Fordham has hired Villanova assistant Kyle Neptune to be the Rams’ head coach, the school announced Tuesday. Neptune has been at Villanova since 2013 and was part of both the 2016 and 2018 NCAA National Championship runs.
“Kyle envisions a winning culture for men’s basketball, plans to bring the program to its rightful place on the national collegiate sports stage, and will also work to bring Fordham Athletics and the entire University to new heights,” AD Ed Kull said in the release. “I am deeply appreciative for the opportunity to support him as he becomes our Head Men’s Basketball coach and creates an energized winning environment for our students, alumni, fans, and our community.”
This is the first head coaching opportunity for Neptune, a Brooklyn-native who played at Lehigh and has also coached at Niagara under Joe Mihalich. He actually started his career at Villanova, bringing his total time with Jay Wright and the Wildcats’ program up to ten years.
“This is Fordham’s time,” Neptune said. “As a native New Yorker, I couldn’t be more thrilled to be coming home at a moment like this, when Fordham Men’s Basketball is poised to make its mark in the Atlantic 10 Conference and beyond. I know this program well and I know its potential to recruit and develop winning young men both on and off the court who will inspire Fordham fans and the entire community.”
Fordham parted ways with former head coach Jeff Neubauer in January after five and a half seasons, during which the Rams were 61-104 and failed to reach the NIT or NCAA Tournament. The program’s last NCAA appearance was in 1992 and the Rams have not won a conference title since 1994, when they were in the Patriot League.
credit to Fordham Athletics for the image
