WVU Basketball Assistant Coach Named to “Most Impactful/Influential” List

WVU basketball assistant coach Yusuf Ali was named to the “2026 100 Most Impactful/Influential High Major Assistant Coaches” by Silver Waves Media on Wednesday.

According to Silver Waves Media, the list has become “the industry standard for excellence,” which is consulted by a panel of industry professionals.

Ali joined WVU last fall ahead of head coach Ross Hodge’s first year at the helm of the program.

Ali served as an assistant at Arizona State for two years. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach at Simon Fraser University.

Aside from coaching at the collegiate level, Ali co-founded and served as the head coach of the Toronto Basketball Academy and DeepEnd Training. He worked in those roles from 2012-2020.

In head coach Ross Hodge’s first year, West Virginia finished the season at 18-14 with a 9-10 Big 12 record, including 0-1 in the conference tournament. The Mountaineers finished with three straight wins, culminating in a College Basketball Crown Championship.

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