Men's Basketball
Maligi , Ulric
Ulric Maligi
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- Ulric.Maligi@ttu.edu
Ulric Maligi (pronounced: yur-rick mal-uh-ghee) joined the Texas Tech Red Raider program in August 2019 having 12 years of NCAA Division I coaching experience, a reputation as a strong recruiter and coach, six 20-win seasons, five NCAA and NIT postseason appearances, and 16 players who he has coached and/or recruited to reach the NBA. Entering his second season, he is responsible for assisting with on-court coaching, scouting and recruiting for the program. Of note, he sits on the diversity, equity and inclusion committee with the task of facilitating an environment to optimize student-athlete voices to promote change and enhance their on-campus experience.
Nationally respected as one of the top assistants in college basketball, Maligi was recognized by ESPN's "40 Under 40" and The Athletic's "40 Under 40" list of rising stars following his first season at Texas Tech.
During his first season at Texas Tech, Maligi was instrumental in recruiting the best recruiting class in school history. The 2019-20 Red Raiders were nationally ranked in 12 polls during the season and knocked off No. 1-ranked Louisville at the Jimmy V Classic in New York for the program’s first victory over a top-ranked opponent. The 2020 recruiting class featured Jordan Brand All American, Micah Peavy. The incoming class also highlighted some of the top Division I transfers in the country, such as Mac McClung (Georgetown) and Marcus Santos-Silva (VCU). The 2020 recruiting class was ranked Top 10 nationally by 24/7 Sports and Rivals.com. Maligi's first year with Texas Tech was cut short due to the coronavirus. The Red Raiders were unable to play in the Big 12 Championship because of the pandemic.
“I feel extremely humbled and blessed to work with and learn from arguably the best college basketball staff in the country,” Maligi said. “My family and I could not be coming to Texas Tech at a more exciting time. It’s rare in this profession for any coach to work for a reigning National Coach of the Year and a head coach who sat in the NBA green room back-to-back years. I’m eager to work with all of our players and join the efforts of our entire staff to be fully committed to their development as student-athletes and as men. I intend to impact these young men’s lives by establishing a lifelong relationship with each of them that fosters a sense of accountability, personal productivity, and leadership that will have positive effects both on and off the court. I cannot wait to win more Big 12 championships and ultimately win a National Championship at Texas Tech. Coach Beard has created an expectation to win big and a championship culture that I’m ecstatic to be a part of.”
An Arlington, Texas transplant and Howard University graduate, Maligi arrived in Lubbock after three seasons in College Station where he was an assistant coach at Texas A&M. Along with his experience at Texas A&M, he has coached at Southern Methodist (2012-15), Houston (2010-12), Stephen F. Austin (2007-10) and the University of Texas at Arlington (2006-07).
Most recently before joining the Red Raiders, he worked at Texas A&M (2016-19) where his three years were highlighted by helping lead the Aggies to the Sweet 16 in his second season. The Aggies finished the season with 22 victories, including knocking off Providence and North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament first and second rounds. An 86-65 win over North Carolina was the second largest margin of victory for Texas A&M in the tournament and advanced the Aggies to the program’s fifth Sweet 16 where they would fall to Michigan. Maligi was an elite recruiter for the Aggies and head coach Billy Kennedy, signing multiple top-100 recruits and securing a Rivals.com Top 25 class in 2017 and 2019.
He had spent one year prior to Texas A&M working as the national scouting director for John Lucas Enterprises in Houston where he helped identify, evaluate and skill train talented players from throughout the nation, as well as, served as the camp director for all of Coach John Lucas’ camps, 5th-12th grade, and mentored student athletes who participated in the drug rehab program.
From 2012-15, Maligi was an assistant coach for legendary college and NBA head coach Larry Brown where he helped in recruiting, scouting and on-court instruction. With Maligi on staff, the Mustangs revived their program by signing a recruiting class that ranked No. 14 nationally. In his second season at SMU, the team went 27-10 and advanced to the NIT championship final at Madison Square Garden. Maligi and the Mustangs knocked off four ranked opponents during the season and were ranked for the first time since the 1984-85 season. In Maligi’s third season, SMU won the American Athletic Conference tournament earning a NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1993.
Maligi coached at the University of Houston from 2010-12 with former Red Raider head coach James Dickey. In his years at UH, he helped sign a pair of outstanding recruiting classes. The 2011 class included an ESPN top-100 signee who was named to the C-USA All-Freshman team in 2011-12 and All-C-USA first team in 2012-13. The class of 2012 was ranked in the top 20, and included two ESPN top-100 signees.
In June 2011, Maligi joined some of the most talented coaches from across the country for the NCAA and BCA Achieving Coaching Excellence (ACE) Program in Indianapolis. The ACE Program was created to prepare racial and ethnic minority basketball coaches for success as future head coaches. Maligi received training and education in leadership, communication, campus relations, media, community involvement and program management while interacting with current NCAA head coaches, directors of athletics and administrators.
Maligi spent three seasons (2007-10) as an assistant coach at Stephen F. Austin under head coach Danny Kaspar. Maligi helped lead the program to 23 or more wins each season, for a 73-23 (.760) combined record. In 2009, the Lumberjacks made their first NCAA Tournament after winning the Southland Conference Tournament. SFA also reached the NIT in 2008. At SFA, his duties included assisting with recruiting, on-court coaching, scouting for the program, as well as, assisting with scheduling and academic monitoring for the team.
Before joining SFA, Maligi worked the 2006-07 season as an assistant coach at UT Arlington under head coach Scott Cross. Maligi was responsible for assisting with recruiting, on-court coaching, scouting for the program, as well as, directing camps and overseeing team travel. He accepted the job at 21 years old making him the youngest Division I assistant coach in the country at that time.
Maligi began his coaching career as the head manager as an undergraduate student at Howard University in Washington D.C. where he assisted the coaching staff with film, on-campus recruiting, academic monitoring and a supervisory role of the manager staff.
Maligi earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology from Howard University in 2006. He graduated Cum Laude. He and his wife, Dr. Courtney B. Maligi, were married in 2012.
Coaching Experience
Season, School, Position
2006-07, UT Arlington, Assistant Coach
2007-10, SFA, Assistant Coach
2010-12, Houston, Assistant Coach
2012-15, SMU, Assistant Coach
2015-16, John Lucas Enterprises, National Scouting Director
2016-19, Texas A&M, Assistant Coach
2019-current, Texas Tech, Assistant Coach
Nationally respected as one of the top assistants in college basketball, Maligi was recognized by ESPN's "40 Under 40" and The Athletic's "40 Under 40" list of rising stars following his first season at Texas Tech.
During his first season at Texas Tech, Maligi was instrumental in recruiting the best recruiting class in school history. The 2019-20 Red Raiders were nationally ranked in 12 polls during the season and knocked off No. 1-ranked Louisville at the Jimmy V Classic in New York for the program’s first victory over a top-ranked opponent. The 2020 recruiting class featured Jordan Brand All American, Micah Peavy. The incoming class also highlighted some of the top Division I transfers in the country, such as Mac McClung (Georgetown) and Marcus Santos-Silva (VCU). The 2020 recruiting class was ranked Top 10 nationally by 24/7 Sports and Rivals.com. Maligi's first year with Texas Tech was cut short due to the coronavirus. The Red Raiders were unable to play in the Big 12 Championship because of the pandemic.
“I feel extremely humbled and blessed to work with and learn from arguably the best college basketball staff in the country,” Maligi said. “My family and I could not be coming to Texas Tech at a more exciting time. It’s rare in this profession for any coach to work for a reigning National Coach of the Year and a head coach who sat in the NBA green room back-to-back years. I’m eager to work with all of our players and join the efforts of our entire staff to be fully committed to their development as student-athletes and as men. I intend to impact these young men’s lives by establishing a lifelong relationship with each of them that fosters a sense of accountability, personal productivity, and leadership that will have positive effects both on and off the court. I cannot wait to win more Big 12 championships and ultimately win a National Championship at Texas Tech. Coach Beard has created an expectation to win big and a championship culture that I’m ecstatic to be a part of.”
An Arlington, Texas transplant and Howard University graduate, Maligi arrived in Lubbock after three seasons in College Station where he was an assistant coach at Texas A&M. Along with his experience at Texas A&M, he has coached at Southern Methodist (2012-15), Houston (2010-12), Stephen F. Austin (2007-10) and the University of Texas at Arlington (2006-07).
Most recently before joining the Red Raiders, he worked at Texas A&M (2016-19) where his three years were highlighted by helping lead the Aggies to the Sweet 16 in his second season. The Aggies finished the season with 22 victories, including knocking off Providence and North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament first and second rounds. An 86-65 win over North Carolina was the second largest margin of victory for Texas A&M in the tournament and advanced the Aggies to the program’s fifth Sweet 16 where they would fall to Michigan. Maligi was an elite recruiter for the Aggies and head coach Billy Kennedy, signing multiple top-100 recruits and securing a Rivals.com Top 25 class in 2017 and 2019.
He had spent one year prior to Texas A&M working as the national scouting director for John Lucas Enterprises in Houston where he helped identify, evaluate and skill train talented players from throughout the nation, as well as, served as the camp director for all of Coach John Lucas’ camps, 5th-12th grade, and mentored student athletes who participated in the drug rehab program.
From 2012-15, Maligi was an assistant coach for legendary college and NBA head coach Larry Brown where he helped in recruiting, scouting and on-court instruction. With Maligi on staff, the Mustangs revived their program by signing a recruiting class that ranked No. 14 nationally. In his second season at SMU, the team went 27-10 and advanced to the NIT championship final at Madison Square Garden. Maligi and the Mustangs knocked off four ranked opponents during the season and were ranked for the first time since the 1984-85 season. In Maligi’s third season, SMU won the American Athletic Conference tournament earning a NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1993.
Maligi coached at the University of Houston from 2010-12 with former Red Raider head coach James Dickey. In his years at UH, he helped sign a pair of outstanding recruiting classes. The 2011 class included an ESPN top-100 signee who was named to the C-USA All-Freshman team in 2011-12 and All-C-USA first team in 2012-13. The class of 2012 was ranked in the top 20, and included two ESPN top-100 signees.
In June 2011, Maligi joined some of the most talented coaches from across the country for the NCAA and BCA Achieving Coaching Excellence (ACE) Program in Indianapolis. The ACE Program was created to prepare racial and ethnic minority basketball coaches for success as future head coaches. Maligi received training and education in leadership, communication, campus relations, media, community involvement and program management while interacting with current NCAA head coaches, directors of athletics and administrators.
Maligi spent three seasons (2007-10) as an assistant coach at Stephen F. Austin under head coach Danny Kaspar. Maligi helped lead the program to 23 or more wins each season, for a 73-23 (.760) combined record. In 2009, the Lumberjacks made their first NCAA Tournament after winning the Southland Conference Tournament. SFA also reached the NIT in 2008. At SFA, his duties included assisting with recruiting, on-court coaching, scouting for the program, as well as, assisting with scheduling and academic monitoring for the team.
Before joining SFA, Maligi worked the 2006-07 season as an assistant coach at UT Arlington under head coach Scott Cross. Maligi was responsible for assisting with recruiting, on-court coaching, scouting for the program, as well as, directing camps and overseeing team travel. He accepted the job at 21 years old making him the youngest Division I assistant coach in the country at that time.
Maligi began his coaching career as the head manager as an undergraduate student at Howard University in Washington D.C. where he assisted the coaching staff with film, on-campus recruiting, academic monitoring and a supervisory role of the manager staff.
Maligi earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology from Howard University in 2006. He graduated Cum Laude. He and his wife, Dr. Courtney B. Maligi, were married in 2012.
Coaching Experience
Season, School, Position
2006-07, UT Arlington, Assistant Coach
2007-10, SFA, Assistant Coach
2010-12, Houston, Assistant Coach
2012-15, SMU, Assistant Coach
2015-16, John Lucas Enterprises, National Scouting Director
2016-19, Texas A&M, Assistant Coach
2019-current, Texas Tech, Assistant Coach
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