After the Iona basketball program fired Tobin Anderson, the rumor had been that New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach Dan Geriot would be next in line as he was officially announced Thursday as the 16th head coach in the program’s history. While there have been departures for Iona basketball since Anderson was let go, Geriot is hoping to bring his NBA experience and take the university to new heights.
𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐆𝐀𝐄𝐋 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍!
Iona University welcomes Dan Geriot, the 16th head coach in program history!!
Coach Geriot spent the last 10 seasons on an NBA staff with the @PelicansNBA & @cavs. #GaelNation
#MAACHoops
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https://t.co/1aQgHU54uN pic.twitter.com/YJJT2DYhXS
— Iona Men’s Basketball (@IonaGaelsMBB) March 20, 2025
Anderson had spent two seasons with the school after gaining attention with his time at Farleigh Dickinson University (FDU) where they upset Purdue in the first round of the March Madness tournament as a heavy underdog. Now that he’s gone, the Gaels are looking to Geriot who expressed how he’s eager to get started.
“I am grateful for this opportunity and excited to get to work,” Geriot said. “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.”
Geriot also has some playing experience as he attended the University of Richmond from 2006 to 2010 before becoming an assistant coach in the NBA.
Iona basketball’s leadership confident in Dan Geriot
As Anderson made headlines with FDU after that win over Purdue in March of 2023, it seemed that his time with the Iona basketball program was on the way up. Even despite losing to Mount St. Mary’s in the MAAC title game, people would have thought Anderson would stay another year, but Gaels president Seamus Carey said that the team needed a “different orientation and structure.”
“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,” Carey said in a statement about Geriot’s hiring. “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.”
Geriot has been an NBA assistant coach for the last nine seasons with the Pelicans and also the Cleveland Cavaliers, though he was in his first with New Orleans before accepting the job at the college basketball level. Iona director of Athletics Matthew Glovaski mentioned how “great” of a fit Geriot is, especially with his “background in player development.”
“Dan’s background in player development and coaching at a high level makes him a great fit for Iona,” said Matthew Glovaski, director of Athletics. “He has a vision for the future of our program and an understanding of what it takes to compete at a high level. We are excited to have him on board and eager to see what he brings to our team.”
Gaels looks to improve after finishing 17-17 last season, missing out on the NCAA tournament. It remains to be seen how Geriot handles the structure of Iona post-Anderson.
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