Huskers Add Assibey as Assistant Coach

A long-time NCAA Division I assistant with a track record of success around the country, Julian Assibey will join the Nebraska women's basketball staff for the 2023-24 season, Head Coach Amy Williams announced on Monday, April 17.

Assibey (pronounced ah-SEE-bay) comes to Lincoln after spending the past three years as an assistant coach at Florida, where he helped the Gators to three consecutive postseason berths. In his first season (2020-21) in Gainesville, Assibey helped the Gators to their first postseason berth since a 2016 NCAA Tournament bid, and their first postseason victory since 2014. In 2021-22, Assibey helped guide the Gators to a 21-11 record and a trip to the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In 2022-23, Florida finished with a 19-15 overall record that included three wins to advance to the Postseason WNIT Great Eight.

"We are very excited to add Julian, his wife Kaylee, and son's Malachi and Elijah to our Husker women's basketball family," Williams said. "Julian is a high-energy, passionate coach and a dynamic recruiter. His 16 years of collegiate coaching experience coupled with his values and integrity make him the perfect person to positively impact our student-athletes through the game of basketball."

Assibey went to Florida after spending four successful seasons (2016-2020) at Montana State, where he helped the Bobcats to a pair of Big Sky regular-season titles and one conference tournament crown. In addition to his assistant coaching duties, Assibey served as the recruiting coordinator for the Bobcats, who produced nine all-conference honorees including a pair of Big Sky players of the year in his four seasons.

In 2019-20, Montana State produced one of the best seasons in school history, finishing with a 25-6 record that including a Big Sky regular-season title with a 19-1 mark. The Bobcats advanced to the Big Sky Tournament title game against Idaho, but the game was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fallyn Freije was named the 2020 Big Sky Player of the Year. In Assibey's first year at Montana State (2016-17), the Bobcats rolled to Big Sky regular-season and tournament titles, led by league player of the year Peyton Ferris. The Bobcats earned an automatic bid to the 2017 NCAA Tournament and finished the season with a 25-7 record that included a 15-3 Big Sky mark.

Assibey previously served the 2014-15 season as the video coordinator at Colorado, before advancing to a full-time assistant role for the Buffaloes in 2015-16. He returned to the state of Colorado after a pair of previous stops at Western Colorado (2010-11) and two years at Metro State Denver (2007-09).

Following his season at Western Colorado, Assibey traveled to Andover, Mass., where he spent three seasons as an assistant at Merrimack College. The Warriors posted a 12-game improvement in the win column from his first season (5-21) in 2011-12 to his second season (17-12) in 2012-13. 

Born and raised in Ghana, West Africa, Assibey grew up in Downey, Calif., before earning four letters in men's basketball while also competing in track and field (long jump, triple jump, 4x100-meter relay) at William Penn in Oskaloosa, Iowa. He earned his bachelor's degree in sports administration and strength and conditioning in 2005. Following his two seasons as an assistant coach at Metro State Denver (2007-09), he spent one season on staff as an assistant coach at William Penn (2009-10). While coaching at Merrimack in Massachusetts, Assibey completed his master's degree in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University in 2013.
 
Julian and his wife, Kaylee, have two sons, Malachi and Elijah.