching all the right things for young people," Lyke said. "But they have the ability to transfer if they want. We wish them well.

"I hope that they think long and hard about the decision before you just make it."

Asked about Pitt's football program, which had six players drafted after a 6-5 season, she praised the "culture" of the team.

"No doubt, our coaches have taught them well," she said. "Tremendous kids, as well as athletes. I really enjoy being around that team."

Still, she added, "I think we lost a couple games we probably should not have lost last year. No one feels that more than coach (Pat) Narduzzi and his team.

"Pat and I have had long conversations, post-season, things that they need to work on. He knows my issues, but he's the head football coach and he's going to address those issues head-on."

Citing specifics, she said, "Some statistics jump out. We had a couple situations in close games, whether it was a penalty or a discipline call. The penalties are one of the things coach and I have talked about."

Meanwhile, Pitt is hoping for the return of fans to Heinz Field this season.

"That's our expectation. That's our hope," she said. "But, obviously, we are still in the middle of a pandemic. We respectfully understand that."

Like everyone, Lyke is hoping for a return to normalcy, both for her 19 teams and the revenues they provide.

"Eventually, we have to stand back up. We have to get ready. We have to keep moving forward."

Jerry DiPaola is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jerry by email at jdipaola@triblive.com or via Twitter .