Villanova finally moves on from failed Jay Wright replacement after third-straight missed Tournament

Kyle Neptune failed to lead the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament across his three-year tenure, and now the Wildcats will go in a new direction.
Villanova Wildcats head coach Kyle Neptune
Villanova Wildcats head coach Kyle Neptune | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

It’s not an easy task to replace a legend and that’s what Kyle Neptune was asked to do at Villanova. It would be nearly impossible for Neptune to live up to the high standard that Wright had set with two National Championships over his 21 years leading the program, but Neptune fell disastrously short. 

After Jay Wright surprisingly stepped down as the head coach of the Wildcats following a trip to the Final Four in 2022, Neptune took over and failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament across his three-year tenure and did not produce a single 20-win season. Then, on Saturday, two days after the Wildcats were eliminated in the Big East quarterfinals by UConn, Villanova decided to move on from Wright’s replacement, firing Neptune. 

Villanova parts ways with Kyle Neptune after three seasons

2024-25 was Neptune’s best year on the Philadelphia Main Line, leading the Wildcats to an over .500 record in Big East play for the first time at 11-9. Neptune shepherded Eric Dixon’s development into the nation’s leading scorer, and he led elite three-point and free-throw shooting teams each year, but defensive issues plagued the Wildcats. 

Neptune entered the season on the hot seat, and while Dixon and Miami transfer Wooga Poplar led a midseason flurry and an upset win over St. John’s, a late-season loss to Georgetown and an early tournament exit sealed his fate. Neptune was a Villanova assistant under Wright from 2013-21 before he became the head coach at Fordham, ultimately returning to Philly a year later. 

Villanova hoped that hiring a former Wright assistant would ease the transition from the legend. Now with this hire, they’ll likely look to go in an entirely different direction to reestablish the program’s blue-blood reputation. New Mexico head coach Richard Pitino could be an intriguing option, bringing to the Big East to compete with his father at St. John’s.