Ali Farokhmanesh, the man who authored one of March Madness’ most iconic upsets with a last-second three against Kansas in 2010, is now proving his coaching chops in his first season at Colorado State, where he’s transformed the Rams into a Mountain West contender with an eight-game win streak and a lethal 3-point attack.
Every March, as the NCAA tournament highlights begin to roll, one image reappears: a wiry guard in a Northern Iowa jersey leaning back, screaming toward the rafters after a dagger three that felled a giant. That guard is Ali Farokhmanesh, and the 2010 upset of Kansas is etched into college basketball lore. But 15 years later, Farokhmanesh is authoring a new chapter—not as a player, but as the head coach of Colorado State, where he’s engineering his own legacy with a signature style that mirrors his playing days.
His promotion last March wasn’t just a下一步 for the Rams; it was the realization of a vision Farokhmanesh nurtured since childhood. “This is surreal,” he said at his introductory press conference, holding a box of Puffs tissues—a self-aware nod to his emotional side—as he addressed a packed Moby Arena. “This is a dream I’ve had since I was a little kid.”
The Shot That Changed Everything
The 2010 NCAA tournament second-round matchup between Northern Iowa and Kansas was supposed to be a coronation for the top-seeded Jayhawks, a roster packed with future NBA lottery picks. Instead, it became a legend built on one breathless sequence.
With 42.8 seconds left and Northern Iowa clinging to a 63-62 lead, Kansas’ Sherron Collins hit a jumper to inch within one. On the inbounds, the Panthers broke the press, and Kwadzo Ahelegbe launched a pass to Farokhmanesh, who caught it behind the 3-point line with only one defender between him and the basket. Facing a seven-second shot clock differential, he could have held the ball, ate time, and forced Kansas to foul. Instead, he took two hard dribbles, created space, and pulled up from deep. The ball swished through the net for a four-point lead with 35 seconds left, sealing a 69-67 shocker that sent Northern Iowa to the Sweet 16.
“For a split-second, he appeared content to hold the ball,” the original reporting noted. “His movement sent the lone Kansas defender retreating to the basket, leaving the career 37.5% 3-point shooter with an enormous cushion to fire.” The gamble defined a tournament known for its chaos, and the image of Farokhmanesh’s roar graced the cover of Sports Illustrated under the headline “Divine Madness” Sports Illustrated.
From Junior College to March Hero: An Improbable Path
That moment was improbable even before the shot went in. Farokhmanesh, a first-team all-state honoree in Iowa, exited high school with zero Division I scholarship offers—even after contacting nearly 150 programs. The University of Iowa, where his mother coached volleyball, showed no interest. He landed at Kirkwood Community College, where his obsessive work ethic became legendary: he’d force himself to make 400 shots nightly, wearing out the screws in his shooting gun. His stats—16.3 points per game and 47.3% from three—finally drew Northern Iowa’s offer.
“There wasn’t a day in the two years we had Ali with us as a player that he wasn’t in the gym before practice or after practice,” Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson told USA TODAY Sports. That grind powered a Panthers team that won a then-program-record 30 games in 2009-10, with Farokhmanesh averaging 9.7 points and a team-high 77 threes.
The Coaching Grind: From Graduate Assistant to Head Coach
Coaching was never a backup plan for Farokhmanesh; it was the plan. After a four-year pro career overseas ended as he married and started a family, he pursued a coaching career relentlessly. In 2014, he cold-texted Nebraska coach Tim Miles about a graduate assistant opening. Miles, vacationing in Cabo, hired him on the spot after a workout.
“What happens is when you have too many Mai Tais in Cabo, you hire Ali Farokhmanesh by accident and it works out great for everybody involved,” Miles joked to USA TODAY Sports. He quickly recognized Farokhmanesh’s investment in people, not just his playing résumé. “Ali’s a hero at Northern Iowa. What’s he going to be like?” Miles wondered. “What I noticed about Ali immediately was he invested in people.”
After three years at Nebraska, Farokhmanesh joined Niko Medved’s staff at Drake, then followed him to Colorado State. There, he helped build a consistent winner: the Rams won at least 20 games in five of Medved’s final six seasons and earned three NCAA tournament bids in four years, developing NBA talents like David Roddy and Isaiah Stevens.
When Medved left for Minnesota last March, there was little debate about his successor. Within four days, Farokhmanesh was introduced as Colorado State’s head coach. “He’d never been the point person on signing a player, but I’ve always just trusted my gut,” Medved said. “If you can really connect with people, if you can teach people, if you love it…you’ve got a guy that’s really talented.”
Colorado State’s New Era: 3-Point Barrage and Win Streak
Farokhmanesh’s first team is a mirror of his playing philosophy: skilled, sharpshooting, and unafraid. Through 30 games, the Rams are making 39.6% of their threes—fifth-best among 365 Division I teams—with 48.8% of their attempts coming from deep. After an early lull, they’ve won eight straight, tying for the sixth-longest active streak in the nation Coloradoan.
“I’ve always enjoyed teams that share the ball, that cut and move and play with pace,” Farokhmanesh said. “I’ve always been attracted to or lean toward skill over mostly anything else.” That approach is paying off, especially after Colorado State lost six of its top seven scorers from last season. While the Rams likely need to win the Mountain West tournament to reach the NCAA tournament, a 20-win season—their sixth in seven years—signals a seamless transition.
Legacy Beyond the Shot
Fame from the Kansas shot is inescapable; every March, requests to relive the moment flood in. For years, while an assistant at Nebraska and Drake, Farokhmanesh was more recognized than the head coaches he worked for. He’s turned it into a teaching moment, once challenging surprised players to a shooting contest.
“Over the past three or four years, as the shot fades further in the distance, I started to be recognized more as a coach rather than a player,” he said. Around Fort Collins, questions about the Rams now outweigh those about the 2010 dagger. His players, mostly born after 2000, learn about the Sports Illustrated cover from their parents.
“The story of him and the shot…that was a moment in time,” Medved said. “But that’s only a small part of the story. At the end of the day, nobody makes it unless they can actually do the job and they’re caring and they work. His reputation now is because he’s a terrific coach.”
As the Rams prepare for the Mountain West tournament and a potential move to the Pac-12, Farokhmanesh is crafting a legacy built not on one shot, but on sustained success—and he’s just getting started.
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