Fordham Athletics announced Thursday, April 28, that the university was hiring Keith Urgo to be the next men’s basketball head coach. Urgo was promoted to interim head coach on April 20 following former Head Coach Kyle Neptune’s departure to Villanova University, but the former associate will now take over as Neptune’s long-term replacement.

“I can’t tell you how excited I am to be named head men’s basketball coach at Fordham,” Urgo said in a statement. “This is a dream come true for me and my family and I can’t wait to get started building on what we accomplished last year.”

When Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Ed Kull announced that Neptune would be replacing longtime Head Coach Jay Wright at Villanova last week, he also said Fordham was preparing to conduct a “national search” for a permanent replacement. But the university has since changed course, promoting Urgo to the full-time position after just nine days.

The coach received an outpouring of support from current and past players on the Fordham roster.

“We are thrilled to announce Keith as the next leader of our Fordham men’s basketball program,” Kull said. “After an extensive search process, Keith emerged as the top choice due to the leadership role he has played in the program’s strategic plan, his Fordham roots, and his vision for creating a winning environment for our student-athletes, alumni, fans, and community.”

Following Urgo’s initial promotion last week, the coach received an outpouring of support from current and past players on the Fordham roster. In addition to offering their congratulations, Chuba Ohams, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences ’22, former player Antonio Daye Jr. and others took to Twitter to vouch for him as a long-term replacement. It appears that their endorsements were heard.

Before joining Fordham for the 2021-22 season, Urgo spent nearly two decades coaching for some of the biggest programs in college basketball. After three seasons as an assistant at Gonzaga University from 2004 to 2006, Urgo spent five years working at Villanova as a video producer, director of basketball operations and assistant. He then spent nearly a decade at Penn State, where he worked his way up to become the associate head coach of the program. He accepted the same position at Rose Hill in May 2021.

@kyleneptune is going to do an amazing job at Villanova and I’m so proud of him. With that being said, KEITH URGO is the man for the job !!

— Chuba Ohams (@_COhams) April 21, 2022

When Fordham conducted a national search last year to replace former Head Coach Jeff Neubauer, the university took two months to hire Neptune. This year’s nine-day search culminating in an inside hire is a sign of confidence in the program’s existing structure. In a statement, University President the Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., said that the administration felt secure in the university’s decision.

“Keith Urgo brings to the head coach’s position not only an impressive basketball pedigree, but a solid grounding in Jesuit education from high school onward,” McShane said. “Keith will be a strong role model for our student athletes, and a great leader for the team.”

In just one season under Neptune, the Rams improved dramatically, earning a 16-16 overall record in the regular season and making a run to the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament. It was the team’s first season without a losing record since 2016, as well as its most successful postseason since 2007. Throughout the year, Fordham relied heavily on the contributions of six transfer players, three of whom had previously played for Urgo at Penn State.

The university is clearly encouraged by the team’s progression, and Urgo has been a part of that success. With three prospects already committed to Fordham for next season, including four-star recruit Will Richardson, the new head coach seems to have a clear path forward.

Urgo will be formally introduced at a press conference on Friday, April 29, at 1 p.m. in the new McShane Campus Center on Fordham’s Rose Hill Campus. The event is open to the public.

Get the latest Fordham sports updates on your Twitter feed. Follow The Observer’s sports Twitter page here.