UConn coach Dan Hurley has spoken about how difficult it is to find assistants who want to come work for him and are ready to handle the demanding nature of his program.
In Mike Nardi, raised in the coaching ranks by Hall of Famer Jay Wright at Villanova, Hurley’s latest hire is no stranger to what it takes to operate a program with annual national championship aspirations.
“I think it starts from the top, honestly, and Coach Wright, Coach Hurley, I’ve only been here for one day but you can just tell everybody’s connected; everybody has the same goal in mind. And I think when you get people to sacrifice and be a part of something that’s bigger than themselves, special things happen,” Nardi said on an introductory Zoom call with local media Wednesday.
Nardi’s time learning under Wright began in 2003, when he got to Villanova as a 6-foot-2 point guard out of Linden, New Jersey. Prior to that, he was recruited by Hurley as an underclassman at St. Patrick’s while Hurley was an assistant at Rutgers, and their paths crossed later when Hurley went on to coach at St. Benedict’s, a rival just a short drive away.
“We had some good competitive moments,” Nardi said. “Obviously the Hurley family and his dad, we battled St. Anthony’s every year for the Parochial B. So I think the relationship from back then has helped where I am right now and just knowing what a competitor I am and how hard I like to work, trying to do great things on the floor as a player and now as a coach.”
Nardi was also “somewhat” recruited by Jim Calhoun and UConn assistant Tom Moore, who moved into a general manager’s role, opening his assistant position for Nardi to fill.
But he chose the Wildcats back then and has been a rival ever since, returning after a short international career to climb the coaching ranks on Wright’s staff – winning a pair of national championships and a handful of Big East titles along the way.
Nardi stayed on as a member of Kyle Neptune‘s staff after Wright’s retirement in 2022 and was tabbed as Villanova’s interim head coach after Neptune was fired this spring, coaching three games in the College Basketball Crown tournament in early April. The Wildcats were ousted in the semifinal round by Central Florida.
“Being in that position for about two weeks was definitely an opportunity, really of a lifetime because not a lot of guys get a chance to be the head coach, especially at Villanova, even if it was just for a short period of time,” he said. “But I did learn a lot and it was a valuable experience that I think will help me here, knowing Coach Hurley and what he has to go through every day. And hopefully moving forward, at some point whenever that time comes, to being able to run my own program.”
Meanwhile, Villanova hired Kevin Willard from Maryland and Nardi wasn’t asked back.
The UConn position was a “no-brainer,” he said.
“UConn has always been one of the most prestigious basketball programs in the country, if not the best, and during that time period (when Nardi was being recruited out of high school) that’s what it was. I was extremely excited and grateful to get to know Coach (Calhoun) a little bit and, now to see this come full circle, I mean it’s a great opportunity for myself and my family,” said Nardi, who is 40 years old with a wife and two young children.
“I played at Villanova, I love what we did there, I’ll always be a part of that. But that was the last chapter and now it’s time to move on and be a part of this staff and do whatever I can to help this program be successful.”
Nardi sees himself as a “jack-of-all-trades” assistant. His role on the staff, joining associate head coach Kimani Young and assistant Luke Murray, hasn’t been specifically defined yet. But he has experience working with guards like Villanova legend Jalen Brunson, a two-time all-star with the Knicks, on both ends of the floor, and developing shooters. Adding more Northeast connections, Nardi will help out in recruiting, as well.
UConn was the program Villanova was chasing during Nardi’s playing days. In watching the Huskies return to national championship form over the last few years, he noted what made the 2023 and ’24 teams so hard to beat.
“Talent only gets you so far on this level. You’ve got to get guys to sacrifice, you’ve got to get guys to want to win. And I think that was one of the things about both of those teams. You could tell that those guys took pride in each other, they took pride in playing for UConn, and they had something to prove,” Nardi said.
After a second-round exit followed the back-to-back title runs, the UConn staff has already been hard at work to retain key players and supplement in the transfer portal as they put together another championship contender for 2025-26.
It is an honor to be a part of the Basketball Capital of the World – Let’s Go Huskies @UConnMBB ! https://t.co/K80sAa2nxW
— Mike Nardi (@mnardi1985) April 29, 2025
The announcement of Nardi’s hiring came just minutes after star forward and team captain Alex Karaban announced he would return for his redshirt senior season, solidifying a 10-man unit with veteran leadership and experience.
“He’s a winner,” Nardi said. “He does all of the things that you would want (from) a guy in your program as far as leadership, as far as his competitiveness, obviously he’s a great player, he gets a lot done on the floor. He’s a connector, he can play multiple spots. So that was huge for the program. These guys did a great job getting that done.”
UConn’s other returners include Solo Ball, one of the best shooters in the nation last season, and center Tarris Reed Jr., who showed great potential to be a dominant inside force, along with Jaylin Stewart and Jayden Ross – two developing wings who could be primed for breakout years.
“I’m excited to work with Solo Ball, very familiar with him obviously, he made a huge jump from his first year to his second. Tarris Reed, any time they put him in the game last year we were fearing for our lives, we were hoping he didn’t play as much. He’s a load on the inside, he’s a great player and I know he’s working on his game and trying to expand that. Guys coming off the bench in Ross and Jaylin Stewart, those guys are guys that you know can play multiple spots, they’re going to bring an edge, a competitiveness and a great skill set. I know they’re going to have a great summer,” Nardi said.
“And then the transfers, guys that are coming in, those guys are talented, Silas (Demary Jr.) and Malachi (Smith). I’m excited to work with these guys, I mean, I really think we have a team that, again, we’re competing for a national championship. Having seen that here and competed against it, and now with those guys and the roster that we have, the freshmen coming in, those guys are going to bring big-time (positivity) to the roster as well. A lot of skill and size with Braylon Mullins and Eric Reibe (and Jacob Furphy) so I’m really excited to get to work with these guys.”
After so many years as a visitor to Connecticut, he’ll soon get comfortable – as comfortable as he can be – in the home locker rooms at Gampel Pavilion and the XL Center.
“It’s an atmosphere and environment,” he said. “They don’t call it the Basketball Capital of the World for no reason.”
Originally Published: April 30, 2025 at 1:37 PM EDT
