Former Maryland basketball assistant Robert Ehsan named coach at UAB

Associated Press |

Apr 04, 2016 | 6:49 PM

| Birmingham, Ala.

Former Maryland basketball assistant Robert Ehsan named coach at UAB — Maryland assistant coach Robert Ehsan talks with Mychal Parker, left, Haukur Palsson, second from left, and Terrell Stoglin in October 2010. (Amy Davis / Baltimore Sun)

Alabama-Birmingham's nine-day search for a head men's basketball coach ended with the promotion of assistant Robert Ehsan, a former Maryland staff member.

Blazers athletic director Mark Ingram announced Monday that associate head coach Ehsan would replace Jerod Haase. Ehsan, 33, will be formally introduced Tuesday.

He spent the past four seasons as an assistant under Haase, who left to take over the Stanford program. Ehsan was associate head coach when UAB won the past two Conference USA championships.

"Rob has been an integral part of the resurgence of UAB basketball, and he emerged as the clear-cut choice to be our head coach after an exhaustive, national search that included candidates from all corners of the basketball world," Ingram said.

Ehsan spent one season as an assistant at Virginia Tech and six under Gary Williams at Maryland, where he helped recruit two top-25 classes.

UAB made the second round of the NCAA Tournament two seasons ago, followed by a trip to the National Invitation Tournament.

"I have been fortunate to hone my craft with coaches like Gary Williams, Seth Greenburg [sic] and Jerod Haase," Ehsan said. "It will be a natural step to now lead our very talented team to continued growth."