Georgetown University Head Men’s Basketball Coach John Thompson III announced today that Akbar Waheed will join his staff as an assistant coach.

Waheed comes to the Hilltop after spending last year as an assistant coach at Hofstra University. The Pride finished the 2015-16 season with a 24-10 record and an appearance in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).

“Akbar will be a tremendous addition to our staff,’ Thompson said. “His strengths are multi-faceted, he has a history of identifying, evaluating, recruiting and developing young men. Each aspect is essential. He is extremely smart and is a tireless worker.”

Waheed, who spent the 2014-15 season as a scout with the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association, has nearly 15 years of NCAA Division I coaching experience, with stops at Niagara and Boston College, in addition to Hofstra.

In his career as an assistant coach, Waheed has been part of five postseason teams, including two squads that advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Prior to spending the 2014-15 season with the Thunder, Waheed worked at Boston College from 2010 to 2014.

Waheed spent 11 years as an assistant to Joe Mihalich at Niagara University, where the Purple Eagles averaged nearly 19 wins per season and earned four postseason tournament berths. During his time at Niagara, the Purple Eagles posted a 206-135 record, earned an NCAA Tournament win, a pair of NCAA Tournament berths, two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championships, two trips to the NIT and two MAAC regular season titles. He was a part of four 20-win seasons in Buffalo.

A skilled recruiter and strong developer of talent, Waheed helped recruit and develop a multitude of players that have gone on to the professional ranks, most recently Olivier Hanlan (Utah Jazz) and Reggie Jackson (Oklahoma City Thunder).

 

Waheed graduated from Niagara in 1999 with a degree in communications. He earned his master’s degree in school counseling from Niagara in 2007.

Waheed was a standout at Gonzaga College High School, helping the team reach a national rank as high as No. 6 in the country when he was a junior.

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