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Paul Chryst

Pittsburgh fires athletic director Steve Pederson

George Schroeder
USA TODAY Sports
Steve Pederson in attends a game between Pitt and Akron at Heinz Field.

As Pittsburgh loses yet another football coach, it is parting ways with its athletic director.

As expected, Paul Chryst was announced as Wisconsin's new head coach Wednesday evening. But at roughly the same time Chryst's hire was announced by Wisconsin, Pittsburgh announced it was parting ways with athletic director Steve Pederson.

"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," Pittsburgh chancellor Patrick Gallagher said in a statement released by the school.

Gallagher has been at Pittsburgh since last August. He praised Pederson as being "an instrumental figure" in helping Pittsburgh move to the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Gallagher appointed Randy P. Juhl, vice chancellor for research conduct and compliance, to serve as acting athletic director, but said a national search would also be conducted for the athletic director's position.

Pittsburgh will embark on its fourth coaching search since 2010.

Pittsburgh also named assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph the interim coach for the Armed Forces Bowl. The Panthers face Houston Jan. 2 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Chryst was 19-19 in three seasons at Pittsburgh. A former Wisconsin quarterback and offensive coordinator, he was the immediate target of Wisconsin after Gary Andersen's surprise departure a week ago for Oregon State. Wisconsin state law required the Badgers to wait one week before hiring.

Pederson was in his second stint as Pittsburgh's athletic director. He was in the roll from 1996-2002 and, after five years at Nebraska, returned to Pittsburgh in 2007.

He fired Dave Wannstedt in 2010, then hired Miami (Ohio) University coach Mike Haywood. But weeks later, Haywood was fired after an arrest on a domestic battery charge.

Pederson turned to Tulsa's Todd Graham, who left after one year for Arizona State. He then turned to Chryst.

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