Eastern Kentucky coach Jeff Neubauer talks to his players during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Miami in Coral Gables, Fla. Joel Auerbach/AP
By Max Prinz
Fordham has hired Jeff Neubauer, previously the head coach at Eastern Kentucky University, to be its next head coach of men’s basketball, according to a number of reports online.
Neubauer went 188-134 (a .584 winning percentage) in 10 seasons as the head coach of the Colonels. He also had had five 20-win seasons at Eastern Kentucky and made the NCAA tournament twice.
“I am thrilled to get the opportunity not only to be head coach at Fordham but to coach in New York City,” Neubauer said in a statement released by the university. “I really love challenges and am very aware of how competitive the Atlantic 10 Conference is and I’m looking forward to helping Fordham move forward in the conference.”
A native of Louisiana, Neubauer has some experience with Atlantic 10 schools. He graduated from La Salle in 1993 and was a member of an Explorers squad that, although playing in the MAAC, went 30-2 and earned an NCAA tournament berth in Neubauer’s freshman season. La Salle accumulated two more postseason berths and an overall record of 83-36 during his four years on the squad.
“We are absolutely thrilled that Jeff Neubauer has decided to become the next head men’s basketball coach at Fordham,” said athletic director David Roach. “He has proven himself as one of the top up-and-coming coaches in the country and brings a tremendous amount of experience to our program. We are confident that Jeff can lead us to success in the Atlantic 10 Conference, one of the top basketball conferences in the nation.”
“We are delighted to welcome Jeff Neubauer to the Fordham family,” said Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university. “His ability to inspire superior performance on the court and in the classroom fits well with Fordham’s mission and our culture. Likewise his winning record at Eastern Kentucky will serve Fordham well. Most importantly, we believe Jeff will be a positive force for our student athletes, in their careers and in their lives.”
Prior to arriving at Eastern Kentucky, Neubauer served three seasons as the top assistant at West Virginia under head coach John Beilein where he helped fuel the Mountaineers’ rapid rise to national prominence.
Jeff Goodman, who covers college basketball for ESPN, gave a less than thrilling endorsement of the hire on Twitter.
