LAS CRUCES, N.M. – New Mexico State has announced the hiring of its 13th head coach in program history, Adeniyi Amadou. The first-time head coach brings with him over 15 years of experience at the Division I level. He currently serves as the associate head coach at Rhode Island, which clinched an NCAA Tournament berth on Sunday, March 8, when it defeated George Mason to win the Atlantic 10 Tournament title. This also represents the first head coach hiring for NM State Director of Athletics Joe Fields.
"We are proud to announce Adeniyi Amadou as our new head coach," said Director of Athletics Joe Fields. "I had the opportunity to meet him at Syracuse University during his time working with the women's basketball team, and it didn't take long to see the kind of person he is. 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. He's a tremendous leader, and I know Aggie Nation and our student-athletes are going to love him."
"I am honored and truly grateful for the opportunity to lead the women's basketball program at New Mexico State University." said Coach Amadou. "I want to thank Joe Fields and the university leadership for the trust they have placed in me and for believing in the vision we share for this program. 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.
I'm excited to join the Aggie community and to build the program defined by hard work and discipline, relationships, and the constant pursuit of improvement.
Our team and our staff, all together, we will work relentlessly, every single day, to be the pride of this university and the city of Las Cruces."
Amadou joins the Aggies from the University of Rhode Island, where he has served as the Associate Head Coach since 2019. Posting a 28-4 record in the 2025-26 season, the Rams recently clinched their second ever NCAA tournament appearance (last in 1996), winning the A-10 conference tournament for the first time in program history. 28 wins set a new single-season high mark in Kingston, while the program has enjoyed 20-plus win campaigns in four of the past five seasons.
"Adeniyi played a vital role in the resurgence of Rhode Island women's basketball. During his time there, the program captured the A-10 regular season and conference championships and earned its first NCAA Tournament bid in 30 years. His impact on that program speaks to his ability to build, recruit, and help create winning cultures." added Director of Athletics Joe Fields.
Since Amadou's arrival, the Rams have totaled 18 All-Atlantic 10 honors, with five First Team selections including Brooklyn Gray, the Rams' leading scorer this season. Prior to his time in Kingston, Amadou served as an assistant coach at multiple Power Four institutions, including Syracuse and Kentucky.
Ahead of his stint with the Rams, Amadou was an assistant coach at Syracuse, helping the Orange to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, winning 20-plus games in all three seasons.
Prior to Amadou's time in Syracuse, Amadou served as an assistant coach for the Kentucky women's basketball program for two seasons, where the Wildcats advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2015 and 2016, including a trip to the 2016 Sweet Sixteen.
Amadou spent four seasons on the Dayton coaching staff, where he worked with the post players and also contributed with scouting and recruiting for the Flyers. While at Dayton, Amadou helped lead the Flyers to back-to-back regular season A10 titles in the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons.
Amadou also spent the 2009-10 season at Syracuse as the assistant director of basketball operations. The Orange posted a 25-11 overall record, which included a trip to the WNIT quarterfinals.
He helped in all areas of the program, as he assisted with the strength and conditioning of the players, post player development and scouting, in addition to serving as video coordinator. During his time with the Orange, Amadou assisted with the recruitment of Kamilla Cardoso, who was ranked the No. 1 center and No. 5 overall player in the Class of 2020 and eventually became the Most Outstanding Player of the 2024 NCAA Final Four. Cardoso went on to become the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky.
A native of Paris, France, Amadou started his collegiate career playing for the Black Knights of the United States Military Academy at West Point. He transferred to Indiana University of Pennsylvania and led his team in offensive rebounding in his senior year.
He received a bachelor's degree in journalism and political science from IUP and earned a master's degree from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse.
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