Hofstra University Head Men’s Basketball Coach Joe Mihalich, who was announced as the 12th head coach in the history of the program on April 10, announced his coaching staff today.

Joining Coach Mihalich’s staff at Hofstra will be Mike Farrelly, Kyle Neptune, Shane Nichols and Colin Curtin. All four were members of Mihalich’s staff at Niagara with Neptune, Farrelly and Nichols as assistant coaches and Curtin serving as director of basketball operations. They will all serve in the same roles at Hofstra. In addition, Mihalich is excited to announce that former Hofstra Basketball great Craig “Speedy” Claxton will return to campus and join the staff as the special assistant to the head coach.

“This is a very exciting day for Hofstra University and our men’s basketball program,” stated Vice President and Director of Athletics Jeffrey A. Hathaway. “Joe’s ability to keep this successful and highly regarded staff intact during this transition to Hofstra is a tremendous benefit to our program.. While talking with candidates about the head coaching position I was obviously focused on their plans for hiring assistants and certainly I was pleased with Joe’s selections. Further enhancing this staff is Speedy’s return to the Hofstra program where he lead the Pride to the NCAA Tournament. Speedy’s presence in our basketball program along with his work with the coaching staff will assist us in returning Hofstra to the NCAA Tournament in future years. We welcome Mike, Kyle, Shane, Colin and Speedy to our staff.”

“I am thrilled about the staff we will have here at Hofstra,” commented Mihalich. “Having worked with most of them at Niagara, there is a certain comfort level and I know how skilled each of them is. I look forward to the Hofstra community getting to know them and seeing what kind of rising stars in the coaching profession we have on staff. To be able to have Speedy join the staff is an absolute home run. His extensive playing experience at both the collegiate and professional level, combined with his ability to connect us with one of the greatest eras in Hofstra Basketball history, will prove to be a winning formula as we grow the program moving forward.”

Farrelly is a 2003 graduate of Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA, where he was a three-year member of the men’s basketball program. Farrelly was a member of three postseason teams at Saint Joseph’s, including two NCAA Tournament appearances.

Farrelly has worked as an assistant coach at Niagara since August 2011 and assisted in the recruitment of a pair of student-athletes that helped lead the Purple Eagles to the 2012-13 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) regular season title. Farrelly came to Niagara from Mount St. Mary’s in Emmitsburg, MD, where he was an assistant coach from June 2010 until August 2011. He helped recruit a pair of talented players to the Mountaineers and worked with all positions during skill development and oversaw academics, compliance and recruiting schedules during his time with Mount St. Mary’s.

Farrelly’s diverse skills have also seen him serve as the director of Hoop Group Elite/Eastern Invitational with The Hoop Group from May 2007 until June 2010. He was responsible for camps and clinics that brought nearly 5,000 participants during the summer, fall and spring.

Farrelly also has previous experience as an assistant coach at Wilkes University in Wilkes Barre, PA.

Neptune, a 2007 graduate of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA, with a degree in journalism, has served as an assistant coach at Niagara since 2010. Neptune was involved in all facets of the Purple Eagles program, including taking a leading role in the recruitment of future student-athletes.

Neptune primarily worked with the perimeter players at Niagara and in addition helped to monitor the student-athletes’ academic progress.

Neptune joined the Niagara staff after serving as a video coordinator at Villanova University from 2008 to 2010. While a member of the Wildcats staff, Neptune assisted with a variety of tasks involving video breakdown of opponents, scouting reports, practice video, individual breakdown and motivational videos.

Neptune played collegiately at Lehigh from 2003 to 2007 and was a member of the 2004 squad that advanced to the NCAA Tournament. He also played professionally from 2007 to 2008 in Latvia, Lithuania and Puerto Rico.

Nichols just completed his first season at Niagara after a two-year stint at Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC. Nichols helped lead the Purple Eagles to an NIT berth after two postseason bids during his two seasons with the Terriers. During his first year at Wofford in 2010-11, he was part of a squad that advanced to the NCAA Tournament before earning a College Basketball Invitational (CBI) bid in 2011-12.

Nichols primarily worked with the guards at Wofford and assisted in many different aspects of the successful program. Nichols’ first taste of coaching came at Radford High School in Radford, VA, where he was the assistant boys’ basketball coach.

Prior to beginning his coaching career, Nichols earned a degree in sociology from Wofford in 2008. He started all three years at Wofford after transferring from Saint Peter’s College in Jersey City, NJ. While with the Peacocks he earned MAAC Freshman of the Year honors and then followed that up by being named an all-conference guard at Wofford in 2005-06.

Curtin will serve as the director of men’s basketball operations after serving in a similar role at Niagara since 2009.

Curtin assisted in various elements of the program at Niagara and oversaw all travel plans, served as the summer camp director and also worked as the video coordinator with the Purple Eagles. Curtin’s vast administrative skills allowed him to work with many different constituents on campus and assist with fundraising, equipment, recruiting, film exchange and facility scheduling.

A 2009 graduate of Niagara with a degree in sports management, Curtin was a team manager with the Purple Eagles during his undergraduate tenure. He was part of two postseason teams, including the 2007 NCAA Tournament squad and assisted the staff with a multitude of tasks.

Curtin also has previous experience as an intern with The Hoop Group and as the director of instructional basketball camps with the Sea Isle City Department of Recreation in Sea Isle City, NJ.

Claxton graduated in 2000 as one of only six players in school history to score 2,000 career points (2,015). He also graduated as the program’s all-time leader in both assists (660) and steals (288), and was a two-time Player of the Year selection in the America East Conference (1998, 2000). He was also named the 2000 winner of the Haggerty Award, given to the top player in the Metropolitan New York area, after leading Hofstra to an America East Conference championship and its first NCAA Division I tournament berth in 23 years.

Claxton enjoyed a decade-long career in the NBA. He was a first round draft pick of the Philadelphia 76ers in 2000, and earned an NBA title as a member of the San Antonio Spurs in 2003, when he was on the floor in the fourth quarter of the decisive sixth game against the New Jersey Nets.

Claxton has spent the past two seasons as a college scout with the Golden State Warriors. He will begin his Hofstra duties on July 1.

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