Pitt hires College of Charleston coach Robin Harmony to take over reeling women's basketball program

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PITTSBURGH (AP) — College of Charleston coach Robin Harmony is heading north to take over Pittsburgh's struggling women's basketball program.

Pitt athletic director Allen Greene announced Monday that the Panthers have tabbed Harmony to replace Tory Verdi, who was fired this month after finishing 8-23, including a 1-17 mark in conference play. Verdi's dismissal came just weeks after several former Panthers filed a lawsuit against Verdi and the university alleging they were subject to abusive coaching methods and their pleas for the university to intervene went unheard. The school has denied the allegations.

Harmony spent seven years at College of Charleston, leading the Cougars to a program-record 27-6 mark, the Colonial Athletic Association title and their first-ever NCAA Tournament berth. Charleston hung tough in the first round against third-seeded Duke before falling 81-64.

The 2026 CAA Coach of the Year, Harmony won a school-record 122 games during her tenure with the Cougars. Harmony previously coached at Lamar, winning 115 games across six seasons while leading the Cardinals to three Southland Conference regular-season titles.

“Coach Harmony has built a reputation on forming meaningful relationships with student-athletes and leading with an athlete-centered philosophy that prioritizes their growth both on and off the court,” Greene said in a statement.

Harmony, a native of Hershey, Pennsylvania, starred collegiately at Miami. She is the only player in Hurricanes history in either the men's or women's programs to finish her playing career with 1,000 points, 750 rebounds, 400 assists and 300 steals. Harmony later served as a longtime assistant at Miami before becoming head coach at NAIA-level St. Thomas (Florida) in 2005.

“My promise to Pitt fans is to build a team that reflects the spirit of the University and the City of Pittsburgh with grit, determination and teamwork,” Harmony said.

The Panthers have largely floundered since moving from the Big East to the ACC in 2013. Pitt has posted just one winning season since making the move. The 2013-14 team won 20 games and reached the NCAA Tournament under former coach Suzie McConnell-Serio.

Pitt has finished four games under .500 or worse in each of the last 11 seasons.

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