Seton Hall Basketball: Shaheen Holloway introduced as Pirates new head coach
After a magical Elite Eight run with Saint Peter’s, Shaheen Holloway may have emerged as the hottest name in college basketball this March. The Seton Hall alumnus returns home to South Orange, NJ as the program’s new head coach.
After it was announced that Pirates’ coach Kevin Willard would be heading to Maryland, Shaheen Holloway was rumored to take over the program for weeks.
“I am incredibly excited to welcome Shaheen Holloway and his family home to Seton Hall,” Seton Hall Athletic Director Bryan Felt said.
Holloway set the program record for career assists and led the Seton Hall Pirates to the Sweet Sixteen in 2000.
He then served as an assistant under Willard for eleven seasons at Iona and Seton Hall before taking over at Saint Peter’s.
In four seasons at the helm of Saint Peter’s, Holloway went 64-54 overall, won the MAAC Coach of the Year honor in 2020, and made an unforgettable run in 2022.
He stole the show this year leading the 15-seed Peacocks to the Elite Eight with upset victories over Kentucky, Murray State, and Purdue. Saint Peter’s was eliminated from the tournament by North Carolina.
Holloway was welcomed by the Seton Hall community in an introductory press conference on Thursday after signing a six-year deal.
"“I can’t think of a better person to take over the program. Shaheen’s hard work and determination helped build the foundation of our program and that led to multiple NCAA tournament appearances and a Big East championship. He bleeds Blue and White, and I have no doubt that he will succeed,” Willard said."
Seton Hall’s roster still has plenty of pieces for Coach Holloway to work with, even with the losses of Ike Obiagu and Bryce Aiken. Guard Kadary Richmond will be back and if leading scorer Jared Rhoden comes back for the extra year, this could be a tournament team in 2023.
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Holloway will have a lot of work to do but, his biggest job will be to continue to lead Seton Hall on the path that Willard paved over the last twelve seasons and help the Pirates make a deeper run into the tournament.