Xavier University Men's Basketball

Richard Pitino was introduced as the Sedler Family Men's Basketball Head Coach at Xavier University in April, 2025. Pitino, who was the head coach at the Uni...

Connor Barnes, who is entering his fourth year as the head athletic trainer for the men’s basketball team, was promoted to Co-Director of Sports Medicine in 2024. He worked with the women’s basketball and the men’s and women’s track and cross country teams for the previous five years. During his tenure at Xavier, he has worked with many other teams including the 2014 Sweet Sixteen Men’s Soccer team and the 2016 Big East Champion Baseball team.Barnes, who served as an athletic training intern at Xavier in 2014, was hired full-time in 2015. Prior to Xavier, Barnes was a graduate assistant athletic trainer at Terre Haute North High School in Terre Haute, Ind. Barnes earned his Bachelor’s in Athletic Training from Xavier in 2012 and his Post-Professional Master’s Degree in Athletic Training from Indiana State in 2014. Barnes, a certified clinical preceptor for Xavier’s Master’s of Athletic Training Program, served as secretary of the Greater Cincinnati Athletic Trainer’s Association from 2020-2024. He is a BOC Certified and Ohio Licensed Athletic Trainer who also holds advanced certifications in Graston Technique, Dry Needling, and Blood Flow Restriction Training. As a student at Xavier, Connor worked with men’s soccer, volleyball and women’s basketball. He also worked with the Cincinnati Cyclones. Barnes also completed internships with the Sports Medicine and Training Center of St. Louis and the St. Louis Cardinals. Barnes played on the Xavier University Ice Hockey team for four

Daniel Walters is in his fourth season on Richard Pitino’s staff and his first as Assistant Coach for Player Development at Xavier. Walters served as video c...

Isaac Chew, who has experience coaching in four different power conferences, enters his fifth season on Richard Pitino’s coaching staff in 2025-26 and his first as the Crawford Family Associate Head Coach at Xavier. After his first three seasons as an assistant coach at New Mexico, he was promoted to Associate Head Coach in 2024. Chew has served as an assistant coach at the NCAA Division I level since 2007 (18 years) and has guided six different programs to the postseason. He has led teams to seven championships, including Mountain West titles in each of the last two seasons. Prior to arriving at New Mexico, Chew spent time with Murray State (2007-11), Missouri (2011-12), Marquette (2012-14), Virginia Tech (2014-16), Texas A&M (2016-19) and Grand Canyon (2019-21). Over his career, Chew has coached several NBA draft selections, including Robert Williams III (2018), Isaiah Canaan (2013), Marcus Denmon (2012) and Kim English (2012). He has also helped lead teams to six NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the Elite Eight in 2013 and Sweet 16 in 2018. Last season Chew helped guide the Lobos to a 27-8 overall record and the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament with a first-round win over Marquette, one of Xavier’s BIG EAST rivals. New Mexico posted a 17-3 league record and won the 2024-25 Mountain West Conference Regular Season Championship. The 2024-25 Lobos were led by three All-Mountain West honorees, including 2024-25 Mountain West Player of the Year Donovan De

the hiring of Kareem Richardson to our staff,” said Pitino. “Kareem has won a national championship and been to a final four as a coach. He also knows what it takes to win at Xavier from working here in the past. He is a relentless recruiter and terrific basketball coach with great experience.” In his first season with NC State, Richardson helped guide the program back to the NCAA Tournament as the Pack went 23-11. The Pack deployed one of the ACC's most lethal offenses as NC State averaged 77.7 points per game. NC State also ranked among the nation's leaders in turnovers per game, ranking seventh in the NCAA averaging just 9.4 turnovers per game. NC State also led the ACC in steals and turnover margin. Richardson and the NC State staff helped mentor one of the nation's top backcourts as Jarkel Joiner and Terquavion Smith both finished on the All-ACC Second Team. Richardson was head coach at UMKC for 2013-19 and has been an assistant coach at power conference programs such as Louisville, Xavier and Clemson in his coaching career. Richardson came to NC State after one season as an assistant coach at Clemson. Prior to the Tigers, Richardson spent two seasons at Indiana State (2019-21). The Sycamores finished 33-22 and 22-14 in the Missouri Valley Conference over those seasons while producing four All-MVC players. From 2013-19, Richardson was head coach at UMKC. He guided the 2016-17 UMKC squad to the second-most victories in a season (18) in school history. The Roos were select

Mario Mercurio , Associate Athletics Director for Basketball Administration, is entering his 22nd year with Xavier Basketball. Mercurio has been a big part o...

Matthew Flores enters his fifth season as a strength and conditioning coach under Richard Pitino, including his first as the Head Coach for Men’s Basketball ...

Peyton Walters is in her fifth season on Richard Pitino’s basketball staff and her first as the Xavier Director of Basketball Operations. The 2024-25 season ...

Tarvish Felton enters his fourth season as an assistant coach under Richard Pitino and his first as a Xavier Assistant Coach. Felton was at New Mexico for three seasons with Pitino (2022-25) after spending the previous four seasons at Fresno State, the last two as associate head coach. Felton has over 25 years of coaching experience. Prior to his tenure at Fresno State, he spent 10 seasons as an assistant coach at Utah State as the Aggies transitioned from the WAC to the Mountain West. He also spent time on the staffs of Southern Utah, Sacramento State, Cal State Los Angeles, along with four years as the first ever head coach at Texas A&M-International. Last season Felton helped guide the Lobos to a 27-8 overall record and the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament with a first-round win over Marquette. New Mexico posted a 17-3 league record and won the 2024-25 Mountain West Conference Regular Season Championship. The 2024-25 Lobos were led by three All-Mountain West honorees, including 2024-25 Mountain West Player of the Year Donovan Dent. In the 2023-24 season, Felton helped guide New Mexico to a 26-10 record, winning the Mountain West Championship and returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014. The Lobos downed Air Force, and three NCAA Tournament teams, Boise State, Colorado State and San Diego State, on consecutive days in Las Vegas to become the first team in Mountain West history to win the conference tournament by winning four games. UNM had its