Women's Basketball
- Title:
- Head Coach, Women's Basketball
- Phone:
- 412-648-8360
- Email:
- lancewhite@pitt.edu
Lance White enters his fifth season at the helm of the Panthers in 2022-23 after being named as the ninth head coach in Pitt women’s basketball history on April 19, 2018.
The Panthers closed out their 2021-22 campaign with an 11-19 overall record and 2-16 ACC mark. Pitt dominated non-conference opponents as they earned a 9-2 record, their best record in the non-conference portion of their schedule since 2009-10 (11-2). Following the season Dayshanette Harris and Liatu King earned Academic All-ACC honors for their work in the classroom and court. Under White's tutelage, Pitt has placed seven on Academic All-ACC squads.
Much to the satisfaction of White, rebounding has become one of the Panthers’ biggest strengths. Since White arrived at Pitt for the 2018-19 season, the Panthers have gone from 14th in the ACC (2017-18) in rebounding (33.1 rpg) to first in the ACC (43.9 rpg) last season. Overall, Pitt went from 325th in the NCAA in rebounding prior to White up to ninth in the NCAA last season, marking the biggest improvement in the nation across the four-year span. Pitt also led the ACC and ranked 14th in the NCAA in offensive rebounds per game (15.6 orpg). As a team, Pitt had six players averaging at least 3.1 rebounds per contest which was the most in the ACC.
Defensively in 2021-22, Pitt was able to limit teams from shooting a high percentage against them as they held 29 opponents to 45% or less shooting from the floor. Pitt and South Carolina were the only two teams in the nation to hold at least 29 opponents to 45% or worse shooting. The Panthers' length and athleticism were a major factor in limiting shooting percentages while Rita Igbokwe roamed the paint and posted a team-high 68 rejections.
The 2020-21 campaign was an interesting one for all involved but the Panthers continued to forge ahead on the court. White’s offense continued their steady improvement as they finished the season averaging 64.3 points per game during ACC contests, their highest per game average since joining the conference in 2013-14. The offense also netted 70+ points five times and 80+ points twice, the most by Pitt since joining the ACC.
Junior transfer Jayla Everett was able to make an immediate impact for the Panthers as she led the team in scoring (15.4 ppg) and three-pointers (52). Her 15.4 ppg was the highest per game average by a Pitt transfer in program history while also leading all ACC newcomers. Everett also earned Honorable Mention All-ACC honors, marking the first player under Coach White to earn All-Conference recognition and just the second in program history (Brianna Kiesel).
Off the court in 2020-21, sophomore Dayshanette Harris claimed her second straight Academic All-ACC award while the Panthers posted a 3.16 team GPA. Pitt also had eight ACC Honor Roll members, the most since 2016-17.
During the 2019-20 season, White’s second season in charge, the Panthers showed growth in every part of the program and it was capped with an ACC Tournament victory over the defending ACC Champions, Notre Dame. The win over the Irish marked just the Panthers second ACC Tournament win in program history as freshman sensation Dayshanette Harris knocked down the game-winning jumper with just 2.7 seconds left in the game. With the win, Pitt handed Notre Dame just their second loss in ACC Tournament history.
The foundation for the Pitt program was laid in season two as White’s “First Class” of seven student-athletes made huge impacts that will shape the program for years to come. The Pitt freshman class of Harris, Amber Brown, Emy Hayford and Rita Igbokwe was not only the best freshman class in the ACC but they were one of the best in the NCAA. The quartet averaged 31.0 points/game combined, the most ever by a Pitt freshman class.
The youthful Panthers roster during the 2019-20 campaign was able to gain loads of experience that will help down the road as Pitt was the only team in the ACC to start five newcomers, doing so in the final seven games of the season.
White signed his highest ranking recruiting class for the 2020-21 campaign as he will have five newcomers to the lineup, three freshman and two transfer student-athletes. The three freshman joining the program are Tracey Hueston, the 73rd ranked recruit in the 2020 class, Liatu King and Taisha Exanor. Hueston is the highest rated recruit for the Panthers since joining the ACC while King and Exanor are both three-star prospects with winning pedigrees.
Also joining the 2020 class will be New Mexico transfer Jayla Everett who earned the Mountain West Freshman of the Year accolades in 2018-19 after coming out of Kirkwood High School ranked as the 94th best player in the 2018 class. Sophomore Destiny Strother also transferred to Pitt after one year at Marquette, helping the Eagles to a 24-8 record while coming off the bench.
Off the court, the 2019-20 Panthers posted their best semester in the classroom since joining the ACC as they posted a team cumulative GPA of 3.481. Pitt also saw two student-athletes, Aysia Bugg and Harris, earn ACC All-Academic Team honors for the second straight season.
White notched his first career head coaching victory in the Panthers second game of the season on Nov. 9, 2018 as he led Pitt to the dominant 90-38 victory over New Orleans, their seventh largest defeat in program history and their largest in over a decade.
White collected his first ACC victory on Feb. 14, 2019 when the Panthers knocked off the North Carolina Tar Heels inside the Petersen Events Center, 91-78. The 91 points scored for the Panthers were their most scored in a game since 2014 and their most ever in an ACC contest. Another historic win for the Panthers during White’s first season was the road victory over Duquesne in the City Game as they downed the Dukes by the score of 66-58.
With White at the helm, Pitt upped its offensive efficiency as they had four players average over 9.5 points/game including leading scorer Danielle Garven who finished off her impressive senior campaign averaging a career-high 11.8 points and 4.3 rebounds. Fellow senior Cassidy Walsh also had a great season under White’s watchful eye as she quadrupled her scoring production from her junior season, averaging a career-high 9.7 points/game for the Panthers. Pitt also posted the fourth best season in school history from behind the arc as they connected on 32.7% from behind the arc while also bumping up their rebounding average to 35.5 rebounds/game.
Off the court, White had a pair of student-athletes, Jasmine Whitney and Cassidy Walsh, named to the All-ACC Academic Team, the most for Pitt since 2015 when they placed three on the team.
White came to Pitt after spending 15 years at Florida State, where he helped the Seminoles to a 350-145 (.707) record, including 12 seasons of 20+ wins.
During his final season at Florida State (2017-18), the Seminoles posted 25 or more wins for the fourth consecutive season, finishing with a 26-7 overall record and averaged the second-most points in a season in program history with 81.0 points per game. It was just the second time FSU averaged 80 or more points per game in a season. The team ranked in the Top 20 nationally in field goal percentage (20th), offensive rebounds per game (16th), rebound margin (sixth), rebounds per game (11th), scoring margin (10th) and scoring offense (13th). The Seminoles led the ACC in rebounding offense (42.8), rebounding margin (+10.0) and offensive rebounding percentage (41.4 percent).
During his time at FSU, 10 players were selected in the WNBA Draft, eight earned ACC All-Defensive team honors and 37 earned all-conference awards. He helped the Seminoles reach the NCAA Tournament in 13 of the past 14 years, while the team won at least one NCAA Tournament game in each of its past 15 appearances.
For his standout coaching efforts during the 2016-17 season, White was named the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) National Assistant Coach of the Year.
White helped FSU reach new levels of success and brought an infectious energy to the program. He directed the Seminole defense and offense during his tenure in addition to being one of the country’s top recruiters.
Florida State captured back-to-back regular season ACC co-titles in 2010 and 2011, and advanced to the 2010 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. After serving as assistant coach for the first nine seasons in Tallahassee, White was promoted to associate head coach in advance of the 2012-13 campaign.
Prior to FSU, White spent 11 seasons at Texas Tech, including five years as an assistant coach with the Lady Raiders’ top-10 program under legendary head coach Marsha Sharp. With White on staff, Texas Tech won three Big 12 championships and advanced to seven consecutive NCAA Tournaments, including five Sweet 16 and two Elite Eight appearances. He was a student assistant on Tech’s 1993 national championship team and a graduate assistant coach for two seasons before being elevated to a full-time coach in 1998.
While in Lubbock, White worked with some of the best players the game has ever seen, including National Player of the Year and three-time WNBA MVP Sheryl Swoopes as well as Plenette Pierson, who was named 2007 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year.
A 1996 graduate of Texas Tech, White earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports science. He went on to receive a master’s degree in sports administration in August 1998. He attended Lubbock Christian University for three semesters before transferring to Texas Tech in January 1993.
As a high school athlete in Spur, he was a three-time All-District selection, two-time All-Region, and two-time third team all-state choice in basketball. His high school basketball and football teams advanced to the regional round both his junior and senior years. In addition to his football and basketball accolades, he was listed in the Spalding Top 100 tennis players in 1991.
He is married to the former Melanie Smith. The Whites are the proud parents of Quentin and Vivian.
