PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh fired football coach Mike Haywood on Saturday, saying he could not continue in the job he held for only 2 1/2 weeks because of his arrest on a domestic violence charge.
Haywood was released Saturday from St. Joseph County Jail in Indiana on a $1,000 cash bond, said an officer at the jail who declined to give her name, after the charge was upgraded from a misdemeanor to felony domestic battery in the presence of a minor.
Within hours of Haywood’s afternoon release, Pittsburgh put out a statement from chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg, saying Haywood had been dismissed “effective immediately,” and the Big East school was reopening its search.
“To be clear, the university’s decision is not tied to any expectation with respect to the terms on which the legal proceeding now pending in Indiana might ultimately be concluded,” Nordenberg said. “Instead, it reflects a strong belief that moving forward with Mr. Haywood as our head coach is not possible under the existing circumstances.”
The move also raised questions why Haywood — who had only two seasons as a mid-major head coach, including a one-win season — was chosen Dec. 16 following a brief search.
Haywood’s hiring by athletic director Steve Pederson was greeted unenthusiastically by Pitt fans, boosters, alumni and students who questioned why a school with annual top-25 aspirations hired him away from midmajor Miami (Ohio). Dave Wannstedt, forced to resign last month, had coached two NFL teams before his 2004 hiring.
Gators going with Weis.
A person familiar with the decision said Florida has hired former Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis as offensive coordinator, and a formal announcment will be made Monday.
