Bacari Alexander is in his third season as an assistant coach at Western Michigan after helping the 2008-09 Broncos claim their second-straight Mid-American Conference West championship and the fourth in the last six years. During his first two seasons, Alexander worked with the Broncos’ young group of frontcourt players and helped Flenard Whitfield and Nate Hutcheson make the MAC All-Freshman Team in 2008-09 and 2009-10, respectively.
Alexander spent one season (2007-08) in the MAC at Ohio where he helped the Bobcats finish 20-13 overall, 9-7 in the MAC and advance to the second round of the inaugural College Basketball Invitational. In his eight seasons coaching in Division I, his teams have compiled 126 wins.
Prior to his work in Athens, Alexander spent six seasons coaching at his alma mater, Detroit, under head coach Perry Watson. Alexander helped the Titans compile 96 wins in six seasons, including 53 victories in the Horizon League. The Titans finished .500 or better in conference play in 5-of-6 seasons with Alexander on staff.
He helped UDM reach the finals of the Horizon League Tournament in 2005 where they were seconds away from upsetting nationally-ranked Wisconsin-Milwaukee and moving on to the NCAA Tournament. During his first season on staff, Alexander helped the Titans reach the 2002 Postseason NIT after going 18-12 in the regular season. Detroit posted records of 18-12 in 2002-03 and 19-11 in 2003-04 with Alexander helping guide the team.
During his time at both Ohio and Detroit, Alexander’s responsibilities included off-campus recruiting, developing defensive strategies, scouting opponents and on-court coaching.
Alexander is also recognized as the most fashionable assistant coach in America. Alexander is a three-time (2005, ‘07, ‘09) winner of CollegeInsider.com’s Runway to the Fashionable Four and runner-up in 2008. He is the only three-time winner (head or assistant coach) in the contest’s history.
Alexander finished his collegiate career with two seasons as a Titan. He helped Detroit win a pair of Midwestern Collegiate Conference regular season championships and reach the NCAA Tournament in 1998 and 1999. The Titans finished 25-6 during his junior year and received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and then defeated Butler, 72-65, in the MCC Tournament championship game the next season on the way to another 25-6 season. Alexander played in 62 games with 57 starts and averaged 5.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game for the Titans and was named to the MCC All-Defensive Team as a senior.
Prior to playing at Detroit, Alexander played two seasons at Robert Morris where he saw action in 55 games, compiling 8.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. He was named to the Northeast Conference All-Newcomer Team in 1995. He prepped at Detroit Southwestern where he played under Larry Pierce.
Alexander received the President’s Award as UDM’s most outstanding senior student-athlete, and graduated in 1999 with a bachelor’s of science in business administration and finance. After graduation he went to work for the Detroit Pistons as a Players Programs Coordinator, then left to return to the court as a member of the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters.
During his two seasons (2000-01) with the ‘Trotters, Alexander played basketball in 13 countries, while also directing several camps for the team around the U.S. Additionally, he served as an “Advance Ambassador” for the Globetrotters, performing public relations duties, while making media and school appearances. In 2002, all past and current Globetrotters were inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Alexander (33/DOB: 9-15-76) and his wife, Kesha, have one son, Mekhi.
