Heather Lyke is making progress in attempting to rent the brand new head coach of the Pitt ladies’s basketball program.

Since Lyke made the choice to maneuver on from Lance White on March 3, she has already talked with a handful of candidates, and a supply near this system advised Pittsburgh Sports activities Now that a minimum of a number of of the coaches that Lyke has interviewed have made it right into a second spherical.

UMass head coach Tory Verdi, Toledo head coach Tricia Cullop and George Washington head coach Caroline McCombs have all interviewed with Pitt as soon as and can get interviews when Pitt advances to the second spherical. One other person who interviewed for the job was Marquette head coach Megan Duffy, but it surely’s not clear if she’ll speak with Lyke once more.

Verdi has been head coach at UMass since 2016 and has 25 years of expertise has each a collegiate {and professional} coach. Verdi coached groups have superior to postseason play 16 of the final 21 seasons since 2001-02. Previous to his time at UMass, Verdi was head coach at Japanese Michigan, the place he labored for Lyke.

Cullop, 51, has been the pinnacle coach at Toledo since 2008. Previous to that, she was head coach at Evansville for eight seasons. Her total report as a head coach is 419-268 (.610). Cullop has gained three MAC championships at Toledo, made it to the NCAA Event as soon as and the WNIT eight occasions, together with profitable it n 2011.

McCombs grew to become the pinnacle coach at George Washington in April 2021. Previous to that, McCombs was the chief of the Stony Brook program, the place she led the Seawolves to their first NCAA Event look in 2021. In seven years at Stony Brook, McCombs gained 130 video games. Previous to changing into a head coach, McCombs was an assistant coach, together with at Pitt from 2005-10.

Duffy, 38, has been the pinnacle coach at Marquette since 2019 and previous to that, she spent two seasons as head coach at Miami, Ohio, the place she went 44-20 total and 25-11 in league play. Since taking on at Marquette, Duffy has the very best profitable share of any coach in this system’s historical past, going 87-36 total and 53-23 in Large East play. In November 2021, Duffy was named as one of many 40 Underneath 40 rising stars in ladies’s basketball.

Regardless of having interviewed these candidates, our supply tells us {that a} determination on White’s substitute isn’t thought of imminent. Lyke might wish to see who else may grow to be out there as groups lose within the NCAA event.

The Pitt program simply completed its eighth consecutive dropping season and Lyke made the choice to begin over after White’s groups went 42-99 total and 11-75 in convention play throughout his tenure.

The NFL journey will proceed for former Thomas Jefferson star Chase Winovich.

Winovich signed a 1-year, $2.75 million cope with the Houston Texans Monday afternoon, taking his identify off the market on the primary day of the 2023 NFL free company window, KPRC’s Austin Wilson reported.

#Texans signing defensive finish Chase Winovich to a one-year deal value as much as $2.75 million, per a league supply

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 13, 2023

Winovich spent the 2022 season with the Cleveland Browns, after arriving in a commerce from the New England Patriots final March, however he was solely capable of play in eight video games final season as he handled an damage.

In 4 NFL seasons, three with the Patriots and one with the Browns, the Jefferson Hills native has recorded 105 tackles (70 solo), 11 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, an interception, three cross breakups and a pressured fumble.

After a robust first two seasons in New England, Winovich hasn’t constantly been capable of keep on the sphere over his final two seasons. However he needs to be in line to carve out a minimum of a depth function on the Texans’ defensive position.

Winovich was drafted within the third spherical of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Michigan, the place he was an All-Large Ten and All-American performer. In 4 years in Ann Arbor, he racked up 166 tackles (86 solo), 43 tackles for loss, 18.5 sacks, three pressured fumbles and recoveries and a cross breakup.

He initially dedicated to Michigan as a four-star recruit within the class of 2014, spurning heavy curiosity from childhood favourite Ohio State, amongst different colleges.

To not be misplaced within the midst of Pitt’s first NCAA Event recreation since 2016, and sure, the play-in recreation counts as a event recreation, spring ball kicks off early Tuesday morning.

The offense could also be going by a rejuvenation, however it’s the protection that should complement from inside. There are a number of NFL draft picks that won’t be round subsequent season, seemingly throughout all three ranges of the protection.

If the draft goes properly, there can be 4 2022 starters within the NFL. That’s important.

But when there’s any kind of philosophy in relation to the protection, it’s that the Panthers don’t rebuild, they reload. Particularly alongside the line of defense, the place Charlie Partridge is ready to work his magic.

There’s quite a bit younger expertise to be enthusiastic about getting into the 2023 season, and the spring session would be the first have a look at who’s grown and the place.