Mike Magpayo has been hired as the new men’s basketball head coach, according to an announcement by the Fordham Athletics Department on March 29.
Magpayo comes to Fordham from the men’s basketball program at the University of California, Riverside, where he spent five years as head coach.
Magpayo is the first head coach hired by Fordham’s new athletic director, Charles Guthrie, who assumed the position in November 2024.
“It is about finding value in the margins. My whole approach to this whole program is that I really do believe Fordham is an undervalued asset.” Mike Magpayo, Fordham Men’s Basketball Head Coach
“Mike Magpayo is one of the top coaches in college basketball, and we’re excited that he will be joining us at Fordham,” said Guthrie. “Mike has a passion for nurturing student-athletes, and his data-driven analytics make him the perfect fit for Fordham. His strategic approach to coaching and recruiting has been proven to be successful.”
Magpayo worked on the Columbia University coaching staff during the team’s most successful run, a four-year search that began in 2010. His time spent on the East Coast shaped his understanding of the significance of New York City to a program like Fordham’s.
“It is about finding value in the margins. My whole approach to this whole program is that I really do believe Fordham is an undervalued asset. It’s in New York City, where the people and the alumni want a winning program,” Magpayo said.
Faith in Magpayo’s leadership is also reflected by fans of the program. Kurt Sippel, sports writer for The Ram and commentator for WFUV Sports, understands the kind of skill set Fordham needs in an athletic leader.
“I think the future of the program is in good hands. It was a little strange what hire Fordham went with, Mike Magpayo, a guy that’s really not known very much anywhere, but I think it’s still a pretty cool hire when you look into his record with UC Riverside,” Sippel said.
During his tenure at Riverside, Magpayo had a cumulative 89-63 record, with 55-32 in conference play. This year, the Highlanders finished with a 21-13 record, making it the second 20-win season under Magpayo.
The Rams have struggled both on and off the court in the last two years while led by former head coach Keith Urgo. There was never a lack of talent on the floor for the Rams, but they struggled to follow through on their potential. The 2024-25 season ended after the Fordham Rams won an opening round game of the Atlantic 10 (A10) Championship.
“It’s not that this team wasn’t really good because we see that they had the potential to be really good. There was just something that was going wrong,” Sippel said.
It has been over a month since the Fordham Athletics department fired Urgo. Since his departure from the program, several eligible players have made the choice to enter the transfer portal. Between a large graduating class and transfer decisions, there is a blank canvas for Magpayo to try and turn the Rams’ squad into a winning program.
“And if you put a good product on the floor that’s competitive, and that plays a winning style of basketball, people will come.” Mike Magpayo, Fordham Men’s Basketball Head Coach
“It is going to be a brutal 60 days. Number one, getting my staff in here, and number two, filling this roster, it’s a blank canvas, and we have to paint it and we have to paint it well, but we have to paint it on the hustle,” Magpayo said. “So being able to adapt and stay agile, stay poised and calm through it all is a challenge, but I can feel the team behind us, and it takes a village.”
Part of the challenge will be recruiting new Rams to the squad. For Magpayo, there are six key skills that he wants to instill in all his players.
“We like six-tool players. We evaluate players on: Can they dribble? Can they drive? Can they pass? Can they shoot? Can they defend and can they rebound?” Magpayo said.
Magpayo is not the only new addition to the basketball program from UC Riverside. Fordham announced on April 25 that forward Rikus Schulte has signed to the team. Schulte’s commitment to Fordham marks his return to the A10. Before his time with the Highlanders, Schultes played his freshman year at Davidson College.
Another struggle for Fordham Athletics has been fan turnout. It is no secret that basketball games are more fun when fans pack the stands and the players feed off their energy. Magpayo is focused on building a team that students will want to come out and support.
“I think the responsibility, you know, falls on us — myself, our coaching staff and the guys that we bring in and the type of student athletes that we bring in,” Magpayo said. “We have to put a good product on the floor. And if you put a good product on the floor that’s competitive, and that plays a winning style of basketball, people will come.”
The last two months have proved to be turbulent for the men’s basketball program. Despite the noise, Magpayo is focused on the most vital element: basketball.
“The ball is everything, so taking care of that rock is very important. That’s the most important part as you get guys in — that we’re all aligned and we’re all preaching the same thing. It’s to defend, rebound and take care of the ball, so you can expect a gritty team,” Magpayo said.
