After 13 seasons, the Jamie Dixon Era at Pitt is over.

Pitt announced on Monday that Dixon was leaving the Panthers to become head coach at TCU, his alma mater.

“On behalf of the University of Pittsburgh, I want to thank Jamie for his tremendous service to not only Pitt basketball but our entire institution,” Athletic Director Scott Barnes said in a press release. “His impact on our university went well beyond his coaching responsibilities. Jamie has always represented Pitt, and the game of college basketball, in exceptional fashion. For all of these things we are eternally grateful.”

Barnes inherited Dixon when he was named Athletic Director in July, but the two reportedly had a good relationship despite Barnes publicly stating that Dixon needed to improve the Panthers’ non-conference schedule.

Still, by all indications Barnes hoped to keep Dixon at Pitt for, at least, the short term, to allow Dixon a chance to return the Panthers to the success they enjoyed in the early years of his tenure.

Dixon was named Pitt head coach in 2003, succeeding Ben Howland, who brought Dixon to Pitt as an assistant coach in 1999. In 13 seasons as head coach, Dixon led Pitt to 11 NCAA Tournaments; two of those ended in the Sweet Sixteen and one saw the Panthers reach the Elite Eight.

Pitt was 328-123 with Dixon as head coach, including a 143-82 mark in conference play, a record that was split between 10 years in the Big East, where Dixon went 115-65, and three seasons in the ACC, where the Panthers were 28-26.

This season Pitt was 21-12 overall and 9-9 in the ACC.

“In recent weeks, Jamie and I engaged in a number of conversations regarding his long-term personal and professional aspirations,” Barnes said. “In accepting the job at TCU he is, in many ways, returning home. We all wish him and his family the very best in his new endeavor.”

“For 17 years—13 as head coach—Jamie Dixon has been a remarkable ambassador for the University of Pittsburgh,” University Chancellor Patrick Gallagher said in a statement. “He was a great leader who cared deeply for our student-athletes and our entire basketball program. I can appreciate that the rare chance of coaching for your alma mater does not come up very often and is hard to pass up, but we will miss him here at Pitt. We wish him the best and we now turn our attention to advancing our program, building on the solid foundation Jamie left us.”

Now Pitt enters a basketball coaching search for the first time since 2003. Less than 12 months into his time as Athletic Director, Barnes is on the verge of making his first signature hire.

“Our focus now turns to securing new leadership for our basketball program,” he said. “This provides us with the opportunity to find an individual who will maintain, and build upon, our stature as a perennial NCAA Tournament program.

“The University of Pittsburgh is an outstanding institution with all of the elements necessary to attract an equally outstanding basketball coach. I am excited about the opportunity we have before us.”