Villanova has fired men’s basketball coach Kyle Neptune after three disappointing seasons following the Jay Wright period.
The 40-year-old Neptune, who was in Wright’s teaching tree as an assistant on the college for eight years, failed to succeed in the NCAA Match in his three years on the helm and went 54-47 throughout that span. Neptune failed to interrupt via this season regardless of having the nation’s main scorer in Eric Dixon (23.0 factors per sport) and one of many higher identify, picture and likeness (NIL) budgets within the Big East. The Wildcats went 19-14, highlighted by losses to Columbia and Virginia, and unraveled in a number of video games, together with handing Georgetown its first regular-season sweep of Villanova since 1993.
The usual for achievement modified underneath Wright, who led Villanova to the highest of the map with nationwide titles in 2016 and 2018 whereas producing high-level NBA gamers and going 263-53 over his closing 9 years on the job.
When former Villanova athletic director Mark Jackson, who employed Neptune, took the Northwestern athletic director job final August, it felt just like the writing was on the wall — until Neptune turned the ship round this season. However it was extra of the identical, with a staff that possessed expertise and 3-point taking pictures however lacked the flexibility to shut video games.
New Villanova athletic director Eric Roedl, who got here from one of many winningest athletic departments within the nation at Oregon, took the job in November with the peace of mind that he can be in command of hiring and firing duties, sources advised FOX Sports activities. Roedl has been in statement mode of this system since taking the job, and with Neptune shedding the assist of key backers, sufficient was sufficient for the college’s brass.
The place do the Wildcats flip now?
Search for Northwestern head coach Chris Collins to be a main candidate, with Drake’s Ben McCollum, New Mexico’s Richard Pitino, Vanderbilt’s Mark Byington and Colorado State’s Niko Medved probably on their radar as nicely, based mostly on what sources advised FOX Sports activities.
Assistant Coach Mike Nardi will function this system’s interim head coach and a nationwide search will get underway for Villanova, a model that had risen to the highest of the game not way back however with a generational nice in Wright. A useful job? Completely. However a curious seek for a faculty that has to go outdoors the household.
John Fanta is a nationwide faculty basketball broadcaster and author for FOX Sports activities. He covers the game in quite a lot of capacities, from calling video games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Community to offering commentary on The Discipline of 68 Media Community. Comply with him at @John_Fanta.
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