Pitt Fires Women's Basketball Coach Tory Verdi

Verdi's dismissal comes amid allegations of abusive coaching methods and Title IX violations.

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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The University of Pittsburgh has fired women's basketball coach Tory Verdi after three seasons with the program. Pitt's athletic director cited a lack of competitive progress as the reason for the dismissal, which comes nearly a month after six former players filed lawsuits against Verdi and the university alleging abusive coaching methods and Title IX violations.

Why it matters

Pitt women's basketball has struggled to find success since joining the ACC in 2013, with only one postseason appearance in 13 seasons under three different coaches. The allegations against Verdi and the program's continued poor performance have raised concerns about the university's commitment to supporting and developing its women's sports teams.

The details

In three seasons under Verdi, the Panthers went 29-66 overall and 8-46 in ACC play. This past season, they finished 8-23 and 1-17 in conference, with their lone ACC win coming against a 5-26 Boston College team that also fired its coach. The university has not commented on whether it is conducting an internal investigation into the allegations detailed in the lawsuits filed by the former players.

  • Pitt fired Tory Verdi on Tuesday, March 4, 2026.
  • Six former players filed lawsuits against Verdi and the university nearly a month prior to his dismissal.

The players

Tory Verdi

The former head coach of the Pitt women's basketball team, who was fired after three seasons with the program.

Allen Greene

The athletic director at the University of Pittsburgh, who announced Verdi's dismissal.

Matt Racunas

Tory Verdi's personal attorney, who previously stated that he and Verdi were confident the truth would prevail.

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What’s next

The search process for Pitt's next women's basketball coach is already underway.

The takeaway

Pitt's dismissal of Tory Verdi amid allegations of abusive coaching and Title IX violations highlights the ongoing challenges faced by women's sports programs in establishing a culture of success and accountability. The university's commitment to addressing these issues and supporting its female athletes will be closely watched in the coming months.