Former Villanova Head Coach Kyle Neptune Gets NBA Job

Former Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune is back in the world of basketball. Per a report from Shams Charania of ESPN on Friday, Aug. 29, the Charlotte Hornets signed Neptune as an assistant coach under head man Charles Lee.

Neptune, 40, began his coaching career under Jay Wright at Villanova during the 2008 season, when he served as a video coordinator. After a three-year stint at Niagara, Neptune returned to the Wildcats as an assistant and helped them win national championships in 2016 and 2018. That sprung him a head coaching role at Fordham, where he spent one season before rejoining Villanova as Wright’s successor following the 2021-22 season.

Despite inheriting a roster that made the Final Four — and earning preseason Top 25 rankings in each of his first two seasons — Neptune’s tenure with the Wildcats saw them miss the NCAA Tournament for three consecutive seasons, culminating in his firing in March 2025. Neptune compiled a 54-47 (31-29 Big East) career record and, although he managed statement wins over teams like UConn and St. John’s, never managed to turn those moments into the consistency expected on the Main Line.

Only just entering his fifth decade, Neptune has plenty of time to make his mark in the world of coaching. He joins a Hornets club that finished No. 14 in the Eastern Conference last season with a miserable 19-63 record in their first season under Lee.