Julian Assibey has been named an assistant coach for the University of Colorado women’s basketball program, head coach Linda Lappe announced on Tuesday.
Assibey spent the 2014-15 season as the team’s video coordinator, breaking down game and practice video while assisting with scouting reports and Colorado’s basketball camps. He replaces Jenni Benningfield who resigned earlier this month to pursue other career opportunities.
“I’m excited and honored to move into an assistant coach position to help coach Lappe continue to grow this program and contend for national championships,” Assibey said. “We have an awesome staff and I plan to add to that intensity, passion and energy for Colorado basketball.”
Assibey will coach Colorado’s posts, headlined by senior Jamee Swan, an honorable mention to the 2014-15 All-Pac-12 Conference team and the Buffaloes’ leader in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots. He also inherits a younger group with very high ceilings in terms of development, including Zoe Correal, Zoe Beard-Fails, Bri Watts and incoming freshman Monica Burich.
“I’m excited about our post group; this unit will do some special things this year,” said Assibey, who will also recruit, develop scouting reports and help with video. “My specialty is defense, that’s what I’m going to bring to the staff, someone who looks at that side of the court all of the time.”
Assibey began his coaching career with Lappe at Metro State College of Denver serving as an assistant for two seasons (2007-09). He helped the Roadrunners to a third place Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference finish in 2007-08 and a fifth place showing in 2008-09.
“Julian is one of the most loyal, trustworthy, and passionate individuals that I know,” Lappe said. “He carries himself with a great deal of class and has high expectations for our program. His ability to mentor our players and recruit future players will be instrumental in our rise to the next level.”
Prior to joining the Colorado staff, Assibey spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass. He helped the Warriors to a 12-win turnaround from 2011-12 to 2012-13 when Merrimack finished 17-12 and advanced to the Northeast-10 Conference semifinals.
He has also held assistant coaching positions at his alma mater, William Penn (Iowa), in 2009-10, and Western State (Colo.) in 2010-11.
A native of Downey, Calif., Assibey was a four year letterwinner at William Penn and is among the school’s top five in career steals. He received his bachelor’s degree in Sports Administration and Strength & Conditioning in 2005 and followed that up with a master’s degree in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University (Mass.) in 2013.
Assibey and his wife Kaylee are the parents of two boys, Malachi (5) and Elijah (1).
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