Holy Cross fires men's basketball coach Brett Nelson, with national search to follow for successor

WORCESTER — Holy Cross parted ways with men’s basketball coach Brett Nelson Friday, 10 days after the Crusaders’ 2022-23 season ended in a first-round Patriot League Tournament loss at Loyola.

Nelson, 42, went 27-84 (21-49 PL), in four seasons at Holy Cross. This season’s 10 wins were the most of Nelson’s tenure.

Holy Cross will conduct a national search for Nelson’s successor. The move makes it four current head coaching vacancies in the Patriot League as American, Army and Bucknell also have relieved their coaches.

“I want to thank Brett for his service and commitment to the college and our student-athletes over the last four seasons,” HC associate vice president for intercollegiate athletics Kit Hughes said. “He led the program through the COVID-19 pandemic and his teams worked hard to represent the college in a first-class manner. That said, after much discussion and thoughtful evaluation of all areas of our program, I believe that a fresh start and new leadership are needed to move Crusader men’s basketball forward.”

The storied program is at a turning point as it looks to hire its fifth coach in 14 years.

Bill Carmody guided Holy Cross to the Patriot League title and an NCAA Tournament victory in 2015-16, but since Ralph Willard departed after the 2008-09 season, the Crusaders have posted just two winning seasons, 15-14 in 2011-12 and 20-14 in 2013-14, both under Milan Brown.

Additionally, the men’s basketball roster has been in flux the last four seasons, with eight players transferring after the 2019-20 season, four from the 2021-22 team, and others in between.

Arrived from Marquette

Holy Cross hired Nelson, who was previously an assistant/associate head coach at Marquette, on July 3, 2019, soon after Carmody retired.

The Crusaders finished 3-29 in Nelson’s first season at HC. The Crusaders set the program mark for most losses in a season and tied the 1934-35 team for fewest wins.

HC went 5-11 during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, and 9-22 last season.

This year, behind All-PL fifth-year forward Gerrale Gates, the team’s only senior, the Crusaders started 3-1 in league play, and swept the season series against Boston University and Bucknell, but finished the season with four straight losses.

Freshman guard Will Batchelder also earned All-Patriot League honors. Season-ending injuries to junior forwards Mike Rabinovich and Louth-M Coulibaly hurt the Crusaders’ depth.

“With our resources here at the Luth Athletic Complex,” Hughes said, “the world-class education Holy Cross provides, incredibly supportive fans and alumni, and accelerated growth in the city of Worcester, we must raise our standards and expectations for success throughout the program. The time is now.”

—Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @JenTolandTG.