If there is one thing Tory Verdi has, it’s confidence.
Verdi, who most recently helped lead a total turnaround at UMass, was introduced Friday as the 10th women’s basketball coach in Pitt history.
“Today is the day that we start winning,” said Verdi during his introductory press conference at the Petersen Events Center. “And we will win big here. I felt it from the moment I stepped on campus.”
Verdi replaces Lance White, who spent five years as the Panthers’ head coach.
“We had great expectations of what we needed in our next leader, and we did not settle for anything less,” said Pitt Athletic Director Heather Lyke. “We found that leader in Tory Verdi.”
Lyke is certainly familiar with Verdi, having served as the Athletic Director at Eastern Michigan, where Verdi coached from 2012-2016.
“For two years I watched Coach Verdi’s work ethic,” Lyke said. “I saw how he built relationships with his players, the interactions with our donors and our community. I saw his concept of family come to life.”
In particular, Lyke witnessed Verdi’s compassion and resilience on display when one of his players tragically died in a car accident in 2015.
“I saw how Tory embraced every player on our team and brought that family together in the toughest of times,” Lyke added.
Verdi inherits a program that went 10-20 last season, with a 3-15 mark in ACC play.
“The lack of success in this program has scared many coaches off,” he said. “Not me.”
Pitt currently has four players with the program — freshmen Aislin Malcolm and Marley Washenitz, as well as seniors Liatu King and Gabby Hutcherson. King is the team’s top returning scorer and rebounder, having averaged 9.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game last year.
Pitt also has a recruiting class signed that includes three players, including North Allegheny point guard Jasmine Timmerson, and Canadian products Lauren Rust and Hannah Mills-Watson.
“We’re not waiting for three years,” said Verdi. “We’re not saying that we need all this time to rebuild and get the right people in. We’re winning. I’m not going to sit here and tell you a number, but I can tell you that this team will be different.”
UMass went 45-134 in the six years before Verdi’s arrival in Amherst. But the Minutewomen won 89 games over the last four seasons, including 53 in the last two years. They claimed an Atlantic 10 regular season title in 2022 and a conference tournament title the year before, qualifying for postseason action in three consecutive years.
“His proven ability to build and elevate programs is undeniable,” Lyke said. “You win with people, and I am confident that we are going to win with Coach Verdi.”
Verdi, a native of New Britain, Connecticut, has coached as an assistant at Columbia, Nebraska and Kansas before taking over at Eastern Michigan. Following an 8-22 first year in Ypsilanti, Verdi won 64 games over the next three seasons before leaving for UMass.
“I think everyone wants instant gratification,” he said. “But I will tell you this, there is nobody out here who is more competitive than myself. There’s nobody who wants to win more than myself. So I don’t have patience.”
Verdi could benefit from something he didn’t have as readily accessible in his last two first years as a head coach — the transfer portal. It will provide the Panthers with a chance to bring in immediate contributors.
“We’re going to be really busy, there’s no question about that,” Verdi added. “I’m excited about the four players we have in our program right now. They’re my main priority… But we’re going to tackle to portal. There’s a lot of work to be done here.”
Pitt will look to reverse course in what has been a challenging run in one of women’s basketball’s toughest conferences, the ACC. The Panthers have not reached the NCAA Tournament since the 2014-15 season, the school’s second year in the ACC.
But there is certainly cause for optimism. Under Lyke's watch, Pitt has seen remarkable turnarounds in men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball in recent years. The football team has claimed an ACC title and Verdi’s men’s team counterpart, Jeff Capel, helped the Panthers break through to the NCAA Tournament just weeks ago.
And Verdi, brimming with that confidence, knows that it may just be a matter of time before he can do the same on the women’s side.
“This is the City of Champions,” he said. “It’s time we do our part. It’s time to get to work. It’s time to play for and win championships.”