Sports

Hofstra’s Pecora named Fordham’s basketball coach

Confirming a report in today’s Post, Hofstra’s Tom Pecora is the new men’s basketball coach at Fordham University, oficially winning a three-man race today.

The search committee, put in charge of finding someone to inherit a team that went 2-26 last season, met yesterday afternoon, and produced Pecora, a Queens Village native, as the program’s next leader.

A press conference will be held on The Bronx campus tomorrow at 1 p.m.

Pecora was chosen over Robert Morris’ Mike Rice and Cornell’s Steve Donahue. As reported today, he will earn $705,000 annually.

Rice still has plenty of options. The former Fordham guard is interviewing with Seton Hall today, in fact.

Donahue, who has declined to speak about other positions while his team prepares for tomorrow’s Sweet 16 game vs. Kentucky, is sure to receive calls once the Big Red are eliminated.

Last month, Fordham announced a funding increase to the men’s basketball program. With that payday, it’s clear that the school stayed true to its word. Pecora’s annual salary would place him among the highest paid in the Atlantic 10.

He’ll earn every bit of that salary. After all, Pecora inherits a program that didn’t win a conference game this season. Dereck Whittenburg was fired five games into the year, and was replaced by interim Jared Grasso, who won one game.

“Tom’s proven he can win, he’s proven he can get players from this area to stay home, and Fordham has seen enough in his body of work,” a Division I coach said. “The Colonial Athletic Association is not an easy place to succeed in, and he made Hofstra a player in that league.”

Rice is believed to be a good fit with Seton Hall, as he has a strong relationship with several New Jersey high school coaches — including Bob and Dan Hurley — and has been an assistant coach in the Big East with Pitt.

As far as the metropolitan area scene overall, one position filled means another is open.

Hofstra, which went 19-15 this season and lost in the second round of the CAA Tournament, now has to orchestrate a search of its own.

A name that has already surfaced, a source said, is Steve Pikiell, who led Stony Brook to the America East regular-season title and a berth in the NIT.

“The thinking is they may want to stay on Long Island with this one,” a Division I coach said. “He knows the area very well, and obviously did some very good things with the Stony Brook program.”

tsullivan@nypost.com