UConn adds Villanova assistant Mike Nardi to coaching staff

The UConn men’s basketball program officially announced the addition of former Villanova assistant Mike Nardi to Dan Hurley’s coaching staff on Tuesday morning.

Nardi, who most recently served as Villanova’s interim head coach at the end of the 2024-25 season, spent seven years as an assistant to both Jay Wright and Kyle Neptune and has been involved with the Villanova coaching staff for the last decade.

“I’m thrilled to add a bright and talented coach like Mike Nardi to our staff here at UConn,” Hurley said in a release. “Mike has been a part of winning under the brightest lights and on the biggest stages as both a player and as a coach. He will bring a unique perspective to help us pursue our championship goals and I can’t wait for him to start working with our players and coaches.”

A native of Linden, New Jersey, Nardi starred as a player at St. Patrick’s High School in Elizabeth, N.J. before becoming a four-year starter at Villanova, where he helped lead the Wildcats to the 2005 Sweet 16 and the 2006 Elite Eight. He scored 1,306 points at Villanova and dished out 423 assists, good for 12th in program history. Following his graduation in 2007, he spent eight seasons playing overseas in Italy and the Netherlands.

Nardi got his coaching start as Wright’s Director of Student-Athlete Development ahead of the 2015-16 season, then as Video Coordinator the following season and Director of Basketball Operations the next, before transitioning into an assistant coaching role in 2019-20.

When Neptune was hired to replace Wright after the Hall of Famer retired in 2022, Nardi stayed on staff as an assistant. He was named interim head coach after Neptune was fired this season and led the Wildcats to a 2-1 record in the College Basketball Crown tournament.

As part of the Villanova staff, Nardi’s time included two national championships (2016 and 2018), three Final Fours (’16, ’18 and ’22), five Big East regular season championships and five Big East Tournament titles. He played a role in the recruitment and/or development of future NBA standouts including Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo, Saddiq Bey, Collin Gillespie, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Cam Whitmore.

Nardi will take over Tom Moore’s role on the Huskies’ bench alongside associate head coach Kimani Young and assistant Luke Murray as Moore moves into a General Manager position full-time. Moore’s role will be clarified at a later date.

Originally Published: April 29, 2025 at 12:10 PM EDT