A series of staff moves were announced today by Villanova head coach Jay Wright to fill the void created in April when Kyle Neptune accepted the head coaching position at Fordham University.
George Halcovage, a member of the basketball staff since 2008 and an assistant coach since 2017, was elevated to Associate Head Coach. Dwayne Anderson, a former Villanova team captain during his playing career from 2005-09 who returned to his alma mater as Director of Basketball Operations in 2018, becomes an Assistant Coach, joining former teammate Mike Nardi in that role. Joey Flannery, who came to Villanova in 2018 as a graduate assistant after an All-American playing career at Babson College, is the new Director of Basketball Operations after assisting in that capacity during the 2020-21 season.
“George, Dwayne and Joey have all played integral roles on our staff,” stated Wright. “Each one of them has earned greater responsibility within our program.”
Halcovage is a native of Pottsville, Pa., who played basketball at Babson College before graduating in 2008. He joined the Wildcats as a graduate assistant that summer and was a part of an NCAA Final Four staff in his first season (2008-09). Over the course of his Villanova career, he has filled the positions of Video Coordinator, Director of Basketball Operations and was a part of the 2016 and 2018 NCAA national championship staffs.
“George is part of a great Villanova family and has been an important part of this program for 13 years,” said Wright. “In that time, he’s held every position we have, which gives him a deep understanding of all aspects of our program. George is a talented young coach who is ready to take over the leadership of our staff as Associate Head Coach.
Anderson hails from Silver Spring, Md., and was a four-year Wildcats letter-winner (2005-09). As a senior, he served as team captain for the 2009 NCAA Final Four squad before playing professionally in Europe. In 2013 he began his coaching career as an Assistant Coach at Penn State University. Anderson spent five seasons in State College before returning to his alma mater in 2018 as Director of Basketball Operations.
“Dwayne brings high-level assistant coaching experience with him from his time at Penn State, where he did an outstanding job for Pat Chambers,” stated Wright. “During the past three seasons, he took the Director of Operations position to a new level. Adding on-court coaching and recruiting to Dwayne’s duties will make him even more valuable to our program. We are so fortunate to have a talented leader like Dwayne for our players to learn from.”
Flannery was a two-time NABC Division III Player of the Year at Babson College from 2013-17. After a year of professional basketball, this native of Action, Mass., came to Villanova as a graduate assistant coach. Last season, he aided Anderson with the day-to-day program operations.
“Joey is another gifted young coach who has contributed in a variety of quiet ways in his three years at Villanova,” said Wright. “Last year, Joey had the chance to serve as Dwayne’s understudy and that experience will serve him well in this new position. We are excited to watch Joey continue to grow as a young coach with an outstanding work ethic and commitment to our core values.”
Villanova posted an 18-7 record in 2020-21, earning its seventh BIG EAST regular season championship in the past eight seasons. It advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual champion Baylor.
