Story Courtesy Harrison LaLone, Central Michigan
Central Michigan Women’s Basketball announced the hire of Dearborn, Mich.-native Rana El-Husseini to fill the player development role on its staff for the 2025-26 season.
“Rana is a rising star in this industry, driven by endless passion and energy,” Head Coach Kristin Haynie said. “She not only understands the game, but she is also committed to empowering the next generation of young women. We are excited to have her as part of our Chippewa family.”
El-Husseini joins the Chippewas after spending her first season in the coaching ranks with NCAA II University of Charleston (WV). The Golden Eagles posted a 16-14 record and advanced to the Mountain East Conference semifinal.
Her collegiate playing career concluded at Mid-American Conference rival Buffalo in 2023-24 after three seasons at NCAA II Edinboro (PA). She was a standout point guard and team captain in both spots.
El-Husseini graduated from Buffalo with a master’s in public health, was an All-MAC Tournament Team selection and became the third player in program history to record a triple-double—at 5-foot-3, she was the shortest to do so in NCAA I that season.
At Edinboro, she was a WBCA All-America honorable mention in her junior season with two All-PSAC West First Team nods and the PSAC West Freshman of the Year to her credit and finished her bachelor’s in exercise science.
A first-generation Arab American, El-Husseini competed for Lebanon in the 2023 West-Asia Cup and in the pre-qualification tournament in Rwanda for the 2024 FIBA World Cup.
El-Husseini coordinated three non-profit basketball camps in her hometown of Dearborn including equipment, operations and volunteer staff, utilizing funds raised to fund local AAU programs and offer scholarships for college-bound student-athletes.
At both Buffalo and Edinboro, El-Husseini spear-headed food drives that each collected over 1,000 pounds of food to be donated to community food pantries.
Central Michigan Women’s Basketball returned to the Mid-American Conference Championship tournament for the first time since 2021 in the second season under Coach Haynie. The Chippewas improved by eight wins overall, five in league play from the first to second year, finishing at 14-17 (9-9 MAC).
Tagged with: MAC
