Heather Lyke
On September 25, 2024, it was announced that Lyke would take over the role of Acting President and CEO of FBS Athletics Directors Association (formerly LEAD1 Association) on October 1, 2024 after current President and CEO, Tom McMillen stepped down.
From 2017-2024, Lyke served as the athletics director at University of Pittsburgh. Pitt’s progress was recognized when Lyke was named the Dapper Dan Sportswoman of the Year—one of the highest-profile honors annually bestowed in the Pittsburgh sports community—in February 2019. The year 2020 presented many challenges that continued to reverberate across America and abroad. In that regard, the University of Pittsburgh had a major asset in Director of Athletics Heather Lyke. Her influence during these challenging times was not been limited to Pitt. Lyke was an ACC representative on the NCAA Division I Council, a high-level group responsible for decision making that shapes the future for all of Division I Athletics. She was on the front lines of vital NCAA legislation geared to help student-athletes navigate this climate and beyond. Moreover, in July of 2021, Lyke testified in front of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on the negative impact of gambling on collegiate athletics. Her passionate and impressive testimony was punctuated by a call for Congress to prohibit such wagering for “student and student-athlete well-being; the integrity of amateur competition; and the compliance impact on all our institutions of higher education.” Beyond Pitt, she also provided leadership on NACDA’s Executive Committee as well as the LEAD1 Board of Directors. In the Pittsburgh community, Lyke served on the Board of Directors for the Hillman Cancer Center as well as P3R, a non-profit that promotes running and city races.
From 2013-2017, Lyke served as vice president and director of athletics at Eastern Michigan University. Prior to EMU, she was a ranking athletic administrator at Ohio State for 15 years. Lyke additionally held posts at the University of Cincinnati and with the NCAA.
From 1998-2013, Lyke worked at Ohio State, where she was a member of the athletic department’s executive team and a lead figure in the development of the Buckeyes’ strategic plan.
Lyke served at Cincinnati as the assistant athletic director for compliance as well as the senior woman administrator from 1996-98. She began her career at the NCAA as an intern in the enforcement and student-athlete reinstatement department from 1995-96.
Born and raised in Canton, Ohio, Lyke starred at GlenOak High School in volleyball, basketball and softball. She accepted a softball scholarship from Michigan, where she lettered four years as a first baseman and was an All-Academic Big Ten honoree.
Lyke and her husband, David Catalano, have three children: Elle, Sophie and Eli.
