George Washington University has found just the guy to lead their men’s basketball team: Chris Caputo.
The former associate head coach for the University of Miami will bring his experience coaching teams to the highest levels of NCAA Tournament success, including an Elite Eight berth just last week and three Sweet 16 appearances, along with one Final Four appearance while working as an assistant for George Mason University’s run in 2006.
Beyond that, the D.C. university welcomes Caputo to its campus because of his abilities in nourishing a program both on and off the court.
“We set out to find someone who understands what it will take to be successful here and embrace the ideal of a student-athlete, and Chris demonstrated that capability,” GW Director of Athletics Tanya Vogel said in a news release.
“Combined with his long-tenured success coaching some of the best college basketball players in the country who have gone on to successful careers both in basketball and in life, his recruiting acumen, knowledge of the DMV and international recruiting space, Chris is primed to build a sustained winner in Foggy Bottom,” she continued.
Caputo held his previous position at Miami since 2015. Under his coaching, the team qualified for seven postseason berths and five NCAA appearances during that span. From 2016-19, Miami and Duke were the only programs in the Atlantic Coastal Conference to have a player drafted into the NBA, according to GW.
Caputo’s reputation as a talented scout and recruiter have helped him secure commitments from the D.C. region’s best players, as well as with McDonald’s All-Americans, Jordan Brand Classic athletes and players from the international circuit.
On the court, the university touted Caputo’s knack for putting together a roster with the capacity to play multiple positions and fulfill multiple in-game needs.
“Putting five guys on the floor that can pass, dribble and shoot makes it very difficult to defend at times when we’re able to spread you out,” Caputo said. “The ability to share the ball, be selfless, (previous teams) have really taken to that.”
The university said that Caputo had coached a former recipient of the Skip Prosser Award, which is presented annually to the top scholar-athlete in ACC men’s basketball.
“I would not have taken this role if I didn’t believe with my whole heart that we are going to build a program the whole university community will be proud of,” Caputo said.
“The tradition is here, the desire to win is here, the fan base is here, and that’s a great place to start. The experiences I’ve had in my career have led me to GW, and I could not be more excited to move back to the DMV and get started where I believe the best talent in the country resides.”
