50 Most Impactful High Major Assistants (Silver Waves Media)
Pronounced YUR-ick MAL-uh-ghee
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State associate head coach Ulric Maligi was once again lauded as one of the top men’s basketball assistant coaches, as he was recently included on the 2023 list of the “Most Impactful High Major Assistant Coaches in Division I Basketball” by Silver Waves Media.
Maligi is one of just five Big 12 assistant coaches on the prestigious 50-person list, including Texas’ Brandon Chappell, Houston’s Kellen Sampson and Kansas’ Norm Roberts and Kurtis Townsend. It marks the second straight year that Maligi was included on the list.
Maligi was part of a staff that helped build K-State from a team with just two returning players to one that defied preseason last-place expectations with a 26-win season and its 13th trip to the Elite Eight in 2022-23. Seniors Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson became the first Wildcat duo to earn All-America honors from The Associated Press in the same season. Nowell was the winner of the Bob Cousy Point Guard Award, while Johnson joined Nowell on the All-Big 12 First Team and was the league’s Newcomer of the Year.
Maligi has also helped recruit one of top incoming freshmen classes in the country, which includes consensus 4-star players Darrin “Dai Dai” Ames (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood Academy), Robert “R.J.” Jones (Denton, Texas/Wasatch Academy) and Macaleab Rich (East St. Louis, Ill./East St. Louis).
The honor was another in a long list for Maligi, who is one of just 12 associate head coaches under the age of 40 at the major college level (AAC, ACC, Big 12, BIG EAST, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC). He has been recognized by both ESPN and The Athletic on their “40 under 40” lists for the top individuals in college basketball.
An assistant coach with 16 years of experience and deep ties to the state of Texas, Maligi came to K-State after a three-year stint at Texas Tech (2019-21) and Texas (2021-22) where he helped the Red Raiders and Longhorns to the NCAA Tournament in 2021 and 2022.
Maligi has coached and/or recruited 18 NBA players in his coaching career, including Sterling Brown (L.A. Lakers/SMU), Danuel House, Jr. (Philadelphia 76ers/Texas A&M), Mac McClung (Philadelphia 76ers/Texas Tech), Shake Milton (Philadelphia 76ers/SMU) and Robert Williams III (Boston Celtics/Texas A&M). In all, he has also helped sign 23 prospects ranked among the top 100 recruits in the country.
How to follow the ‘Cats: For complete information on K-State men’s basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team’s social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
