Gottfried was replaced by his offensive coordinator, Paul Hackett, just prior to the 1989 John Hancock Bowl in which Pitt defeated Texas A&M. Under Hackett, the Panthers went 3–7–1 in 1990, improved to 6–5 in 1991 but fell to 3–8 in 1992, leading to his dismissal as head coach. Assistant coach and Pitt alumnus Sal Sunseri took over as interim head coach for the final contest at Hawai'i. With new academic policies in place, the football program underwent a steep decline. Hackett only posted one winning season. Hackett's overall record at Pitt is 13–20–1.