Donors threaten to leave if Pederson stays

At least two regular Pitt donors threatened to halt their donations and other financial… At least two regular Pitt donors threatened to halt their donations and other financial contributions to the University if Athletic Director Steve Pederson is not fired following the coaching fiasco that has dominated Pitt football for the past week.

Both alumni donors, Paul Helsel and football great Bill Fralic, have been in the John Bowman Society since at least 2005, meaning they have donated between $10,000 and $24,999 each year.

Both men also claimed to have heard similar sentiments from a number of other donors — including one who has reportedly pledged six figures to the University — but declined to share those donors’ names.

“It’s between the other donors and the University,” said Fralic, who played on Pitt’s offensive line in the mid-80s and then for the Atlanta Falcons. “But I know a lot of big financial supporters, and there are a significant number of them that tell me they don’t want anything to do with the program or the athletic department anymore.”

Fralic said that he is likely to stop donating if Pederson — whom University leaders have repeatedly supported —stays at Pitt after a new head coach is named. Helsel agreed.

“That seems to be the main sentiment of a lot of the people I’ve talked to,” Fralic said. “I’ve watched every play of every game in the past 10-odd years. There have been some ups and downs, but I don’t remember ever feeling this low about the leadership. I feel like my guts ripped apart.”

Officials in the athletic department were not available for comment yesterday.

Robert Hill, Pitt’s vice chancellor of public affairs, said in an e-mail that “the University is obviously grateful for the generous contributions of thousands of donors who believe in its mission and are committed to its success. As almost all donors understand, however, the University could never let contributions of any size be used to target any of its employees, whether they are working in academics or athletics or some other area of the institution.”

When called, Hill declined to give further comment about Pederson.

Since news of new coach Michael Haywood’s arrest broke, sports commentators and Pitt alumni have questioned whether bad blood might be brewing between Chancellor Mark Nordenberg and Pederson. Some place much of the blame for the recent football troubles almost solely on Pederson.

But in a statement issued by the athletic department earlier this week Borghetti said, “Steve Pederson has played a key role in elevating Pitt’s athletics programs, remains an important member of the University’s senior leadership team and continues to enjoy the full support of the chancellor.”

Fralic and Helsel have not been the only Pitt alumni to question Pederson and other Pitt officials following Haywood’s arrest on a domestic battery charge and subsequent firing. Pitt graduate and longtime New York Times sports writer Murray Chass strongly questioned Pederson earlier this week.

Helsel, who reached out to The Pitt News yesterday, also said he is likely to stop donating to the University if Pederson maintains his role as athletic director.

“I’m not a multimillion-dollar donor, but I’ve given the University a lot of money in my years with no strings attached, and I don’t know if that will continue,” Helsel said. “I’ve been in touch with some of the biggest names in Pitt football history, and there is serious concern.”

Helsel is also likely to stop purchasing his football and basketball season tickets if Pederson remains at Pitt. He said that he is deeply concerned for the University, and that “there are some very significant people who have made significant pledges to the University such that if Pederson stays, they won’t be fulfilled.”

“Respectability and rebuilding the University is very important with these donations,” Helsel said. “Even academics who say that sports don’t matter get affected by this stuff — it’s University-wide.”

Haywood was named Pitt’s head coach on Dec. 16 and stayed just over two weeks in the position. News broke on New Year’s Eve that Haywood had been arrested for domestic battery after an incident in South Bend, Ind. He was released from the St. Joseph County Jail on $1,000 bond Saturday, and Pitt fired him that day. Haywood pleaded not guilty on Monday.