NMSU hires Adeniyi Amadou as new women’s basketball coach
New Mexico State has hired Rhode Island associate head coach Adeniyi Amadou as the new leader of its women’s basketball program.
Associate head coach at Rhode Island brings more than 15 years of Division I experience to Aggies program
Organ Mountain News report
LAS CRUCES - New Mexico State has hired Adeniyi Amadou as the 13th head coach in the history of its women’s basketball program.
Amadou, currently the associate head coach at the University of Rhode Island, brings more than 15 years of Division I coaching experience. The hiring also marks the first head coaching selection for NM State Director of Athletics Joe Fields.
“We are proud to announce Adeniyi Amadou as our new head coach,” Fields said in a statement. “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.”
Amadou’s hiring comes just three days after the Aggies announced they’d be parting ways with former head coach Jody Adams. The swift transition marks a definitive new chapter for the program following a challenging 9–21 season and a first-round exit in the Conference USA tournament.
Amadou joins the Aggies after helping lead Rhode Island to a 28-4 record in the 2025–26 season and the program’s first Atlantic 10 tournament championship. The Rams clinched their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1996 with the title.
“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 statement. “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.”
Before arriving at Rhode Island in 2019, Amadou served as an assistant coach at Syracuse and Kentucky.
At Syracuse, he helped the Orange reach three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances while posting 20-win seasons each year.
During two seasons at Kentucky, the Wildcats advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s second round in 2015 and 2016, including a trip to the Sweet Sixteen in 2016.
Amadou also spent four seasons on the coaching staff at Dayton, helping the Flyers win back-to-back Atlantic 10 regular season titles in the 2012–13 and 2013–14 seasons.
Earlier in his career, Amadou worked at Syracuse as assistant director of basketball operations during the 2009–10 season.
A native of Paris, France, Amadou played collegiately at the United States Military Academy before transferring to Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he led the team in offensive rebounds during his senior season.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science from IUP and a master’s degree from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse.
Anthony man charged after struggle with police, accused of trying to take officer’s Taser — Police say a domestic disturbance call escalated into a confrontation in which a suspect allegedly tried to grab an officer’s Taser.
Las Cruces man charged after falsely telling 911 he killed someone — Court documents say a man called emergency dispatch claiming he had committed a homicide, prompting a police response.
Camp Furlong Day returns to Columbus, honoring New Mexico’s World War I history — The annual event commemorates the 1916 Pancho Villa raid and celebrates the region’s military heritage.
