Big East Basketball: Ranking all head coaches going into 2023-24 season
By Caleb Hall
No. 8: Kyle Neptune, Villanova Wildcats
Kyle Neptune took over hall of famer Jay Wright last season and is looking to settle better into his big shoes in the 2023-24 season.
Neptune was an assistant under Jay Wright from 2013-21 where he helped Villanova during their 2 championship runs and 5 Big East championship titles. Neptune then became head coach at Niagara for a season where he then took over Villanova last season after Jay Wright’s retirement.
Neptune seemed to be the consensus pick for the Villanova job since Wright retired and it didn’t take a lot of convincing to get him to come back to take over the Wildcats. Although Neptune had a season of being the head coach at Niagra for a season, that was completely different than coaching the national powerhouse that is Villanova. Neptune went 17-17 (10-10) in his first season in Villanova in what fans could only say was a disappointing season.
Neptune brought in a top 5 transfer class in 2023, and the fact he went .500 in his first season with the talent he had was underwhelming. However, this is his first year coaching at a high level program, and I wouldn’t take his first season with the Wildcats as a sign of things to come.
Neptune having a very good transfer class shows he can change with the landscape of college basketball. If he keeps bringing in good talent the coaching will come, and Neptune should become a better on the court coach from season to season. It also helps Neptune is bringing back the tradition of dressing sharply for every game. Which is something Jay Wright became lax on in his last year, which apparently deeply upset Villanova fans.
Neptune is low on the list right now but I wouldn’t be surprised if he climbs up the longer he is coaching Villanova.