The university again looked to its past to reverse its fortunes and brought back Johnny Majors, who had recently resigned from Tennessee after a successful 16-year tenure there. However, recruiting had fallen off significantly under Hackett, and the quality of Pitt's football facilities had fallen behind those of its competition. Over the next four years, Majors tried to recreate the magic of the 1976 season but achieved little success. His final campaign in 1996 resulted in a 4–7 record which included several humiliating defeats. A new chancellor, Mark Nordenberg, brought in athletic director Steve Pederson in 1996 to resurrect the program. The move facilitated Majors' retirement from coaching following the 1996 season, although he continued to serve the university in the position of Special Assistant to the Athletic Director and Chancellor until the summer of 2007.