New Mexico State has found its next leader for its women’s basketball team.
Rhode Island associate head coach Adeniyi Amadou was announced as the Aggies’ next women’s basketball coach on Wednesday, March 11. Amadou has been with the Rams since the 2019-20 season and was a part of the staff that just clinched an NCAA Tournament berth by winning the Atlantic 10 Tournament on Sunday, March 8.
Amadou’s hiring comes just three days after former NM State women’s basketball coach Jody Adams was fired. The Aggies went 9-21 this season and failed to qualify for the Conference USA Tournament.
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The Rams have gone 138–72, including a 28–4 record this season, with two WNIT appearances and the aforementioned upcoming NCAA Tournament appearance with Amadou on their staff. Amadou’s tenure as an assistant coach for Syracuse from 2016-19 and his run as its assistant director of basketball operations in the 2009-10 season twice overlapped with NM State athletic director Joe Fields’ time with the Orange from 2010-17 as an academic administrator, which is how Fields got to know Amadou.
“We are proud to announce Adeniyi Amadou as our new head coach,” Fields said in a press release. “I had the opportunity to meet him at Syracuse University during his time working with the women’s basketball team, and it didn’t take long to see the kind of person he is. Adeniyi is a tremendous teacher of the game and is widely regarded as the best recruiter in college basketball. He truly cares about developing student-athletes both on and off the court. He’s a tremendous leader, and I know Aggie Nation and our student-athletes are going to love him.”
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Syracuse made three NCAA Tournaments with Amadou on its staff. He also made two NCAA Tournaments as an assistant coach for Kentucky in 2015 and 2016. Before Kentucky, Amadou was on Dayton’s staff from 2010-14 where he “worked with the post players and also contributed with scouting and recruiting for the Flyers”, according to URI’s biography of him.
“I am honored and truly grateful for the opportunity to lead the women’s basketball program at New Mexico State University,” Amadou said in a press release. “I want to thank Joe Fields and the university leadership for the trust they have placed in me and for believing in the vision we share for this program. This opportunity is deeply aligned with my values, my passion for developing student-athletes and my belief in what a strong culture can build over time.
“I’m excited to join the Aggie community and to build the program defined by hard work and discipline, relationships, and the constant pursuit of improvement. Our team and our staff, all together, we will work relentlessly, every single day, to be the pride of this university and the city of Las Cruces.”
Rhode Island associate head coach Adeniyi Amadou is the next women’s basketball coach at New Mexico State.
URI has earned 18 All-Atlantic 10 honors, with five selections on the first team, with Amadou on its staff.
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“Adeniyi played a vital role in the resurgence of Rhode Island women’s basketball. During his time there, the program captured the A-10 regular season and conference championships and earned its first NCAA Tournament bid in 30 years. His impact on that program speaks to his ability to build, recruit, and help create winning cultures,” Fields stated in a press release.
Amadou is the first permanent NM State head coach hired by Fields since he began as the Aggies’ AD last October.
This story was updated to add NM State’s official X post on Amadou’s hiring.
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: New Mexico State hires Adeniyi Amadou as women’s basketball coach
