Campbell hires Florida assistant John Andrzejek as men's basketball head coach

BUIES CREEK, N.C. (AP) — Florida assistant coach John Andrzejek is taking over as the head coach at Campbell.

The school announced the hiring Thursday and will hold an introductory news conference for Andrzejek after the Gators complete their season.

He has spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Florida, helping the Gators earn their first Southeastern Conference championship since 2014 and a No. 1 seed in this year’s NCAA tournament.

“John is one of the brightest rising stars in college basketball. His tireless work ethic, proven approach to the game and recruiting, and ability to connect with student-athletes, campus, and the entire Campbell community make him the perfect leader to elevate our program to the next level," Campbell director of athletics Hannah Bazemore said in a news release.

Andrzejek becomes the sixth coach in Campbell’s Division 1 history (since 1977-78) and inherits a team that finished 15-17 in the Coastal Athletic Association this season.

Andrzejek called it an unbelievable honor.

“Campbell is a dynamic institution that’s growing in tremendous ways and I’m eager to be a part of our wonderful campus and community,” Andrzejek said. “I look forward to getting to work on bringing championships to The Creek. Roll Humps!”

Florida is 54-16 since his arrival, including a 30-4 mark this season for a team that ranked third in the country in scoring offense at 85.4 points per game.

Prior to joining the Gators, Andrzejek spent four seasons (2019-23) as an assistant coach with Washington State, working under Kyle Smith. He also spent one season each as an assistant at Dartmouth (2018-19) and Johns Hopkins (2017-18).

Andrzejek was named to ESPN’s 40 Under 40 list, the youngest in the 2020 class, which represents the best young coaches in college basketball. He’s also a three-time participant in the TopConnect program, connecting the best assistant coaches in NCAA Division I college basketball.

“John has been an invaluable part of our staff since he arrived in Gainesville," Florida head coach Todd Golden said. "He’s proven to be an efficient worker, tireless recruiter, and a coach who is able to connect with the student-athletes. He’s on his way to becoming a very successful head coach.”

___

This story has been corrected to she the conference name is Coastal Athletic Association.

___

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.