<p>NEW YORK — Fordham is finalizing a deal to hire Villanova assistant Kyle Neptune to be its new men’s basketball coach. </p>
<p>A person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Monday that the Atlantic 10 school was close to an agreement and Neptune was likely to be introduced Tuesday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the school was not ready to make an official announcement. </p>
<p>The 36-year-old Neptune is a New York native who went to high school in Brooklyn. He has been an assistant coach under Jay Wright at Villanova for eight seasons, and part of a program that has won four Big East championships and two NCAA Tournament titles.</p>
<p>This will be Neptune’s first college head coaching job.</p>
<p>Wright would not confirm Fordham hiring Neptune in a Zoom news conference with reporters Monday, but said the former Lehigh basketball player was prepared to take the next step in his career.</p>
<p>“I think he’s more ready to be a head coach than most young guys X’s and O’s-wise and I think he’s got great character, great leadership skills, I think he’s going to be an outstanding head coach,” Wright said.</p>
<p>Neptune replaces Jeff Neubauer, who was fired in January, eight games into his sixth season with the Bronx-based school. Neubauer was 61-104 with the Rams.</p>
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<p>More AP college basketball: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/College-basketball">https://apnews.com/hub/College-basketball</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Top25">https://twitter.com/AP_Top25</a></p>
