Tom Penders, who served as head men's basketball coach from 1978-86, led the Rams to five NIT appearances in his eight years, winning 125 games in his tenure on Rose Hill.
 
In his third year at Fordham, Penders led the Rams to a 19-9 record, which included wins over Syracuse on ESPN and at Notre Dame, and a berth in the 1981 NIT Tournament, Fordham's first appearance in the NIT since 1972. The following year, Fordham's first in the MAAC, the Rams went 18-11 overall, 8-2 in the MAAC, good for second place in the conference. Fordham also advanced to the NIT for the second straight year.
 
In 1982-83, Fordham finished the regular season with a 17-11 overall record, including a win over Notre Dame on national television, and a 7-3 MAAC slate. The Rams went on to defeat Iona in the MAAC championship game to capture the league title and went on to its third consecutive NIT appearance.
 
Penders won 19 games in both the 1983-1984 and 1984-1985 seasons and received bids to the NIT each year.
 
Named the 1981 New York Metropolitan Area Coach of the Year, Penders compiled a 125-114 record as head coach at Fordham. His 125 career wins is fourth all-time at Rose Hill.
Following his tenure at Fordham Penders went on to serve as head coach at Rhode Island, Texas, George Washington and Houston, leading each to the NCAA tournament. He is one of eight coaches to take four different schools to the NCAA tournament.
 
Penders has also served as a television and radio announcer for ESPN, CBS Sports and Comcast SportsNet and has authored a book, Dead Coach Walking, an autobiography of his experiences as a college basketball coach.