Yusuf Ali

Biography

Yusuf Ali was hired in the fall of 2025 as an assistant coach on Ross Hodge's first staff at West Virginia. Ali, a native of Toronto, Canada, comes to WVU from Arizona State, where he served as an assistant coach for Bobby Hurley this past season. Ali played a pivotal role in recruiting at Arizona State. “We are excited to announce the addition of Yusuf to our coaching staff,” Hodge said. “Yusuf has a unique ability to connect with people. He has great relationships both internationally and stateside. Yusuf also brings with him Big 12 experience and will be a valuable member of our program.” Prior to Arizona State, Ali served as an assistant coach at Simon Fraser University. While there, Simon Fraser earned wins over No. 1-seeded Saint Martin’s, Western Washington and local rival, UBC, in a Buchanan Cup victory, securing a spot in the playoffs. Notably, all of his graduates signed professional contracts in the offseason. Prior to Simon Fraser, Ali co-founded and served as the head coach of the Toronto Basketball Academy and DeepEnd Training from 2018-21. His team posted a record of 32-6 during his two years as head coach from 2019-21. Renowned for his focus on player development, Ali has mentored and coached some of Canada’s top basketball talents, many of whom have gone on to play in the NCAA and professional leagues around the world. As a former athlete, Ali was a standout player in U-Sports Basketball, representing the Ryerson Rams and achieving a national championship wit