Villanova basketball parts ways with head coach after challenging season
03/15/2025 11:34 AM
Villanova basketball is firing coach Kyle Neptune, per On3. Neptune disappointed in his tenure at the school, following in the footsteps of legendary coach Jay Wright.
This season, the Wildcats posted 19 wins. The club got bounced by UConn in the Big East tournament. Villanova was unlikely to make the NCAA tournament.
“A national search for the next leader of Villanova men’s basketball will begin immediately,” Villanova Athletic Director Eric Roedl said in a statement.
Villanova went just 54-47 in Neptune’s three year tenure. The school hasn’t made the NCAA tournament since Wright decided to retire in 2022. Villanova was a national power under Wright, who won two national championships at the school.
Villanova basketball needs a home run hire
The Wildcats look nothing like they did just a few seasons ago. Villanova basketball won several Big East championships with Jay Wright as head coach. The team must now find a solid replacement to move the ship back in the right direction.
Neptune was an assistant coach under Wright for eight years at Villanova. He also served as video coordinator at the school from 2008-2010.
Neptune left Villanova in 2021. He came back after coaching at Fordham for one season. Neptune will likely look for another coaching job at a mid-major school, following his firing.
Villanova basketball made the NIT tournament in Neptune’s first two seasons. The program was unable to get out of the first round in each of those campaigns.
Villanova is one of the biggest brands in the Big East Conference. The school has three national championships, with two coming under Wright. The Wildcats won their first national title in 1985, under legendary coach Rollie Massimino. The school’s last title came in 2018.
Mike Nardi will serve as the interim head coach, per the school’s athletic director. It’s uncertain if the Wildcats will accept an NIT bid if offered one.
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