Coach Tory Verdi

[pk77]

Bamford has had bad luck hiring coaches period. We have had bad luck with Bamford also, wish he would leave, oh yea thats right nobody wants him.

[Sheck]

On Twitter, there are a lot of calls for Lefler to get the job. It might work, but he has never been a head coach. A lot of DI experience as an assistant coach, but it's a big jump to the top job. He might be a fine choice, but I guess I would prefer a head coach with a track record.

They said the guy from FGCU (Karl Smesko) was in the running for the Pitt job. Anyone know anything about him? They were 33-4 last year and 17-1 in the ASUN Conference. The A10 would be a step up in conferences, but we might have a depleted roster.

Bamford should know Lefler well by now, and it he thinks he's good for the job I'd support that 100%. It wasn't just Verdi here who had this thing rolling, it was the whole staff, so try and keep it rolling.

I agree. I look at what happened with Dayton this year, going from A10 regular season champs to the bottom completely falling out after they went outside the program to replace their head coach. It might work out for them in the longer term, but I don't think we can afford to have that happen. All the cachet that the program built up over the last 3 years would be wiped out overnight. Promote Leflar.

[kikoandjimmer]

First, I would say thank you to Tory for his time at UMass. He put WBB back on the map and gave us a great run the last three years. I have been season tickets for about 15 years and the passion and excitement from fans that he brought to the program was lovely. My personal feelings about it is that we are a mid-major school with not a huge track record, so you really have to enjoy the good years and hope they last as long as possible. The 2021-22 season was amazing because it was the first year post-COVID we could really go to games again. I went to so many, including Norman, Oklahoma. Don't regret it at all.

Now that it seems official-ish, I would say that I talked to Taylor's parents after the NIT loss at Harvard. They asked what I thought about the Tory situation and I said I couldn't blame him if he leaves and then asked if Taylor would follow and the direct quote was "In a heartbeat"

As for the next coach, Dayton had a massive rebuild year after Shauna Greene (also losing a lot of Seniors) but look at what Saint Louis did this year.

I think next year will be more of a Dayton year. So many unknowns with the short bench, graduations, etc. There is a case for almost everyone leaving and not necessarily a good one for people staying, especially with the transfer rules and that most have 2+ years left of eligibility.

Regardless, already put the deposit down to renew my tickets, see you all in November!

[InnervisionsUMASS]

Good news... but until they actually name a new coach, and that coach signs the actual contract, it's never over.


Certainly interesting to see that money was one of the "issues"... wonder if Pitt lowballed Tory, or if his request was a bit out there....

Nailed it. Ugh.

[CapeCodBruiser]

Ladies College Basketball has more eyeballs watching it now more than ever. Programs around the country are going to invest to upgrade to get on the bandwagon. Good luck to Coach Verdi. I had a great chat with him at the Coach's Caravan last summer. As with any job at UMass I hope that an Alum is given a shot to get the gig. Maybe Bamford will add Curry Hicks Sage to the search committee.

[dennisdent]

The only positive is that this is the first head coach under Bamford that has done well enough to be hired by a P5 school as a head coach. Every other head coach has been fired/retired or moved to Deerfield Academy...

[mdogt12]

https://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2023/05 ... yn-battle/
Tori gets Aaryn Battle to commit

[69MG]

In case anyone is interested, Pitt is 1-4 with losses to GMU and Duquesne in addition to this shocker:

Mid-Major Madness
@mid_madness
29m
Coppin State knows a thing or two about an upset in Pittsburgh.

The Lady Eagles just went into the Pete and beat Pitt WBB!

The final was 61-56 and Coppin State was 2-3 going in with losses to LaSalle and Campbell. Tough start for Tory.

[LS71]

Pitt’s 2-5.
They’ve beaten Yale and Northern Kentucky and lost to two A-10 schools …George Mason and Duquesne…the aforementioned Coppin State, West Virginia and Akron.

[Jeff90]

As Seinfeld says. “Thats a shame”