The transition from former Villanova Wildcats head coach to CBS Sports analyst is becoming increasingly seamless. Jay Wright has thrived in this new role, sharing surprising insights during his time at CBS. After his departure from the University outside Philadelphia, Kyle Neptune, Wright’s successor, ventured into the media world.
On Saturday night, Neptune made his debut on CBS Sports Network’s NCAA March Madness 360, appearing in both the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. shows alongside analysts Roy Hibbert, Gary Parrish, Avery Johnson, and Pete Gillen. Though he hasn’t openly expressed a desire to pursue a television career, his educational background—a journalism degree from Lehigh University—suggests a potential interest in following the path of his former mentors, Wright and Steve Lappas.
Notably, he wasn’t the only former Philadelphia-area head coach making a TV debut that weekend. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Fran Dunphy also appeared on CBS Sports Network on Friday. Recently concluding his tenure at La Salle, the 76-year-old Dunphy remains open to new opportunities within the Big 5 schools.
However, the spotlight was on Neptune, who delivered a confident television debut, showcasing his insight and natural on-air presence despite limited experience. Viewers were impressed as he revealed sides of himself previously unseen and demonstrated his analytical skills.
I don’t know if Kyle Neptune imagined a few months ago that he would end up on the studio show for the NCHC Frozen Faceoff championship game. https://t.co/XKa3UCovnd pic.twitter.com/O1itbmNRHM
— Sports TV News & Updates (@TVSportsUpdates) March 23, 2025
“Creighton, they have two married guys on their team.” 😂@kyleneptune points out Auburn (1) vs. Creighton (9) will be a matchup between two old teams. pic.twitter.com/c46uc0hUTA
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 22, 2025
Shoutout Kyle Neptune man. https://t.co/imODMoFxTn
— Freddy (@FredFreezo) March 23, 2025
Kyle Neptune is making for a good analysis on CBS tonight.
Love seeing him find other opportunities.
pic.twitter.com/feez4k9shn— Villanova Enthusiast 😾 (@NovaKnowsBall) March 22, 2025
It’s good to see Kyle talking about basketball again on CBS’ coverage.
He also has a journalism degree from Lehigh.
Neptune is likely to receive another coaching opportunity soon, but his potential as an analyst shines bright. https://t.co/AR1hjQbnHw
— David Szczepanski (@WXVUDavidS) March 22, 2025
Kyle Neptune settling into his new role nicely!
Happy to see Coach smiling, talking about the game he loves seamlessly. pic.twitter.com/X8Krytlhba
— Tommy Godin (@tommygodinjr) March 22, 2025
Neptune’s appearance on CBS indicates that his transition from coaching to broadcasting is more than just a temporary diversion; it could signal the start of a promising new chapter. With his engaging on-air presence, Villanova fans might argue that he has proven to be more adept at navigating the media landscape than he was on the sidelines. At just 40 years old, with a 70-63 (0-2 NIT) record over six seasons with Fordham and Villanova, this is far from the last we’ve seen of Neptune—whether in coaching or as a burgeoning talent in sports media.
