Apologies for being in hibernation for some time. I’ve had lots going on behind the scenes in my life, but no, I am not in any trouble with the law.
Also, I deleted my Twitter account. But that isn’t stopping me from writing for A10 Talk (the postseason report is currently being assembled; right now, the Fordham coaching search is more of a priority).
The worst has come over the Rose Hill campus as Fordham announced last Thursday that it and Keith Urgo have parted ways. Despite the deficiencies over the last few years, Urgo’s energy and enthusiasm for Fordham will surely be missed, as the man single-handedly gave life to the Fordham student body to care about Fordham hoops—but that is not why we are here today.
Today’s exercise is focused on the names of coaches rumored for the Fordham job. This will be an opportunity to react to some names, rank them, and hopefully provide insight as to why these names could work.
I’ve gathered the names that have been suggested by various media members, folks from the Fordham internet spaces, and names that are under legitimate consideration. Let’s begin.
Names that are cooked
Kyle Neptune: To show how out of touch some of the Fordham fans are, suggesting Kyle Neptune as a legitimate option is a good way to turn the people against the administration in what has already been a trying time. It has become clear that Jay Wright knew he was going to retire and that Neptune would be the successor, which is why that whole thing went down the way it did. Fordham people don’t want coaches who don’t want to be here. This idea is dead.
Bob Walsh: Here is another ridiculous suggestion that came up in a Fordham X space. All you need to know about Bob Walsh is the image pasted below (image courtesy of College Basketball Reference):
Van Macon: Macon is considered an excellent recruiter/developer in the college hoops realm. At all of his stops, Macon was instrumental in bringing along top local talent that helped programs achieve some extraordinary accomplishments. Macon has never received his opportunity to sit in the first chair, and at this rate, it could seem unlikely, but if the next Fordham coach wants to hire him as an assistant, most would be all ears.
Brusier Flint: Flint had a long run with Drexel, where he made a few NIT appearances. Before that, he succeeded John Calipari at UMass and led them to two NCAA tournament appearances. Flint’s overall coaching record, while above .500, isn’t the most exhilarating hire for the Fordham job. Meh.
Joe Gallo: Since Merrimack was elevated to the Division I level, Gallo has done a lot of good things there. Three NEC regular-season titles and a conference tournament title are nothing to scoff at. Gallo has a great track record of player development and is a Jersey guy, but his sights may be set on jobs better than Fordham.
Tobin Anderson: This was the first name to pop up on the Fordham internet once Jon Rothstein reported that Urgo was let go, but reports are saying that Anderson is interviewing for better jobs. I’d imagine he’d jump at those first.
You may have opinions, but may I proceed?
Tom Pecora: Before the Fordham fans attack me, we must acknowledge that Pecora did good things at Fordham despite his on-court record: he was great with alumni, great at raising money, generated a good culture, brought in good players, developed them, and had everyone bought in. Pecora rebounded well at Quinnipiac and has a good idea of how to use NIL at a place that doesn’t have unlimited resources. The A10 now isn’t the one of 10 years ago when he was here, so perhaps he’d fair better in a much weaker A10. Pecora is unlikely to return, though spelling it out this way makes the idea intriguing.
Tom Crean: Stay with me now as I advocate for Tom Crean. He has a legitimate record of success between his time at Marquette and Indiana, and while his time at Georgia didn’t work out, Crean has been on TV for a while and seems to have an understanding of how the new age works. He does check lots of boxes between player development, running an exciting style, and being good with public rhetoric. Crean has come out saying he’d want to coach again, perhaps Fordham would be a good place for him to restart his career. Again, this is highly unlikely to happen; his name hasn’t been reported, but the idea fits the profile of what is needed (shoutout to Tony Patelis).
I see the vision, but it won’t happen
Kimani Young & Luke Murray: Both UConn assistants have gained traction for vacant head coaching jobs, and both have been thrown into consideration for Fordham—one source said that Murray did interview. My gut feeling says that while both would be considered as quality hires, they’ll want better jobs. Murray, in particular, is gaining traction from Xavier, making Fordham an unlikely destination.
Mike Hopkins: Bringing in anyone with high-major experience/NBA experience is always a solid hire. Hopkins was another early name that came up early in the search. He has high-major experience and did take Washington to the NCAA tournament, but faltered after the pandemic season. Since then, his name has quietly faded out of the pool.
Speedy Claxton: The Hofstra legend has three seasons of 20+ wins and is a master at navigating the transfer portal. Claxton has brought in the likes of Aaron Estrada, Darlinstone Dubar, Jaquan Carlos, Jean Aranguren, Cruz Davis, and Jaquan Sanders, and turned them all into much better players and sent some to high-major programs. While Speedy’s model would be ideal for Fordham in terms of bringing in talent and player development, he did have a down year this year out in Long Island. Perhaps another season at Hofstra is warranted before he jumps.
Phil Martelli Jr: This one only came up very recently from an ESPN piece. Martelli Jr would be a home run hire for the Rams, as he’s quickly proven to be a program builder and solid talent evaluator, with an AEC tournament title and an NCAA tournament appearance in only his second season. I’m not entirely confident that this will happen, but the fact that he’s in consideration says a lot about his talents as an up-and-comer.
Mike Magpayo: Another name that came up in that same ESPN article, Magpayo has won 20+ games two of the last three seasons, and made an NIT appearance this year. Magpayo also has a great track record of player development and seems to understand schemes well. With how recent that article came about, it’s hard for me to imagine Magpayo flying up to the top of the board that quickly.
Likely under legitimate consideration
Rob Senderoff: Senderoff was at Fordham when Nick Makarchuk ran the show all those years ago. Senderoff has built a legitimate program at Kent State with two conference tournament titles and never having a losing season—Senderoff did this in a MAC conference that has been run mostly by Akron between Keith Dambrot and John Groce. Senderoff would be a rock-solid hire so long as he can bring in the talent and win.
Patrick Sellers: Sellers took perhaps the most difficult job in all of the sport and turned CCSU in back to back regular-season champions in the NEC. He’s another elite program builder and could be a viable choice for the Rams. Questions will arise on whether he can adjust to the A10 level and get the ball rolling in the Bronx, but I think you go with someone who has material success in this new age.
Robert Jones: The longtime Norfolk State coach was thrown into consideration ever since the job opened. Jones is a native of Queens who has built a MEAC power down in Virginia. He has three MEAC tournament titles paired with three NCAA tournament appearances. Jones has been down in Norfolk for 11 seasons now and is rightfully deserving of a chance at the next level. The only issue here is that Jones is likely in high demand at other schools, so Fordham will be in a bidding war if they want Jones.
