Ithaca College Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreational Sports, Susan Bassett ’79, has announced that Waleed Farid has been named the next head coach of the men’s basketball program. Farid becomes the 10th head coach for the men’s basketball program, which began competition in 1929-30.
“I am thrilled to announce the appointment of Waleed Farid as the next head coach for Ithaca College Men’s Basketball,” said Bassett. “Coach Farid emerged from a rigorous national search as the clear choice to lead our men’s basketball program. He has competed at a high level as a player and coach, demonstrating his leadership effectiveness in all of his roles in the sport of basketball. He is committed to the scholar-athlete ideal and has demonstrated that academic success and athletics excellence are compatible endeavors. Additionally, Coach Farid will be an excellent colleague within our department and across the Ithaca College community.”
Farid comes to South Hill after spending the past five seasons as the head coach at Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y. Farid won 49 games over the first four seasons, including 16 victories during his first year at Hartwick. Off the court, Hartwick achieved tremendous success in the classroom, earning the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award for the first time in school history in 2019-20. Outside of coaching, Farid was the founding member of Hartwick’s diversity, equity and inclusion committee.
“I would like to thank Susan Bassett and the rest of the search committee for giving me this opportunity,” said Farid. “Ithaca College is a place I’ve had a lot of respect for dating back to my playing days and now to be named the next men’s basketball head coach is truly an honor.”
“I look forward to joining the Bomber family and doing my part to help this athletic department and this basketball program continue to achieve excellence in everything that we do.”
Farid mentored three Empire 8 All-Conference members at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season and had a D3hoops.com East Region and Empire 8 Rookie of the Year on his squad in 2017-18. Two more Hawks were named all-conference during Farid’s first season.
Prior to Hartwick, Farid spent seven years serving as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Stevens Institute of Technology (2009-16) in Hoboken, N.J. In that time frame, Farid helped Stevens to a record of 127-67 and three 20-win seasons. He helped guide the Ducks to Empire 8 Tournament appearances in six of his seven seasons and two conference regular season titles. Stevens won the ECAC Metro Championship in 2011 and received an at-large berth into the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
During his time as an assistant, Stevens a total of 14 student-athletes received all-conference recognition, in addition to nods on the NABC All-District Team, the D3hoops.com All-Region Team, the ECAC All-Metro Region Team, and the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association Team.
As a standout student-athlete at Stevens, Farid guided the Ducks to the “Sweet 16” of the NCAA Tournament in 2007 and the program’s first-ever ECAC Metro title in 2008. He graduated as the program’s career
leader in points, rebounds and steals, and still sits top-10 in several career categories. Farid was a three-time all-conference selection, a preseason All-American for the 2007-08 season, and he earned NABC All-Atlantic District and All-Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association honors in 2006-07 and 2007-08. Farid graduated from Stevens in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in business and technology and was a presidential scholarship recipient. In 2013, Farid was inducted into the Stevens Athletic Hall of Fame.
“Waleed Farid will embrace and honor the tradition of excellence of Bomber athletics and lead the program to the level of competitive success that Ithaca aspires to in competition,” stated Bassett. “I am confident that while Coach Farid will bring his own style to leading the basketball program, he will embody the values we hold dear; integrity, respect, sportsmanship and a high work ethic.”
After graduation, Farid went overseas to play for Alexandria Sporting Club in Egypt. He averaged 10 points in just 15 minutes per game.
Farid is an NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and a personal trainer. He is also certified by Precision Nutrition as a Level 1 Nutrition Coach.
Farid will be coming to Ithaca with his wife of eight years, Jean, and their son Mikail.
