Texas Assistant Ulric Maligi Heading to Kansas State
AUSTIN -- The Texas Longhorns are already experiencing staffing changes less than a week into the offseason.
Texas assistant coach Ulric Maligi is leaving Chris Beard’s staff to join first-year Kansas State coach Jerome Tang in Manhattan, according to reports Wednesday.
Wildcats coach Bruce Weber resigned on March 10 after 10 seasons with the program.
Texas Basketball
Will Gallagher/Inside Texas
Maligi, a native of Arlington, TX, will now begin his first coaching job outside of the Lone Star State. After getting his coaching start at UT-Arlington, Maligi was an assistant at Texas Tech for two seasons under Beard along with stints at Texas A&M, SMU, Houston, and Stephen F. Austin. Overall, the 37-year-old has 14 years of college coaching experience.
At SMU, Maligi worked for three seasons under legendary NBA and college coach Larry Brown. Three SMU players who committed during Maligi's time were later selected in the NBA Draft. Semi Ojeleye was taken 37th overall by the Celtics in 2017, while his teammate Sterling Brown was taken nine picks later by the Bucks at 46th overall. Shake Milton was selected 54th overall by the Mavericks the following season.
C. Morgan Engel, USA Today
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The Mustangs had a 27-7 record in 2014-2015, the program's second-best season since 1987-1988.
The Longhorns came up short in an 81-71 loss to Purdue in the Round of 32 on Sunday. Now, Maligi will look to help jumpstart a Kansas State team that had the second-worst overall record in the Big 12 (14-17) this past season.
He'll likely use his time in Manhattan as a final stepping stone toward a head coaching job.
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