Keith Urgo, Fordham Men's Basketball Head Coach

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25-8. Keith Urgo was on the staff last year. Now is the head coach and that was the first time Fordham had 20 plus wins in a season since 1991.

And coach joins us in studio right now on CBS Sports Radio. Coach, first off, congrats on the new long-term extension and what was a phenomenal season for the Fordham Rams. Zach, thank you so much for having me, man.

I truly appreciate being on. You know, it was a fantastic year and I'm pretty excited about the year we had. It's a testament to the staff, the Board of Trustees, President Tetlow.

We mentioned off-air Ed Cole, the AD. Just the new vision of Fordham and Fordham basketball and what it's capable of becoming. Just really excited to be a part of it. Last year when you were an assistant, it was such a big year in restoring confidence and belief.

Then you move over to the head honcho chair. The program right now, I was looking back a few weeks ago at the A-10 tournament to see how many Fordham alum and students and fans were at the Barclays Center. Just in two years, this has to be surreal, the growth of this program has shown.

Yeah, you know what, I will tell you this, man. The Barclays Center puts hairs on my forearms. They're sticking up right now because walking out on Thursday night to see over 2,500 student tickets sold and then an additional 6,000 alum come Thursday night, it was an electric environment. I think all of our players were like, oh my goodness, this is real, this is happening. We have an opportunity to do everything that everybody said Fordham couldn't be. There was tangible evidence to see, yo, we could turn this into a basketball school.

This is the momentum we're creating, let's continue to build on it. Then we followed it up with Saturday in the semifinals. It was less students and we were nervous about it because Friday, so quarterfinals were Thursday night. Spring break started Friday and we were like, oh my God, all these students are going to take off, they're gone.

Can we get the same type of results on Saturday? Well, it wasn't as many students, there was plenty of them, but there was an additional 7,000 to 8,000 alumni The place was rocking, it was just as loud and it was just so encouraging and one of the reasons why I cannot wait to get back to work. Winning obviously cures all and helps build a culture and a program, but how did you install the belief in your players? Because I know it's new people into the program, but there's a lot of times when a program doesn't have success, the stigma builds and people wonder, that program is never going to be able to turn around.

You know what, there's a couple things with that. One, you've got to have a tremendous staff and I'm so grateful for the guys that took a chance on being trailblazers. That's what we called ourselves as well as all the players.

Everybody wanted to come and do something that had never been done before. So our staff, Trey Woodall, Dave Paulsen, Ron Ramone, Trey Morton, Henry Lowe, there's so many. Ron McMillan, I could go on and list everybody on staff.

It takes a really good support system. Guys that are completely selfish that had bought into not just the basketball program, but Fordham, and what it had to offer the Atlantic 10. Just really good people who had earned the right to be in the positions they are, and then wanted to develop unique relationships with our players. They just are fantastic people that had no egos, everybody was selfless. We call everybody's role is different, but your status is the same. It starts with the staff, so I'm incredibly grateful for them. And then it's the recruits that we got, they want to be a part of Fordham, not just come and play basketball.

They want to play for the name on the front, not the name on the back. And that was a testament to pretty much everybody in our program. And honestly, there's a connection there. My father went to Fordham, went to Fordham Law. I grew up around the Jesuit community, so it just seems and feels like the right fit. And when they can feel that, you have unique relationships with your staff and players, it just ends up being something really special on the court as well. Keith Hergo here with us, the head coach at Fordham Men's Basketball. You're someone that your energy is just so clear, and it really resonates with someone like me, who of course I know Eddie Cole, but I have no connection to Fordham really.

And I'm like, wow, I want to see this guy do well, because it's a likable, easy story to root for. You mentioned your dad, who attended Fordham. When you got the job, I know you were on the staff, but that conversation is a dream, right, with your dad?

Surreal. You know, honestly, when I talk about it, it gets me a little emotional. You know, I'm one of ten, nine boys and a girl. I'm the eighth of ten children.

And my mother and father were born in Brooklyn. You could run five on five growing up. If the game was up to eleven, we'd get to about four.

A brawl in the Ergo backyard. One hundred percent. We were not the easiest kids. I mean, nothing ever got finished.

Ever. There was always a fight, but it was in a good way. It builds character. But I had a connection because I was the only one in my family to play basketball. And that was my father's sport. He went to Fordham. He played at Brooklyn Prep. Played his freshman year in 1954 at Fordham. We always had that connection, that basketball connection.

And when you're one of ten, especially nine competitive boys, you're always looking for some attention or looking for a connection with your dad. So that was always there. And then to be able to, you know, become a head coach of his alma mater, it was surreal. It just felt right.

One of the only moments that I've ever, you know, seen my father cry. The second one was after we beat Duquesne here in the gym. Because he had honestly had never been back to Rose Hill since he was a student. And that was, you know, he graduated law school in 1962 from Fordham.

Undergrad, 59-62 law. So to bring him back in Rose Hill, it looks the same as when he was a student. We'll talk about that, Eddie. But, you know, I can't even tell you how emotional it was, how thrilled I am.

And it's almost like I'm living a dream. This is such a unique era and it shows it now in the NCAA tournament with NIL transfer portal, which could be a pain in the butt for you coaches. But I think it's really good for the sport. And it finally gets the kids rewarded in a legal way where you don't get these stupid sanctions that the NCAA will impose. Forget Miami and forget UConn because we know the brands of that program more so with UConn. But when you look at FAU and San Diego State in the Final Four, that's got to inspire you to say, you know, we make the tournament eventually. I know Fordham hasn't done so since 1992. Anyone really does have a shot now.

There's no question. And, you know, I think there's the parody has been it has been kind of happening. And you've seen it a little bit more in the last five, six years as a result. Three straight years of 15s being a two.

It's phenomenal. But I also think, you know, COVID also had something to do with that, right? You got now FAU's an anomaly, man. They're young, right? But everybody else. And underceded they were clearly.

Underceded, no doubt. And Dusty's done an incredible job there. But as a result of the transfer portal one and then to COVID, most of the like Princeton's, for instance, like and they don't even have graduates rights. But most of the teams that were in the top 25 or top 30, you know, you got kids that were 24, 25. You know, a ton of 23 year olds, 22. OK, that makes sense.

But usually Timmy's the new Perry Ellis. Yeah, it's crazy. It's crazy. So because of COVID specifically last year and this year, you got teams with kids that are 23, 24 years old, man. So I think that had a lot to do with it. But, you know, with regards to the transfer portal and, you know, AAU and I think you're going to see a lot more of that. Because the parity is such where kids aren't afraid to play against anybody.

They're not afraid to go to a different type of school. It's a really interesting time in our sport. And I think it's the best thing that's happened to our sport, quite honestly. Why were you ready? Because I know you and Kyle did a phenomenal job last year.

You've been waiting your entire life to become a head coach. When you got that opportunity, why were you able, because you never know how first year is going to go. Why were you able to continue and build even further what Kyle did in year one? You know what, I think we established, you know, a standard of excellence in our first year with Kyle. And I think we were in the makings of something special. But I think the difference was we needed leadership from within the locker room.

And we got, you know, fortunate. We had an unbelievable connection in our locker room. Our seniors stepped up. You know, when Kyle was there, we were kind of coaches down to the players.

We needed to create that new standard in the first several months of the program. But we knew last summer that in order for us to take the next step, we needed a player led locker room. So we focused a lot over the summer and the fall on leadership skills and kind of team bonding situation. And as a result, we had guys like Darius Quisenberry. Always important to have really good players, as Jay Wright would say.

You know, Khalid Moore, who made a leap of faith coming from Georgia Tech. And then guys like Antrell Charlton and Kyle Rose. We had older guys that really took ownership and led the locker room and held each other accountable. And as a result, they always felt like they were in every game. Which I think in the old school Fordham, they were going in under four minutes hoping to have a shot to keep it close. These guys went into every game expecting to win. And that's a mindset and a characteristic that I think now Fordham is used to it. We're expected to win. We're chosen to win. We weren't, you know, the underdog in every game, which is different. So I think those characteristics, that mindset and having a player-led locker room was really the biggest difference. But what FAU's been able to do, it really has to inspire you. And I'm not saying that you doubt your abilities and you don't think it's possible. And eventually you want to get Fordham to an NCAA tournament. But to see what that program's done, maybe not a Final Four like that quickly.

I know it's a different conversation. But just to get in the tourney and to see the way that that program's been turned around in one or two years is pretty remarkable. It's awesome. It's fantastic. And he, you know, Dusty's done an incredible job. His staff has done an incredible job. And those kids believe.

You could see it. Right? What it's done is... Well, that's the thing. Like all these schools, like the sixteens that beat the one, the fifteens that beat the two.

Fortunately, I've been able to talk to a lot of those coaches. They make it seem like it's another win. And I get it. You're never going to go into a game saying, oh, we're going to lose. Oh, we have no shot. It's an upset to us. But it's really not an upset to them, which is wild. Well, that's the AAU world.

Right? So these kids have all played against them. So, right, they've all played against them and been competing against each other and multiple times on the circuit. So none of those kids who are on the so-called 15-seat or 16-seat, it's not the first time they're playing against that type of competition. They're not afraid of them. They're not scared of them. It's not like it used to be.

Right? So those kids are playing and used to playing against that high-level competition and feel like they are maybe as good if not better than the kids that were so-called ranked in the top 100. There's no such 100 anymore. There's the top 15 to 20 where everybody can flat out see they're so unique, so athletic, and they're God-given talents.

But honestly, from 30 to 120 to 21 to 150, there isn't a ton of difference anymore as a result of the parity during AAU. Guys spending a year-round with trainers and such, these kids are all really good and none of them are frightened at all of the moment. And I think you're starting to see that. What it did for us is our guys are already in the gym. They're already back in the gym playing pickup, hungry. They're like, wait, if they can do it, we can do it. That's not coming from the coaches. That's coming from our own guys, which is really, really exciting. And I also think with a lot of these quote-unquote Cinderella stories, the one-bid league actually helps even though you want more than one bid in your league because it doesn't really allow you guys to slip up and make the postseason start earlier than what it does for some of these bigger schools.

There's no doubt. And those kids understand that every single day and every single film session, every single practice, it has to be so detailed. And they're already in a professional mindset like, look, it's do or die.

It's survive and advance. And they're putting in the extra effort and time. They understand that, look, every game matters in those one-bid leagues, especially when you get into the obviously tournaments, right? So they're used to that pressure as opposed to maybe some of the other schools that, you know, the last three weeks they knew they were in. So maybe they take a day off.

Maybe they take a film session off. Not like it, you know, FAU wasn't doing that, right? Every single day in practice was as if it could be their last. Keith Argo, what was the biggest thing that Jay Wright taught you?

Relationships, right? Understanding that, you know, coaches can only get you so far. You need players and you need authentic relationships.

And it's about the student-athlete experience. And I think he was one of the best, is still one of the best to ever do it. And he passed that along to Pat Chambers, who I think took it to another level. And that's why we were, you know, able to do some of the things we did at Penn State. But without a doubt, relationships and having unique and authentic relationships with your players matters.

Making sure they understand you care more about them 40 years down the road than you do for this next three or four. That is the biggest, probably the biggest lesson that I learned from Jay Wright. So my dad's one of the few Jews to actually attend Villanova. And he produced Coach Massimino's radio show back in the day. So I actually, even though I'm a proud Temple Owl and I've had to ditch the Villanova team, I grew up as a Nova fan.

I was a big Mike Nardi fan as a kid. And then I'm pretty sure you were on the staff when Scottie Reynolds had the crazy play up against Pittsburgh. I'll never forget that. It was one of the coolest moments of my entire life. I'll never forget it as well.

Not to mention, I got two pick guys on staff. Trey Monwoodall, my associate head coach, was a freshman on the bench for Pitt when that happened. So I wear my ring as much as possible. Rub it in.

I rub it in constantly. Now, he'll say, well, we never lost to Villanova from that point forward while I was at Pitt. You know, it was such an electric environment. I'll never forget it.

Boston Garden. The whole scene just incredible. And that team, we're all very close. That staff, we're all very close. And I'm indebted to Jay Wright forever. He gave me my shot. Was it tough when you were at Penn State and I know you were having your own success there, but when they're winning two national championships, it's like, man, it could have done that a few years ago when I was there? Yeah.

You know what? I'm encouraged and so happy for everybody who was a part of the program. And, you know, this is also something I've learned from Jay.

It's once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat. And, you know, he does such a good job of including everybody. We were all back there for those Final Fours and championships, the staffs, the players.

So, you know, he does such an amazing job of keeping everybody loyal and within the family that we felt like we were a part of it. And some of those kids, like I went to Gonzaga High School. Chris Jenkins went to my high school.

Right? And so, you know, it was such a thrill to see him make that shot. And, you know, all the other kids, you know, some of those guys, like Ryan Archdiacono, I helped recruit before I ended up leaving to go to Penn State. I saw him play in high school. Yeah. So to see that come to fruition, Daniel Ochefo.

The mop man, he mopped the court right before the big R.J. Diacono pass to Jay. Yeah, but that's the thing. Like, those types of kids were so selfless.

Like, it was a lunch pail mentality. That's what Jay Wright builds in you. You just become so entrenched in the team. We have Henry Lowe on our staff, who's on our staff and does a tremendous job. Who was a captain of that 2016 team.

Right? And then also won a championship as a G.A. for Villanova 2018. So we have him on our staff at Fordham as well. So, you know, just to see all the guys get what they ultimately wished for during the recruiting process.

And knowing how much hard work went into that, you're just thrilled for everybody involved. Keith Urgo, do you think Jay Wright will have a return to coaching? Because I was surprised last year when he retired.

I think everyone was. Quite honestly, I think he's doing such a great job right now and enjoying his time on TV. There's a chance.

You never say never, but, you know, it's a different type of game now. And he is so perfect for what he's currently doing. I think he does an unbelievable job on CBS television right now.

And you just knew he would. But I don't know. I think if he comes back, it would be for the NBA, not college. Yeah, I'm not so sure. I think he's enjoying what he's doing now. And I think his kids are older now.

He's enjoying it. But, you know, he'd be great at whatever he does. He's that good and he develops those relationships. And everybody, you know, his basketball mind's incredible.

So he could do pretty much anything he would like. I know you're going to Houston for the Final Four as all the coaches go there. When you look at the matchup, San Diego State going up against FAU. You have UConn going up against Miami. That's going to be a heavyweight fight. How do you kind of look at those two matchups? You know what?

It's funny. Like, it's impossible to predict. You would have to say San Diego State, a little bit older, got physical. But FAU, you can't count them out.

The way they spread you out, how tough mentally they are. You know, it's one thing because they're both kind of brand new to the situation. So they're both coaches and both teams are going through it for the first time. So you just don't know who's going to react. You're playing on a totally different stage in front of 85 to 90,000.

The floor's raised. It's a completely different environment. I think it's going to take some getting used to for both of those teams.

Because they're not used to playing in huge football stadiums like that. But, you know, I think it's going to be a very close game. As far as UConn, Miami, you would think the same thing. Connecticut's got every piece of the puzzle. But Miami has so much dynamic scoring.

They spread you out. You know, they have arguably, in my opinion, the best one-on-one player in the tournament left in Isaiah Wong. You know, a kid out of Philadelphia.

Temple roots. So it's just both matchups are intriguing. I think UConn has all of the pieces to the most balance out of anybody. Right? I think they've got great guard play.

I think they have length with Jackson at the guard spot to really possibly be the only people that may be able to affect Wong. And you're rooting for Hurley because he's a nut. No offense. You seem a little similar with all the yelling that goes on. The raspy voice.

You know what? I love that story, man. Great father, too.

Unbelievable. And, you know, we got another guy on our staff that played for him. So he tells us how good he is with his players. And I love Kamani Young on that staff. I love all that staff. So, I mean, they're incredible matchups. But I think they're going to be really exciting. But if I had to choose one, I would say... And Coach Larry Naig is amazing too.

I know him well. I just think Connecticut has all the pieces right now to potentially be the most balanced team left in the Final Four. Well, hopefully next year, Coach Keith Argo and Fordham, when we're talking to you, you're in the NCAA tournament. Put it into existence, baby. I love it. Appreciate you coming in and doing this. Hey, man, it's a great time to be a Ram. I cannot thank you enough for having me on. And this is what Fordham needs, man.

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