2021-22 College Hoops Coaching Carousel
Rumors are flying about Nova and Wright. This will change the landscape of the Big East And nationally. Health issues or issues with Nova?
He has been a player or a coach since 1979. He is 60 so maybe he wants to go out on his terms. Even a program like Nova, there is stress and pressure. Maybe he is just tired of the recruiting game and with the portal, its more work. He is a HOF coach.
If Neptune steps up from Fordham, there's no meaningful chain of dominoes to fall, right?
From SI:
"Villanova is expected to fill Wright’s seat with Fordham coach Kyle Neptune, reports Jon Rothstein. Neptune, 37, spent eight years under Wright as an assistant coach, including for both national championships. He went 16–16 in his first season at the helm at Fordham and matched the program’s highest conference win total in the last 15 years. A Brooklyn native with deep ties in the Northeast, Neptune is known as an accomplished recruiter and a sharp tactician."
From SI:
"Villanova is expected to fill Wright’s seat with Fordham coach Kyle Neptune, reports Jon Rothstein. Neptune, 37, spent eight years under Wright as an assistant coach, including for both national championships. He went 16–16 in his first season at the helm at Fordham and matched the program’s highest conference win total in the last 15 years. A Brooklyn native with deep ties in the Northeast, Neptune is known as an accomplished recruiter and a sharp tactician."
Love this bit of a slam.
I'd love to compare the last 20 years between Wright and K. I'd probably give the edge to Wright without looking, but it would be great to see the stats on paper.
Perhaps I've been blind to Nova problems from an ethical standpoint but I'm assuming they aren't anything like what we've seen emanating from Durham.
Well done coach.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
Wright has been my favorite D-1 coach the past ~15-20 yrs. Just seems to be a solid, gracious, stand-up guy. Sad to see him leave, but he has had himself quite a run.
I concur. (Nice dig fella.) lol
I’m sure Jay ‘ll quietly walk away for good too. That seems like that’s how he rolls.
Whereas, K will find some way to come slithering back in one form or another. You just know he probably will…he can’t stay away he’s too much of a control freak.
Remember when his pal Boeheim was gonna step down…wink wink…after an 8 yr investigation turned up: academic misconduct, violation of their own drug policies, and of course $$…having to vacate 108 victories…He clearly had no damned intention of ever stepping down.
Any time one of the big East Coast schools comes open, I have to think Rutgers fans panic a little bit. If I were an AD at a big time basketball school in the north east, Pikiell would be my first, second and third calls.
With Villanova going with the Fordham coach, UConn seemingly heading in the right direction with Hurley, and Syracuse saying they already have a succession plan in place for Boehiem’s retirement, Rutgers is probably safe for a long time now. Unless St John’s or Georgetown decided they think they can rekindle past glories by dumping an absurd amount of money on a coach…
With Villanova going with the Fordham coach, UConn seemingly heading in the right direction with Hurley, and Syracuse saying they already have a succession plan in place for Boehiem’s retirement, Rutgers is probably safe for a long time now. Unless St John’s or Georgetown decided they think they can rekindle past glories by dumping an absurd amount of money on a coach…
Going to miss Wright - heck of a coach and a truly great guy.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
I've assumed for a long while that Boeheim is going to fly that program right into the mountain before they pry his cold, dead fingers out of it.
RedRocksIllini
- Morrison, CO
I just assumed he was hanging around long enough to see his grandkids through the program.
Hearing Bruce Weber to UMKC
redwingillini11
White and Sixth
- North Aurora
Bruce Weber coaching a University of Missouri institution? We can’t let this happen.
Someone get Fordham’s AD on the phone!
Someone get Fordham’s AD on the phone!
I wonder if NIL/transfer portal has anything to do with these recent big retirements?
What other ones are you thinking? Turgeon is the only other one that I can think that wasn't driven by performance.
That said I expect frustration level to rise
There's these two guys named Mike and Roy that come to mind
Roy Williams was quoted as saying he realized he wasn't giving his team his best any longer, and that's why he retired. He didn't think it was fair to them or the UNC program. He realized his time was up. Had nothing to do with NIL or the portal. And Coach K is 75 years old. I think that's a pretty acceptable age to finally hang 'em up.
IlliniTarHeel
- Topsail, NC
Roy Williams was quoted as saying he realized he wasn't giving his team his best any longer, and that's why he retired. He didn't think it was fair to them or the UNC program. He realized his time was up. Had nothing to do with NIL or the portal. And Coach K is 75 years old. I think that's a pretty acceptable age to finally hang 'em up.
It is not a coincedence that Roy retired very shortly after Walker Kessler entered the portal. He did not like the new transfer rules.
I think it offset the academic perks that UNC offered their athletes
Or it is a coincidence ...
Why Did Roy Williams Retire? The Legendary Coach Explains
Why did Williams retire?
The legendary head coach admitted that it had a lot to do with the pandemic. To put it simply: Williams burned out.
Williams said he came to realize that it was time. He also wanted to step away in a good situation for the next head coach.
“The more I delayed it, it made all of those things more difficult,” Williams told The Sporting News. “I really wanted to wait and do it a little later myself, for me personally. But if you’re talking about the next guy coming, it wasn’t going to be nearly as smooth if I waited longer.
“This is not just where I coached. This is my school, where I lived and where our children went. So that was the biggest concern: trying to figure out a time to do it that would be most beneficial for our program. That’s the only thing I’ve ever thought of, my whole life, is what was the best thing for our program.”
