Football: Pitt fires Michael Haywood

Pitt fired head football coach Michael Haywood this afternoon, about two weeks after he received… Pitt fired head football coach Michael Haywood this afternoon, about two weeks after he received the position.

Haywood was arrested Friday for domestic violence after an incident in South Bend, Ind. He was released from the St. Joseph County Jail on $1,000 bond, according to multiple news sources.

Chancellor Mark Nordenberg said in a statement issued today that the University’s decision does not reflect whether it believes Haywood will be found guilty or not guilty, but rather “it reflects a strong belief that moving forward with Mr. Haywood as our head coach is not possible under the existing circumstances.”

“This is a matter of real regret for the many people at Pitt who had looked forward to working with him,” Nordenberg said. “However, head coaches are among the University’s most visible representatives and are expected to maintain high standards of personal conduct and to avoid situations that might reflect negatively on the University.”

Pitt will begin searching for a new football coach immediately, looking at a larger pool of candidates this time, Nordenberg said.

The Athletic Department selected Haywood in mid-December after former head coach Dave Wannstedt resigned under pressure following a 7-5 season in which four players were arrested on various charges.

Athletic Director Steve Pederson said at the time that he and his department viewed a list of 400 candidates for the head coaching position before meeting with Haywood and four other front-runners.