Tory Verdi was fired as the women’s basketball coach at Pitt after a third losing season.
Verdi’s dismissal comes at a time when he is the defendant in six lawsuits filed by former players.
Athletic director Allen Greene did not mention the litigation, which lists the university as a co-defendant, in his statement announcing Verdi’s departure.
“After a thorough and thoughtful evaluation of our women’s basketball program, it has been determined that we have not progressed enough competitively and now is the right time to seek a new leader for our program,” Greene said in a news release issued Tuesday. “We thank Tory for his dedication over the past three seasons and wish him and his family nothing but the best in their future endeavors. The search process for our next leader is already underway.”
In their lawsuits, the women alleged that Verdi’s behavior included creating a “hostile” environment, verbally abusing them, treating mental-health concerns with “hostility,” body shaming and retaliation against players.
In one instance cited in some of the lawsuits, Verdi allegedly told a foreign-born player to “go back home because ICE is coming.”
The lawsuits, filed Feb. 6 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, also named the university for its alleged failure to take action despite multiple officials being aware of the women’s accusations.
In the aftermath of the lawsuits, a Pitt spokesperson told media outlets, “The university is aware of these lawsuits and their allegations, which are without merit and will be vigorously defended.”
Pitt ended a miserable season with an 8-23 record (1-17 in the Atlantic Coast Conference) and did not qualify for the season-ending tournament.
Verdi’s final game, a 93-43 loss to North Carolina State on Sunday, was the Panthers’ 14th consecutive loss.
He took over the program ahead of the 2023-24 season and compiled a 29-66 (8-46 ACC) record.
Verdi previously was the head coach at Eastern Michigan (2012-16) and Massachusetts (2016-23).
–Field Level Media
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