Editor’s note: This story is breaking and will be updated as information becomes available.

After signing a five-year extension that locked him up through the 2026-27 season on Nov. 29, 2022, sources confirm Tory Verdi accepted an offer to become the head coach for the University of Pittsburgh women’s basketball team. Verdi will attend a press conference at Pitt announcing him as head coach early Friday afternoon, according to sources.

UMass associate head coach Mike Leflar is viewed as a candidate for the the vacant head coaching role among others, according to sources. Leflar started coaching with the Minutemen in May 2018, with prior assistant stints at Northeastern, Boston University, Binghamton and and the University of Pennsylvania.

Verdi wrapped up his seventh season at the helm of the Massachusetts women’s basketball team, leading it to the most wins in program history in the 2022-23 season. Verdi leaves Massachusetts with an all-time record of 128-86.

Verdi coached the Minutewomen to an Atlantic 10 tournament win and qualified for the NCAA tournament as the No. 12 seed during the 2021-22 season, losing to Notre Dame in the first round. UMass built on its success from year-to-year when it, along with Rhode Island, won the regular season championship this past season. Verdi and the Minutewomen also made two trips to the Women’s NIT Tournament in the 2020-21 season as well as the 2022-23 campaign.

Pitt finished 10-20 with a 3-15 record in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season. The last time the Panthers had a winning season was 2014-15, when they went 20-12 with a 9-7 record in ACC play.