UIC Athletics

One of the nation's top young coaches and an elite recruiter, Rob Ehsan (pronounced EE-sahn) is in his third season as UIC men's basketball head coach after being named to the position in April 2024.

Ehsan has quickly established momentum at UIC, leading the Flames to 36 victories, a Missouri Valley Conference Tournament (Arch Madness) championship game appearance and a postseason berth in his first two seasons. Last year, Ehsan led the Flames to a 19-16 record and a tie for third-place in the MVC standings, advancing to the Arch Madness championship game and earning a berth in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). The postseason appearance marked UIC's first since 2018 and its first NIT selection since 2003. UIC also posted its highest overall KenPom rating since 2004 (No. 110) and highest defensive efficiency mark since 2008 (No. 91), along with its highest-ever NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) ranking at No. 115.
 
What's more, during Ehsan's first two years at UIC, the Flames have collected eight Quad 1 & 2 wins, the second-most in the MVC, as well as six wins over teams ranked in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll (four against top-10 squads).

The 2025-26 campaign also showcased Ehsan's ability to develop individual talent, with three Flames earning MVC postseason honors. Elijah Crawford earned All-MVC Second Team and MVC All-Newcomer Team recognition, becoming UIC's first all-conference selection since 2022-23. Andy Johnson was named to the MVC All-Freshman Team, marking the program's first-ever selection to that squad, and graduate student guard Sam Silverstein earned MVC Scholar-Athlete Team honors, extending UIC's streak of having a representative on the team to four consecutive seasons.

Crawford and Rashund Washington Jr. were also named to the MVC All-Tournament Team, marking the first time since 2020 that UIC had two players selected to a conference all-tournament team. Silverstein also earned the MVC Elite 18 Award for men's basketball, presented annually to the student-athlete competing at the conference finals site with the highest cumulative grade-point average. Silverstein was one of three UIC student-athletes to earn an Elite 18 Award in their respective sports during the 2025-26 academic year.

In his first season, Ehsan led UIC to its first winning record (17-14) and highest conference finish since 2019-20, before the program joined the MVC. The Flames tied for fifth in the conference standings, posted their best regular-season winning percentage (.567) since 2004 and recorded five wins over postseason teams, including victories over Drake, Yale, Bradley and Illinois State, all while averaging 76.0 points per game, ranking fourth in the MVC and the program's second-highest scoring average in 30 years.

The Flames also established themselves as one of the conference's stronger defensive teams in 2024-25, ranking among the MVC's top five in field-goal percentage defense (.446), three-point defense (.336), blocked shots (3.13 per game), rebounding margin (+2.45), defensive rebounds (25.52 per game) and steals (6.77 per game).

A superb offensive tactician with a proven eye for talent, Ehsan brings extensive experience at the highest levels of college basketball. His coaching career includes stops at three power-conference programs — Stanford, Maryland and Virginia Tech — and a record of developing successful teams and high-level individual talent. Throughout his career, Ehsan has been part of coaching staffs that captured three conference titles and made eight postseason appearances, including four NCAA Tournaments. He has also recruited numerous All-Americans and future NBA Draft picks, including 2010 ACC Player of the Year Greivis Vasquez and Alex Len, the fifth overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft.

Prior to arriving at UIC, Ehsan spent three seasons (2021-24) as an assistant coach and lead recruiter at Stanford. He helped build an offense that ranked among the nation's top 35 and reached 20-year highs in offensive efficiency. In his final season, Stanford defeated No. 5 Arizona by 18 points, the largest margin of victory in program history against a top-five opponent. Ehsan also signed two McDonald's All-Americans during his tenure, and Stanford's 2023 incoming class featured two top-40 recruits for the first time since 2006.

Ehsan helped develop several standout players at Stanford, including Harrison Ingram, the 2022 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year; All-Pac-12 forward Spencer Jones; and Sam Beskind, the 2021-22 Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Before Stanford, Ehsan spent four seasons as head coach at UAB, compiling 76 victories and a winning record in each campaign. His teams averaged 19 wins per season, and his 2020 squad was on pace for a third consecutive 20-win campaign before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the season. He coached multiple All-Conference USA selections, including Chris Cokley, Jalen Benjamin and two-time C-USA Defensive Player of the Year William Lee. At the time of his hiring, Ehsan was one of the five youngest head coaches in Division I basketball.

Ehsan's UAB teams also excelled academically, earning consecutive NCAA Public Recognition Awards for exemplary Academic Progress Rates, the only such honors in program history. His tenure included marquee victories over Memphis and Stephen F. Austin, with the latter snapping the Lumberjacks' 31-game home winning streak. Ehsan won 62.5 percent of his Conference USA Tournament games, the second-best winning percentage in UAB history.

Before becoming head coach, Ehsan spent four seasons as an assistant coach at UAB under Jerod Haase, including two as associate head coach. He helped the Blazers reach the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament, highlighted by a first-round upset of third-seeded Iowa State. Other milestones during his eight years at UAB included a 26-win season in 2016-17, the winningest campaign in program history, and a victory over then-No. 16 North Carolina in 2013.

Ehsan began his coaching career at Maryland, where he spent six seasons (2006-11) under Hall of Fame coach Gary Williams, followed by one season at Virginia Tech (2011-12) under Seth Greenberg. At Maryland, he helped the Terrapins reach three NCAA Tournaments and two NITs while winning the 2010 ACC regular-season championship. He recruited and coached five future NBA Draft picks, including Vasquez, who won the 2010 Bob Cousy Award as the nation's top point guard before being selected 23rd overall in the NBA Draft.

Between his tenures at UAB and Stanford, Ehsan founded the TopConnect Leadership Academy, a development program for top graduate assistant coaches in men's and women's college basketball. He also served as a color and studio analyst for the Pac-12 Network.

Ehsan graduated from UC Davis in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in economics after a four-year career as a basketball letterwinner. He ranked among the nation's top 25 in free-throw percentage as a junior and served as team captain during his senior season. He earned his MBA from Maryland in 2008.

A native of Sacramento, Calif., Ehsan is married to the former Lindsey Rattray. They have one daughter, Katelyn, and two sons, Davis and Robert Ryder.

 
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT ROB EHSAN
 
Gary Williams
Maryland Head Coach (1989-2011); Special Assistant to the Director of Athletics (2011-present)
2002 NCAA Champion
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2014)
College Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee (2014)
"Rob was the backbone of the assistant coaches on my staff at Maryland. He is one of those people you immediately like, and once you get to know him, you also appreciate the toughness he has that you need to be a great head coach. He's one of the hardest working people in the game and will do whatever it takes. This is a great hire and I wish Rob and his family nothing but success at UIC."
 
Seth Greenberg
Virginia Tech Head Coach (2003-12)
ESPN College Basketball Analyst (2012-present)
"Rob Ehsan is a tremendous hire for UIC. Rob's work ethic is second to none. He understands the business of college basketball and is a proven head coach and a relentless recruiter. Rob is a terrific teacher whose goals for his players will be higher than 10 feet. He will help build a bridge for his players to cross and be successful in the game of life, and as a result, they will be better for having played for him."
 
Jeremy Foley
University of Florida Director of Athletics (1992-2016); Emeritus (2016-present)
"UIC really hit a home run with Rob. He's an incredible leader with tremendous insights about culture and how to motivate people. In working with him through the TopConnect Leadership Academy, I know he made me better. He has an unbelievable personality and is one of the good guys in this business, someone who is all about doing things the right way."
 
Greivis Vasquez
University of Maryland Guard (2007-10)
2010 ACC Player of the Year/Second-Team All-American/Bob Cousy Award Winner
2010 NBA Draft First-Round Pick (No. 28 overall, Memphis Grizzlies)
"I'm really excited about this opportunity for Coach Ehsan. He was a very hard worker when we were at Maryland and one of the main things I loved about him was how he cared about his players. He was always in my corner through the good and bad times. He is also a great recruiter, someone who loves the game and is great with X's and O's, but also someone who knows how to connect with players and get involved with developing them. This is an amazing hire and I'm definitely going to be watching him and his UIC teams. He's truly a winner."
 
Jon Rothstein
College Basketball Insider, CBS Sports
"Rob Ehsan is a tremendous hire for UIC. He did outstanding things at UAB and I have no doubt that he will do the same at UIC. The Windy City is getting one heck of a coach and an even better person."
 
Joe Henricksen
Editor/Publisher, City/Suburban Hoops Report
Contributing writer, Chicago Sun-Times
"UIC with a home run hire in landing Rob Ehsan, who brings valued head coaching experience and the type of energy, spirit and personality that puts a charge into a program. The self-aware Ehsan will build connections and relationships that will resonate with families, coaches and recruits."


ROB EHSAN BY THE NUMBERS 
 
Head Coaching Year-by-Year Record
Season             School              Overall      Conf.        Postseason                                 
2024-25            UIC                  17-14        10-10                                                                                 
2025-26            UIC                  19-16        12-8            NIT First Round                                     
UIC Total         2 seasons         36-30        22-18
                                                (.545)        (.550)

Season             School              Overall      Conf.        Postseason                                 
2016-17            UAB                  17-16        9-9           
2017-18            UAB                  20-13        10-8         
2018-19            UAB                  20-15        10-8          CBI First Round
2019-20            UAB                  19-13        9-9                                                                                 
UAB Total         4 seasons         76-57        38-34
                                                (.571)        (.528)
 
Assistant Coaching Year-by-Year Record
Season             School              Overall      Conf.        Postseason                                 
2005-06            Maryland          19-13        8-8            NIT First Round
2006-07            Maryland          25-9          10-6          NCAA Second Round
2007-08            Maryland          19-15        8-8            NIT Second Round
2008-09            Maryland          21-14        7-9            NCAA Second Round
2009-10            Maryland          24-9          13-3          ACC Champion; NCAA Second Round                   
2010-11            Maryland          19-14        7-9                                                              ___
MD Total          6 seasons         127-74      53-43
                                                (.632)        (.552)
 
Season             School              Overall      Conf.        Postseason                                 
2011-12            Virginia Tech     16-17        4-12                                                                             
VT Total            1 season           16-17        4-12
                                                (.485)        (.250)
 
Season             School              Overall      Conf.        Postseason                                 
2012-13            UAB                  16-17        7-9           
2013-14            UAB                  18-13        7-9           
2014-15            UAB                  20-16        12-6          C-USA Tourn. Champion; NCAA Second Round
2015-16            UAB                  26-7          16-2          C-USA Champion; NIT First Round 
UAB Total         4 seasons         80-53        42-26
                                                (.602)        (.618)
 
Season             School              Overall      Conf.        Postseason                                 
2021-22            Stanford           16-16        8-12         
2022-23            Stanford           14-19        7-12         
2023-24            Stanford           14-18        8-12                                                                                      
STAN Total       3 seasons         44-53        23-36
                                                (.454)        (.390)
 
Asst. Coach       14 seasons       267-197    122-117    3 conference titles
Total                                        (.575)        (.510)        7 postseason berths (4 NCAA, 3 NIT)
 
Head Coach      6 seasons         112-87        60-52        2 postseason berths (1 NIT, 1 CBI)
Total                                        (.563)        (.536)
 
Career Total     20 seasons       379-284    182-169    3 conference titles
                                                (.572)        (.519)        9 postseason berths (4 NCAA, 4 NIT, 1 CBI)