Head coach Rob Ehsan brought UIC to new heights in his first year at the helm. The Flames ended 17-14 overall (10-10 MVC) this season, marking their record since 2017-18.
Announcing Ehsan’s arrival to Chicago’s west side last spring, Flames Athletic Director Michael Lipitz noted that “Rob is a dynamic and dedicated leader who shares UIC’s values and has a clear vision to advance Flames basketball in the Missouri Valley Conference.”
During his previous seasons with UAB and Stanford, Ehsan made a name for himself as an elite recruiter. He’s recognized for bringing an offensive-minded energy to the court, something fans and analysts agreed was missing under former head coach Luke Yaklich, whose contract was terminated last year.
“I was optimistic that our team was going to have success,” he told MidMajorBasketball.com. “To what degree, I didn’t know, but I knew we had a group of guys that were ready to compete and ready to compete hard.”
Multiple UIC players set and broke records under Ehsan this season, including fourth-year Flame Filip Skobalj. The Belgrade, Serbia native, who Ehsan refers to as “Mr. UIC,” set career highs in points, 3-pointers and free throws in his last season of eligibility. The 6-foot-7 power forward was vital to Ehsan’s roster.
“I felt this enormous want and need from coach Ehsan to have me on his team,” Skobalj told Mid-Major Basketball earlier this season. “I just felt like he really fought for me from the beginning, and I appreciate that.”
Looking ahead, Ehsan believes UIC’s program is well-positioned for sustained growth and long-term success.
“I think UIC has been waiting for a winning program and a team with a chance to compete in the conference,” he said. “We’ll be really building our roster for next year. We’re going to have a lot of new faces, and we’re looking to put together a team that can win a championship.”
Although the Flames won’t finalize their roster until closer to the 2025–26 season, they’ve already secured commitments from four-star recruit Rashund Washington Jr. out of Georgia and three-star prospect Andy Johnson from Kentucky.
“We feel good about the pieces we’ve been putting together and our returners coming back developed,” he told us. “We had a winning season, but now we’re eager to compete and win in The Valley.”
