It’s March 2010. A 15-year-old Ian Sacks filled out his NCAA Tournament bracket convinced Kansas would meet Kentucky in the national title game. The Jayhawks and Wildcats seemed to be far and away the two best teams in the country. The only question was who would win in their destined showdown on the first Monday in April.
Young Ian went with the Jayhawks. Their roster was deep and experienced. Sherron Collins. Xavier Henry. The Morris twins. Cole Aldrich. Brady Morningstar. Thomas Robinson was a freshman in a supporting role before his stellar career.
Who was stopping them?
Enter Ali Farokhmanesh.
The senior guard poured in 16 points, including the dagger three with 35 seconds left to give the Panthers a four-point lead en route to their 69-67 stunning 9-over-1 upset.
Well, that sharpshooting March legend is now the head coach of the Colorado State men’s basketball program.
So, how would we grade the hire? SB Nation asked Mountain West fans their opinion, and he certainly passes the test.
The Farokhmanesh hire received an “A” from 21%, a “B” from 36% and a “C” from 35%.
Here’s why he’s set up to succeed with the Rams
The 37-year-old has been on the Rams’ staff the last seven seasons, which included three NCAA Tournament appearances and a trip to the NIT semifinals. They were one second away from the Sweet 16 last month and were one of the hottest teams at the end of the season. They won the program’s first Mountain West tournament championship in more than two decades.
Farokhmanesh worked closely in the development of Isaiah Stevens, Nique Clifford and David Roddy. Stevens is the most decorated player in CSU history and is the program’s all-time leader in scoring and assists. He was the first five-time All-Mountain West honoree in history. Clifford transferred to Fort Collins from Colorado and blossomed. He averaged 18.9 points per game this season, second in the conference. Roddy averaged double figures in each of his three seasons with the Rams and produced 19.2 points a night in his final season at CSU.
But it’s more than Farokhmanesh’s skill development that will pave the way for him to continue the program’s success.
Niko Medved empowered him to work and think as though he was a head coach a couple of years ago. Though this is Farokhmanesh’s first time as a head coach, that experience prepared him for this moment.
“He wanted me to be entrenched in all aspects of the program and all decisions within the program,” Farokhmanesh said in an article on CSU’s athletics site. “I would not be ready for this if Niko had not given me that type of responsibility and believed in me to that point. He wanted me to prepare to be the head coach. There’s no chance I’m ready for that responsibility if Niko had not started that process three years ago.”
Even more than that, coaching is in his blood. His parents coached volleyball at Iowa, Washington State and UNLV.
“Timing is everything,” he said. “I truly believe this was the right time for Niko to move on, and I really believe this is the right time for me to have an opportunity to take over and continue to build off what we have. This is not a rebuild. The foundation is laid, and we’re going to put a bigger building on top of that foundation now.”
So, what might that building look like? Not saying it’s going to happen, but if you’re curious, the Rams are +50,000, according to the odds on FanDuel.
It seems safe to say the Rams will be in contention once again in the Mountain West, and Farokhmanesh is a big reason why. Just ask any Kansas fan.
