When Pitt hired Johnny Majors the second time around in 1992 to resurrect the Panthers football program, it was a move that was celebrated because Majors was the last football coach to lead Pitt to a national championship.

But, after four years and a 12-32 record, Majors was unceremoniously dismissed.

The man who helped make the decision was Steve Pederson.

Now Pederson finds himself in the same situation as Majors in 1992. Five years after leaving Pitt to become the athletic director at Nebraska (his alma mater), Pederson returned to Pitt yesterday hoping to recapture the magic from his first tenure with the university.

Other people in the world of sports have rejoined organizations throughout the years with varying degrees of success.

Joe Gibbs left the Washington Redskins in 1992 to start a NASCAR racing team. He returned as coach of the Redskins in 2004, but his second tenure has not been as successful.

Gibbs has not won a playoff game since taking over again and is mired in a third losing season this year.

There have been success stories, too. Danny Murtaugh had four stints as Pirates manager because of health issues. He won his second World Series in 1971, two years after taking over again.

Pitt chancellor Mark Nordenberg said the decision was easy because he hired Pederson in 1996 and worked with him for six years.

"I really got to know this guy pretty well," Nordenberg said. "If there is a contribution I have made over the last dozen years it's that I have assembled a really outstanding team. We have people who are better at their jobs than any other place. I always thought Steve had that same talent and ambition.

"The key for both of us was to make certain that the same energy and ambition would be there. He also had to recognize that the university was a different place. Talking on the phone is different from sitting down with someone. When we came together, we picked up where we left off."

Nordenberg and Pederson spoke the day after Pederson was fired by Nebraska in October. They initially discussed the possibility of his return but did not meet face to face for a couple of weeks.

Pederson was excited about the possibility of returning to Pitt, but he said he wanted to take a step back and evaluate his emotions. After some time had passed, he realized that his feelings were not emotional and that another stint as Pitt's athletic director could be productive for both sides.

"What I was really excited about was what was best for the University of Pittsburgh," Pederson said.

"Wherever you go, you're going to be measured on the success you have whether you've been there before or haven't been there before. We have to work hard and show people we can do some great things here. It was very important to me that I feel 100 percent that I can contribute to the University of Pittsburgh and make good things happen."

Nordenberg was not bothered by Pederson being fired at Nebraska. He said he called people at Nebraska and people within the Big 12 Conference and heard nothing that made him think twice about hiring him.

Pederson was fired only months after signing a new contract extension. Not only was the football program going through another losing season under his watch, but the Nebraska athletic department became fractured because of his abrasive management style, according to a story published by the Lincoln Star Journal.

Nebraska chancellor Harvey Perlman told the paper that he had concerns over Pederson's leadership style and how he connected with staff members.

"All I know is that he was losing the support of people in the athletic department, many of whom were strong supporters initially," Perlman told the Journal Star. "He was just not positioned in a way that I think a person needs to be positioned to make the decisions that need to be made."

Pederson was a polarizing figure at Pitt during his first tenure. He was praised for getting the Petersen Events Center built and for brokering the deal to get Pitt to share the UPMC complex with the Steelers

But he also had a reputation for alienating people.

Shortly after he was hired in 1996, he fired seven athletic department employees and reassigned 18 others. He also managed to alienate some influential alumni.

Former Pitt football player Ralph Cindrich, who is now a sports agent, canceled his season tickets after Pederson fired football strength coach Buddy Morris, who has since rejoined the team under Dave Wannstedt. Several other Pitt alumni, including Tom Ricketts, Jeff Christy and Mark Stepnoski voiced their displeasure with Pederson for how he communicated with alumni about fund-raising.

One person who is not disappointed Pederson is returning is men's basketball coach Jamie Dixon. It was Pederson who convinced Dixon to come here to be Ben Howland's top assistant in 1999. Dixon was an assistant coach at Hawaii at the time and had some other options.

When Dixon was considering leaving Pitt for jobs at Arizona State and Missouri two years ago, he called Pederson at Nebraska for advice.

"I think everyone knows how important Steve has been to me over my career," Dixon said. "He's been a very good friend. He was the guy who convinced me to come here. I had a couple of different things I was looking through. I really felt with his support we could get this thing turned around. He and I have had the most optimistic outlook on it as anybody.

"I guess you can call him a coach's athletic director. He's always fully supportive of his guys and his people. That's always been his track record."