Kyle Neptune joins Charlotte Hornets as assistant coach, bringing Villanova experience to NBA roster

Kyle Neptune, the former head coach at Villanova, is allegedly joining the Charlotte Hornets. He has decided to join Charles Lee's coaching staff as their newest assistant coach. He earned two national titles with the Wildcats while working under Jay Wright from 2013 to 2021.

As the successor to Wright, Kyle Neptune assumed the role. Meanwhile, announcing the news, Shams Charania reported the same on X.

Kyle Neptune joins Charlotte Hornets as assistant coach to develop young talent

Kyle Neptune has located his next coaching position five months after being fired as head coach of the Villanova Wildcats. Less than two months before the season began, he joined coach Charles Lee's staff on Friday when he was hired as an assistant coach by the Charlotte Hornets. Announcing the news, NBA insider Shams Charania took to X and wrote: “Former Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune has agreed to a deal to become an assistant coach with the Charlotte Hornets under Charles Lee, sources tell ESPN….”

His precise position on the coaching staff is still unknown, however there was a void left by Chris Jent's departure to take a position as associate head coach with the New York Knicks. The Hornets still have a lot of young players on their roster, despite the presence of veterans like Miles Bridges, Collin Sexton, Pat Connaughton, Miles Plumlee, and Grant Williams. Bringing in a college coach, particularly one who contributed to the development of a reliable powerhouse, makes sense.

Charlotte needs to turn all of its talent into a competitive basketball product, even though it has a previous All-Star in LaMelo Ball and possible future ones. The new assistant aims to support the further growth of Ball, Miller, and upcoming youngsters Kon Kneuppel, Liam McNeeley, Sion James, and Ryan Kalkbrenner. Before training camp starts, Kyle Neptune will have some time to get used to his new surroundings.

Why is Kyle Neptune suitable for the Charlotte Hornets?

During his three seasons, Kyle Neptune finished 54-47 and missed the NCAA Tournament.

Prior to taking the Villanova’s position, he spent a year as head coach of Fordham after serving as Jay Wright's long-time assistant.

Even if he has a great head coaching record at the collegiate level, that doesn't really speak to the kind of coach he will be in the NBA. Recruiting is a significant aspect of college coaching, and Neptune didn't reportedly demonstrate his coaching abilities by bringing in any significant players at Villanova. Meanwhile, Charlotte Hornets, led by rising players Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball, finished Lee's first season with a 19-63 record last year. In order to compete soon, the team is still assembling a youthful core, and they added a number of talented players through the NBA draft, including Sion James, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Liam McNeeley, and Kon Knueppel.For Kyle Neptune, Charlotte is therefore a new endeavor. Prior to starting his coaching career in 2008 as a video coordinator at Villanova under Jay Wright, he played for four years at Lehigh.Also read: Is Deion Sanders leaving Colorado Buffaloes? Coach Prime to address health concerns in upcoming press conference