Robert Ehsan will enter his sixth season on the University of Maryland men's basketball staff in 2010-11 having used his work ethic and connection with prospective and current student-athletes to elevate himself to one of the sharpest assistant coaches in the nation.
After two seasons as a graduate assistant, Ehsan moved in 2008 to the spot of assistant recruiting coordinator. Last season, his areas of responsibilities include working with the department's compliance office, assisting with scheduling and coordinating training and practice schedules.
Ehsan is responsible for maintaining the Terrapins' recruiting database and works closely with the Gary Williams summer camps and golf tournament.
"Robert is one of the top young assistants in college basketball," said head coach Gary Williams, regarding the former graduate assistant. "He has been a tremendous asset for our program working with academics, advance scouting, player development and game management."
The Terrapins have been to the postseason in each of the past five years and have a record of 106-59 with Ehsan on staff.
A former point guard in his own right, Ehsan has used his personal experience as a connection to the Terrapins' current student-athletes and their future recruits. His personal and coaching relationship helped Maryland All-American Greivis Vasquez achieve his goals of becoming a first-round pick in the NBA Draft.
Ehsan's ability in scouting and coaching helped the Terrapins tie for the regular-season championship in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2009-10. Maryland finished with a 24-9 record overall and a 13-3 mark in the ACC regular season. The Terrapins advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, losing on a buzzer-beater to eventual Final Four particpant Michigan State in the second round.
In 2008-09, the Terps made pulled one of the nation's stunning upsets with a victory at No. 1-ranked North Carolina. In 2006-07, the Terps finished 25-9, including a 10-6 mark in league play. Maryland's 25 victories marked the fourth-highest win total in school history and four Terps earned all-conference honors following the season.
Ehsan played four seasons at the University of California, Davis. He started his last two seasons for the Aggies and was the team captain in his senior year. Ehsan finished 23rd in the nation in free-throw percentage as a junior for Davis, which was in a transition period while moving from NCAA Division II to Division I. At Davis, Ehsan received the Gordon S. Baranco Award, symbolizing exceptional leadership, unselfishness, work ethic and commitment toward the team.
He became interested in coaching while assisting with camp staffs at Santa Clara, UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis and Gary Williams Basketball Camp at Maryland. Ehsan also held other positions in finance and marketing during summers. Ehsan led his Bella Vista High School team in scoring during all four seasons and was a three-time all-league pick at the Sacramento-area school.
He earned a bachelor's degree in economics while at UC Davis, making the athletics honor roll from 2002 through 2005. Ehsan completed a master's of business administration from UMUC in April 2008. A native of Sacramento, Calif., he resides in College Park.
