In just year two under Tobin Anderson, Iona basketball was just 40 minutes away from reaching the NCAA Tournament. The Gaels eventually fell short against Mount St. Mary’s in the MAAC title game, but they still seemed to be on an upward trajectory heading into year three with Anderson at the helm.
Apparently, the decision makers for Iona basketball disagree, and now there will be no year three. Iona made the stunning decision to fire Anderson on Monday morning after just two seasons, according to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello.
The university released a statement to accompany the news.
“Iona University has announced a change in leadership for its men’s basketball program,” the statement read, per Borzello. “As the landscape of college basketball continues to evolve, the university is taking strategic steps to position the program for sustained success.”
Iona athletic director Matthew Glovaski also commented on the firing.
“We appreciate Tobin and everything he has done for our program,” Glovaski said. “He has been a valuable member of our Iona community. 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.”
As it turns out, Iona already has Anderson’s replacement lined up. New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach Dan Geriot is expected to replace Anderson as the head coach of the Gaels, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Geriot is also a former assistant for the Cleveland Cavaliers and it now looks like he will get a chance to prove himself as a head coach at the college level.
Anderson finished 33-34 in two seasons at Iona including a 17-17 finish in 2024-25. He became a household name in college basketball during his first season coaching at the Division I level, when he took Fairleigh Dickinson to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament including one of the biggest upsets in college basketball history against No. 1-seed Purdue.
Iona was a tournament mainstay when Rick Pitino was the head coach before departing for St. John’s, and now the Gaels will be hoping that Dan Geriot can bring them back to consistent excellence in the MAAC.
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