Report: Bob Walsh to Leave Providence for Assistant Coaching Role at Iona
The one thing that always stands out when speaking to Bob Walsh is his deep appreciation for Providence College as an institution, its basketball program, and the people who support it.
Everyone loves Providence these days. The school is fresh off of its first Sweet 16 appearance since 1997, won 27 games last year, took home the Big East regular season title, and recruiting is humming along under Naismith Coach of the Year Ed Cooley with a state-of-the-art practice facility.
As an assistant under Cooley, Walsh had a hand in a variety of different facets of Providence’s program since returning in 2019, from overseeing player development to scouting and recruiting. He grew up professionally with Cooley in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, forming a bond with him when Walsh was an assistant under Tim Welsh at PC while Cooley was on Al Skinner’s staff at Boston College.
It was in those days – the no frills days of Friar basketball – that Walsh’s appreciation for Providence’s program was born. After spending time as a graduate assistant at Iona, the New York native headed west to the University of San Diego before joining Tim Welsh when he took over at Providence in 1998.
He left PC in 2005 (he joked that he was smart enough to leave when all-time leading scorer Ryan Gomes graduated) to take over at Rhode Island College where he led the Anchormen to eight NCAA Tournament appearances in nine years. Walsh left RIC to become the head coach at Maine, followed by a stint at IMG Academy, before returning back to Providence under Cooley.
Walsh always spoke with such reverence about PC – how it was a great place to learn as a coach and how special the fanbase is. He has a terrific perspective on the game, and has been willing to provide it with those who took the time to ask.
Walsh’s most recent stint at Providence has come to an end, however.
The Pawtucket Times’ Brendan McGair first reported this weekend that Walsh was leaving PC for a new opportunity. Then Kevin McNamara of WPRO and Kevinmcsports.com followed up with news that Walsh would be joining Rick Pitino’s staff at Iona.
Once again, things have come full circle for Walsh, who got his Masters degree and his start in coaching at Iona. The Gaels are a MAAC power and finished 25-8 overall and 17-3 in conference games last season. They will contend for an NCAA Tournament berth this season.
Walsh is an outstanding basketball mind, with a great combination of recall and insight into the mental aspect of the game. Any staff with Pitino leading it will be formidable, but they will get that much better with the reported addition of Walsh.