Iona shockingly fires head coach Tobin Anderson with eyes on NBA assistant

A run to the MAAC championship game wasn’t enough to satisfy Iona.The school surprisingly fired men’s basketball coach Tobin Anderson after just two seasons on Monday despite the No.4-seeded Gaels reaching the title game, where they fell to No.

6 Mount St.Mary’s.Anderson, 53, replaced Rick Pitino two years ago when Pitino left for St.

John’s.“As the landscape of college basketball continues to evolve, the university is taking strategic steps to position the program for sustained success,” the university said in a statement.Athletic director Matthew Glovaski added, “With the impact of NIL changing college basketball in ways no one could have imagined, Iona feels the need to shift the direction of our men’s basketball program.This requires an overhaul of our entire business model and program structure.”Iona already has eyes on a replacement as the school is targeting New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach Dan Geriot, according to ESPN.Geriot, a former Cavaliers assistant, spent one season as the head coach of Cleveland’s G League affiliate in 2021-22.Anderson, who led the second-ever upset by a No.

16 seed in the NCAA Tournament when Farleigh Dickinson beat No.1 Purdue two years ago, had a 16-17 record last season and 17-17 record this season.The Post has you covered with a printable NCAA bracket featuring the full 68-team March Madness 2025 field.He essentially was starting over after Pitino left and was one step from leading the team back to March Madness, but he was sent packing anyway.Iona made the NCAA Tournament twice in three seasons under Pitino, who led the Gaels to a 27-8 record in his final season in New Rochelle.Anderson’s Gaels defeated Manhattan in the MAAC Tournament quarterfinals last week before knocking off top-seeded Quinnipiac in the semis.They lost 63-49 to Mount St.

Mary’s in Saturday’s title game....