Keith Urgo, Fordham’s Men’s Basketball head coach has been fired after three seasons leading the Rams, according to a statement posted by Fordham University Athletics on March 20. The announcement made by Fordham’s new athletic director Charles Guthrie stated that “the university is making a change in the leadership of its men’s basketball program, parting ways with head coach Keith Urgo.”
The Fordham Athletics Department is unable to comment anything further than their official statement on their website at this time.
Urgo’s departure from the head coach position of Fordham’s men’s basketball program comes after the team’s Atlantic 10 (A10) Championship run ended with their 88-81 loss to George Washington University in the second round on March 13.
In the opening round of the A10 Championship, the Rams beat Rhode Island University 88-71, however, their eventual loss in the second round cemented their last place standing in the conference and a 12-21 record this season.
Despite the timing or shock that the announcement has caused, Urgo has run into some significant trouble over his three years with the team. This announcement comes after the university imposed a four-game self-suspension for Urgo earlier in the season on Jan. 16. The self-suspension was due to an ongoing investigation by the NCAA into the program for potential recruitment violations.
The four-game suspension meant that Urgo left the team in the hands of associate head coach Tray Woodall who took over the Rams as interim head coach. The team won two out of the four games played under Woodhall, which accounted for two of the Rams’ three conference wins this year.
The 2024-25 season was Urgo’s third with the Rams. During his first season as head coach following the departure of Kyle Neptune, Urgo showed great potential, winning the 2022-23 A10 Coach of the Year after leading the Rams to a tied second-place regular season finish in the A10 with a 25-8 record.
However, in the last two years of Urgo’s leadership, the Rams have struggled to find the spark of his first year as head coach. Over the last two seasons under Urgo, the Rams have had a combined record of 25-41.
“I have been touched by the countless players, coaches, donors, alumni, students and fans that have reached out to me over the last several days. Your support has meant the world to me.” Keith Urgo, former Fordham Men’s Basketball head coach
The announcement about Urgo’s departure marks the first time since Guthrie took over as director of intercollegiate athletics this year, that the Fordham Athletics department will commence “a national search for its next head coach.”
Despite the struggles that Urgo and Fordham men’s basketball have faced in recent years, Urgo showed a deep care for the men’s basketball program and all his athletes. Additionally, Urgo’s ties to Fordham are not only to those part of the basketball program, but his grandfather is a Fordham alumnus.
Urgo pushed hard to try to bring the Fordham student body back to Fordham athletics games, coining the term “Rose Thrill” to describe the electric student body atmosphere he hoped to have at every basketball game in the historic Rose Hill gymnasium.
Former Athletic Director Edward M. Kull, who left Fordham at the start of the 2024-25 year posted a thank you to Urgo for his time at Fordham basketball on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“No one has cared more about Fordham U and its family’s alma-mater than @ Keith Urgo! Will always have #RoseThrill and the greatest season in 50 years of the Program! Though disappointing, thankful for Keith, his family and the role they played in changing a culture and campus!” Kull wrote.
“We stick with his mentality with the Fordham pride, we come in everyday and work our butts off and just try to follow his footsteps.” Japhet Medor, Gabelli Graduate School of Business ’25
Urgo thanked all those who have reached out since the athletics department’s decision was announced in an official statement he posted to his Instagram on March 25.
“While tremendously disappointed by their decision, I have been touched by the countless players, coaches, donors, alumni, students and fans that have reached out to me over the last several days. Your support has meant the world to me.” Urgo wrote.
The Rams’ 2024-25 guards Jackie Johnson III, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’25, and Japhet Medor, Gabelli Graduate School of Business ’25, were asked at the A10 Championship post-game press conference what allowed them to play their best basketball this season. They said that Urgo and the culture that he has cultivated amongst his players helped them to feel supported.
“Coach Urgo, everyday he came in energized, like he just said a couple minutes ago anybody who would have went through what we went through would have quit. But coach never quit so it is like we can’t quit, so he came everyday with energy and we just followed his lead,” Johnson said.
Without Urgo heading the ship for the Rams and the uncertainty of who will take over next, there have been reports that several athletes have made the choice to enter the transfer portal.
Medor followed his teammates’ comments by highlighting the importance of the “Fordham pride” that Urgo built over his time with the Rams, this mentality was focused on their work ethic as a team.
“We stick with his mentality with the Fordham pride, we come in everyday and work our butts off and just try to follow his footsteps,” Medor said.
As the Urgo era comes to an end, the Fordham community waits to see who will come out ahead of the athletics department’s national search for a replacement. This will be one of the first big decisions for Guthrie after coming to Fordham from Akron University.
On the 90.7 WFUV Sports “On The Hill” podcast following the announcement, Nick Guzman, FCRH ’25, one of the play-by-play commentators who followed the Rams all season for WFUV, shared his hopes for Urgo’s replacement.
“In terms of who comes next it’s gotta be somebody who has that same level of care and that level of fire, not just about this program but about this university. Because anybody can come here and lose,” Guzman said.
Urgo was also responsible for obtaining significant recruits to commit to Fordham in his three years as head coach. However, without Urgo heading the ship for the Rams and the uncertainty of who will take over next, there have been reports that several athletes have made the choice to enter the transfer portal.
According to sources at Rivals, Jaden Smith who redshirted his first year at Fordham has decided to enter the transfer portal. Additionally, forward Romad Dean will also enter the transfer portal, as said by his agent Lenny Minaya.
With one of the largest budgets within Fordham Athletics, the future of the Fordham men’s basketball program is uncertain. The Ramily will now have to wait and see how the program will move on from the Urgo era.
