Former IU women’s basketball star Ali Patberg is adding an assistant coach title to her existing responsibilities for the Hoosiers, a source confirmed to The Daily Hoosier.
The program legend joined the IU women’s basketball staff last season as team and recruitment coordinator. She’s back in the same role this year, but with the added duties that come with the additional title.
Patberg is able to join the coaching staff because of the NCAA rule change allowing teams to employ up to five assistant coaches. Only three of those five are allowed to go off campus to recruit, and Patberg will not do that. But she’s allowed to officially coach the Hoosiers now, as there was some gray area with that last year.
That NCAA rule change was approved in January and went into effect July 1.
Patberg is one of the top players in Indiana women’s basketball history. She played in Bloomington from 2018 through 2022 after transferring from Notre Dame, and led the Hoosiers as they transformed into consistent winners and contenders. Patberg finished ninth in program history in points, eighth in points per game, and third in assists. She was one of three IU players — ever — to garner four career All-Big Ten selections.
Earlier in the offseason, head coach Teri Moren also hired Amber Smith as an assistant following Glenn Box’s departure. Smith, Rhet Wierzba, and Linda Sayavongchanh are IU’s three assistants who are allowed to travel for recruiting.
