Iona has a new head coach — and a general manager is incoming.
Three days after its much-criticized firing of Tobin Anderson, Iona hired top choice Dan Geriot off the bench of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Geriot, 36, spent the past 10 years as an NBA assistant and — just as significantly — is expected to bring the financial connections that would help boost Iona’s NIL revenue pot.
Sure enough, the school’s welcome announcement for Geriot included a tease to adding the first-ever general manager in the coming days.
That job is quickly becoming a high-profile fundraising position in college athletics because players are transferring (and sparking quick turnarounds) to capitalize on paychecks for the use of their name, image and likeness.
“The landscape of college basketball has changed dramatically over the last couple of years. In order to sustain the success Iona basketball has achieved over several decades, we need a different orientation and structure for the program,” Iona president Seamus Carey said. “Dan Geriot’s experience fits the needs of the program well, and we are confident that under his guidance our student-athletes will grow and succeed both on and off the court.”
Anderson, who coached Fairleigh Dickinson to a historic upset of Purdue as a No. 16 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, was fired after just two seasons despite an upward trajectory.
He replaced St. John’s-bound Rick Pitino and had the Gaels playing in the MAAC Tournament final — one win from a return to March Madness — last Saturday.
Utah and Florida State also recently poached NBA assistants (who have no buyouts in their contracts, unlike college head coaches) to lead their programs.
Geriot played at Richmond from 2006-11 and was part of a Sweet 16 team during his final season.
He began his coaching career at Princeton and has head coaching experience for Cleveland’s G-League affiliate.
“I am grateful for this opportunity and excited to get to work,” Geriot said in a statement. “Iona has a strong basketball tradition and history of success, and I look forward to being part of it. Our goal is to build a team that plays hard, competes at the highest level, and makes our fans proud. I can’t wait to get started.”
