UMass extended the contracts of one of its longest and one of its shortest tenured head coaches Thursday.

The athletic department announced that men’s lacrosse coach Greg Cannella, who has been at UMass for 23 years, and women’s basketball coach Tory Verdi, who just finished year one, both got extensions.

Cannella’s contract was extend through 2019-20.

“Greg has created a winning culture at UMass and we are excited to support him as our head coach for the foreseeable future,” athletic director Ryan Bamford said in an athletic department release. “Under Greg’s leadership, we are confident that with additional investments in our men’s lacrosse program, we will realize regular conference championships and increased national visibility.”

Cannella is 194-137 in 23 seasons.

Working with a very thin roster, Verdi was 9-21 in his first year in Amherst. His program management and recruiting convinced Bamford to extend him through the 2021-22 season.

“I am pleased to acknowledge the good work of Coach Verdi and his staff in his first year at UMass. It is evident that Tory is building a solid foundation for our women’s program that will yield future success,” Bamford said. “We look forward to supporting him in his efforts to recruit outstanding student-athletes, develop them in every way, and win championships at the University of Massachusetts.”

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage

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