Fordham Basketball: 10 potential candidates to replace Jeff Neubauer

Kyle Neptune

If we’re talking about young assistants who have earned their shot to be head coach, then we’d be remised if we didn’t discuss Neptune and what he’s done in recent years. Like a few others on the list, he’s never been a head coach, but that shouldn’t limit what he could possibly do for a program like Fordham.

Born in Brooklyn, Neptune played college ball for Lehigh before winding up as a video coordinator at Villanova. He began his full-time coaching career at Niagara before returning to Villanova in 2013. In these last eight years, he’s played a major role in the Wildcat’s success, both in developing and recruiting some of the talent that has helped Villanova win a pair of national championships.

Neptune is ready to be a head coach, much like fellow former Villanova assistants Baker Dunleavy (Quinnipiac) and Ashley Howard (La Salle). Fordham would be landing a local head coach with a championship pedigree who’s been part of success and can bring some of that success to the Rams. Neptune isn’t going to be leading Fordham to anywhere near the same success that Jay Wright brought to Villanova, but if he can bring talent and coach them up, then there’s no telling where this Fordham program could soar.