FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — Colorado State hired Niko Medved’s top assistant to replace him as basketball coach following a quick 24-hour search.
Ali Farokhmanesh, 36, was promoted Wednesday evening after Medved left Fort Collins earlier this week to coach at his alma mater, Minnesota.
The hire provides some continuity for a program that was 143-85 under Medved and posted three 25-win seasons in the last four years. The Rams reached the NCAA Touranment three times in that span and reached the Round of 32 last weekend before a buzzer-beater by Maryland’s Derik Queen denied them a trip to the Sweet 16.
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Farokhmanesh agreed to a five-year contract worth $4.5 million, according to the university.
In a news release announcing the hire, CSU athletic director John Weber said, “I am thrilled that Ali will continue leading our men’s basketball program, now as head coach.”
“Ali has a relentless attitude that he attacks each day with, which was important to us as we looked for the next leader of our men’s basketball program,” Weber added. “There has been significant interest in the head coach position at Colorado State. After an extremely comprehensive and competitive national search, Ali’s continued leadership of this program is important and really excites me.”
Farokhmanesh spent the last eight years as Medved’s assisant, first at Drake in 2017-18 before following him to Fort Collins.
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The Rams won the Mountain West Conference Tournament and upset Memphis in their NCAA opener this year. A day after that buzzer-beating heartbreaker, Medved announced he was leaving for his hometown school.
This time, Farokhmanesh didn’t follow him.
“I can’t wait to continue to build off the championship foundation our players have established and push it to greater heights,” Farokhmanesh said in a statement released by the school.
During his playing career, Farokhmanesh starred at Northern Iowa and hit winning 3-pointers against UNLV and No. 1-ranked Kansas in the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
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