Pitt fires women’s basketball coach Lance White after 5 seasons

The University of Pittsburgh fired women’s basketball coach Lance White, the school announced Friday. Here’s what you need to know:

White concluded his fifth season at the helm of the program with a first-round loss to Clemson in the ACC tournament on Wednesday.
The team went 10-20 overall this season, including 3-15 in conference play. The Panthers were 42-99 under White.
Pittsburgh’s deepest run at the ACC tournament during White’s tenure was to the second round in 2020 after upsetting Notre Dame in the first round.

Backstory

The Pitt role was White’s first head-coaching job after over 20 years as an assistant coach. He was with Texas Tech, his alma mater, for over a decade, then got his first ACC experience with Florida State from 2003 to 2018 before getting hired by Pitt.

White was named National Assistant Coach of the Year by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association in 2017.

The Panthers never finished better than 12th in the ACC under White. They went 2-14 in 2018-19, 1-17 in 2019-20, 3-12 in 2020-21 and 2-16 last year.

How appealing is the Pitt job?

The Pitt job is often considered one of the tougher places to win in women’s college hoops. Historically, this is a program that has only made it to the Sweet 16 twice (2007 and 2008) and while Pennsylvania has a solid recruiting base, those players usually opt for Penn State and more recently, Villanova. In an increasingly competitive ACC, Pitt has fallen behind and it’s hard to see how quickly this team could leapfrog other teams that have already begun to rise through the ranks. — Jennings

Who might the Panthers pursue?

Because of the issues stated above, the Panthers are unlikely to sway any sitting power conference coach from leaving their post. They’ll probably look at either a mid-major coach or, more likely, an assistant who’s already in the ACC or Big East. While the job might have its challenges, Pitt was paying White $612,000 this year, so for an ambitious mid-major coach or Power conference assistant looking for a shot at leading a team (and a pay raise), it could be the right combination. — Jennings

What they’re saying

“Coach White has been wholeheartedly dedicated to the betterment of his student-athletes and women’s basketball at Pitt,” Pitt athletic director Heather Lyke said in a release. “I’m extremely grateful for his efforts and wish him only the very best moving forward, both personally and professionally.”

Lyke added: “In looking to the future of Pitt women’s basketball, our goal is to be a perennial contender in the Atlantic Coast Conference and NCAA Tournament. I am confident that Pitt’s strong combination of people, facilities and institutional excellence will attract some outstanding candidates to be the next leader of our women’s basketball program.”

Required reading

(Photo: Jim Dedmon / USA Today)