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Breaking: Ali Farokhmanesh named CSU men’s basketball head coach

Michael Hovey, Sports Editor

March 26, 2025

Collegian | Caden Proulx

Ali Farokhmanesh will take the helm to start a new era.

Farokhmanesh was confirmed as the next Colorado State men’s basketball head coach Wednesday. Farokhmanesh will be the 21st head coach for the Rams. Following the departure of coach Niko Medved, Farokhmanesh was appointed interim head coach in the short term. Players and fans alike voiced support for that to be a permanent change — and it happened.

Athletic Director John Weber released a statement on the day of Farokhmanesh’s confirmation.

“I am thrilled that Ali will continue leading our men’s basketball program, now as head coach,” Weber said. “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. 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. His ability to connect with people has made him successful throughout his career. I look forward to Ali — along with his wife Mallory and their four children — continuing to be part of the CSU community and building on the championship foundation he has helped lay over the past seven seasons.”

With Farokhmanesh’s close connections to the players and general support from the CSU community, it seemed like the obvious next step for the program. Notably, he was a big reason future NBA draft pick Nique Clifford came to CSU, and his involvement in the recruiting process leading up to the successful 2024-25 season only increased.

If he continues the trend, recruitment could be in good hands.

Notably, his heavy influence on the team’s guards during his tenure as assistant coach produced two of the greatest basketball players the Rams have ever seen: Isaiah Stevens and Clifford. Farokhmanesh could often be seen talking to guards one-on-one off to the side in practice and developed strong interpersonal relationships with some of the players.

Most importantly: Kyan Evans.

One of the worries with Medved leaving is the opening of the transfer portal. Evans is now CSU’s most promising player following the 2024-25 season, and securing Farokhmanesh as coach strengthens his case to stay. With coaches Brian Cooley and Joe De Ciman making appearances in Minnesota with Medved, Farokhmanesh could be key in retaining players.

Originally, Farokhmanesh was an assistant to Medved for one year at Drake in the 2016-17 season, following him to his next adventure at CSU. Despite not having any experience as head coach, he has had notable experiences within the sport.

He finished his collegiate career at Northern Iowa, most known for his 3-point shot with 34 seconds left in the game against Kansas, resulting in a 69-67 upset victory. He then went on to play professionally on the international stage.

After wrapping up his competitive playing time, he became a graduate assistant at Nebraska and left after three years when he joined Medved at Drake.

Farokhmanesh is now spearheading the start of a rebuild and will be tasked with managing the team into CSU’s transition into the Pac-12. He expressed his gratitude and eagerness in a statement on his appointment to the position.

“I want to thank President Amy Parsons, John Weber, Scott Sidwell and Christina Diaz for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to be the head coach at Colorado State,” Farokhmanesh said. “Serving under Coach Medved has been a privilege, and I will forever be grateful to him for bringing me to Fort Collins. This university and state are special because of the great people. I am grateful for all who have been so welcoming and supportive of me and my family during our time here and look forward to continuing to grow those bonds in our community. I can’t wait to continue to build off the championship foundation our players have established and push it to greater heights.”

Reach Michael Hovey at sports@collegian.com or on X @michaelfhovey.

About the Contributors

Michael Hovey, Sports Editor

Michael Hovey is one of the sports editors for The Rocky Mountain Collegian, facilitating the sports desk, collaborating with reporters and writing pieces of his own. He joined the newspaper in February and has greatly appreciated all the opportunities that have come with the organization. After settling on a business administration major with a concentration in marketing, Hovey stumbled upon The Collegian at the recommendation of a friend. Writing news stories gave him a deeper connection to Colorado State University and its community, making his studies that much more meaningful. Having played numerous sports at a fairly mediocre level, Hovey jumped at the opportunity to cover Division I sporting events. He now gets the chance to surround himself with talented writers, artists and athletes while exercising his preferred form of the English language. Hovey’s favorite part of the job is meeting new people and learning about the things they’ve dedicated their lives to. The most surprising part has been the extraneous passions he’s discovered in nearly each one of these people. Hovey’s main goal this year is to foster discovery and allow people in athletics to show a separate side of themselves that may not generally be known. His secondary goal: Try not to stutter on a national broadcast. If not working at The Collegian, Hovey can be found engaging in outdoor activities, finding something tasty or listening to hip-hop.

Caden Proulx, Print Director

Caden Proulx is a human development and family studies student at Colorado State University pursuing his passion for graphic design at The Collegian. Originally from Austin, Texas, Caden’s journalistic journey began in the high school yearbook department, where his passion for design grew. This led to him to seek out student media when he got to Colorado State University. Starting as a page designer in his first year, Caden found a home at The Collegian. This led him to the position of print director his sophomore year. Despite majoring in HDFS, Caden seamlessly integrates his hobby of graphic design with his academic pursuits. The Collegian has become an integral part of his success at CSU. Now firmly rooted in Colorado, Caden is eager to contribute to the student media landscape, The Collegian and its success. He loves working alongside other excited students who are talented and have a lot to teach and push him to continue to grow as a visual journalist.

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