Keiser Director of Tennis Daniel Finn announced the hiring of Ali Borhani as head coach of the men's tennis program on Thursday.
 
"Really excited to welcome Ali here," Finn said. "Having coached at every level, Ali is one of the premier recruiters and player developers in the country. His worldwide connections, elite training, and ability to connect with his players made him a perfect fit for the hire.  I have no doubt his leadership and vision will elevate our program to new heights."
 
"It's an incredible honor to join Keiser University as the Head Men's Tennis Coach," Borhani said. "I'm truly thankful to Campus President Dr. Gary Vonk, Athletic Director Kris Swogger, Associate Athletic Director Jamie Shoemaker, and Director of Tennis Daniel Finn for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. Keiser represents excellence in the classroom, competition, and character, and I'm inspired to build on that standard while helping our student-athletes grow into champions on and off the court."
 
Borhani comes to Keiser after spending four years as a private coach for two juniors and three professional players. Between those five players, Borhani has coached three ITF singles title winners and 11 doubles title winners. He has coached multiple players from unranked into the top 400 of their respective classes.

Before Borhani took his role as a private coach, he was coaching at Boise State for three seasons. In his three years with the Broncos, the team went from as low as a 242 ranking to a 64 ranking in the NCAA. Under Borhani, five Broncos have earned All-MW recognition, the team has earned 11 Academic All-Mountain West and five MW Scholar-Athlete accolades (3.5 or better cumulative GPA), as well as two ITA Scholar-Athlete awards. In 2021, he was a finalist for National Assistant Coach of the Year.

Borhani came to Boise State from Mesa Community College in Arizona, where he spent five years, four as an assistant and one as the head coach for both the men's and women's programs. During Borhani's five years at Mesa, he helped guide the men's team to five consecutive trips to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Championship tournament, registering five top-10 finishes, including fourth place in 2014 and a fifth-place result in 2015. The women's team reached the national tournament three times in the five-year stretch, placing in the top 10 each time, including a third-place finish in 2016. While at Mesa, Borhani helped the men's team to five straight NJCAA regional championships 2014 to 2018 and the women to the 2014 championship and back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017. He was named the ITA Men's Tennis Regional Assistant Coach of the Year twice, in 2016 and 2017, in addition to the ITA National Assistant Coach of the Year and Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) Assistant Coach of the Year in 2017. During his final year at the helm in Mesa, the men's team recorded their fifth-consecutive undefeated conference record and placed ninth at the NJCAA National Tournament. 

Prior to Mesa Community College, he coached for one season at his alma mater Scottsdale Community College (Ariz.) where he was named the ACCAC Coach of the Year in 2013 after taking the Artichokes to a fourth-place finish at the NJCAA National Championship. 

Borhani attended Scottsdale Community College, where he was an all-conference player. He received his associate's degree from Scottsdale in 2008 and a bachelor's in 2018 from Ottawa University (Ariz.).

What others are saying about Ali Borhani:

David Roditi, Head Men's Tennis Coach, 2024 National Champions, TCU: "Coach Ali will do a great job at Keiser. In addition to knowing the game at the highest level, he relates well to the student athletes and therefore can get the most out of them. Keiser made an excellent choice, which will only benefit the program and players."

Arron Spencer, Associate Head Men's Tennis Coach, Oregon: "Keiser got a great one in Coach Borhani. His ability to develop his players both on and off the court is top-notch, but what sets him apart is the ability to connect and build lasting relationships with those around him. The already tremendous program at Keiser is in great hands, and I'm excited to see it continue to build under Coach Borhani."

Matt Hill, Head Men's Tennis Coach, Arizona State: "This is just an unbelievable hire by Keiser.  Ali is super well connected and a fantastic recruiter.  He's without a doubt going to do a great job building on the success the university has already had."

 

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