VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds are pleased to announce that Phil Jalalpoor has officially been named the head coach of the men's basketball team, removing the interim tag he previously held since May of 2025.

Jalalpoor accepted the position after a comprehensive national search, following an impressive 2025-26 season where the team made meaningful strides, compiling a 15-5 conference record before advancing to both the Canada West Final and the U SPORTS Final 8 Championships.

"It's a true honour and privilege to be named head coach of the UBC Men's Basketball program," said Jalalpoor. "This is a place that means a great deal to me, and I'm very grateful for the trust I've been given. I want to thank our players, coaching staff, and support staff for the belief, commitment, and work they've put into this program. I'm excited for the opportunity to lead a group that represents UBC the right way, every single day."

"We're very excited to secure Phil as the head coach of our men's basketball team," said Kavie Toor, Managing Director of UBC Athletics and Recreation. "He's a high character young coach and we were very pleased with not only the results but also the growth in team culture in his first year. We were equally impressed with the vision and game plan he detailed for the program going forward during the recent interview process which included a comprehensive athlete and student leadership approach. Phil's played at the highest levels in both U SPORTS and in Europe, with big moments on the international stage. We're thrilled he'll be sharing those experiences along with his knowledge for the game with our dedicated student-athletes while leading the evolution of this program for years to come."



Prior to being named interim head coach, the standout alumnus returned to UBC as the lead assistant coach ahead of the 2024-25 season, reuniting with renowned UBC Thunderbirds head coach, Kevin Hanson, who had recruited the native of Schifferstadt, Germany nine years prior to be his starting point guard. Hanson would depart at the conclusion of the 2024-25 campaign, following a distinguished 25 seasons where he collected 378 regular season conference wins, the most in Canada West history and 614 overall victories, placing him in fourth spot on the all-time U SPORTS wins list.



"I'm excited to build on the strong foundation and legacy established by the coaches who came before me, especially Coach Hanson," added Jalalpoor. "I'm incredibly thankful to Kevin for bringing me into the Thunderbirds family as a player, welcoming me back as a lead assistant coach, and now continuing to mentor me along the way. My goal is to continue building a team and environment that our players, alumni, and community can be proud of, both on and off the court."
 
With big shoes to fill, Jalalpoor was tapped to usher the 'Birds into a new era and the early returns are promising for the program in key areas of performance, and academic success. In his inaugural season in charge, the 32-year-old navigated significant roster turnover as seven of ten primary rotation players departed, accounting for approximately 70% of total minutes played and scoring from the previous campaign.



Despite that roster transition Jalalpoor and his staff ensured they had a cohesive and determined group, resulting in one of the best offensive and defensive units in Canada West. The T-Birds ranked second in scoring (86.6 PPG), first in field goal percentage defense (38.4%), and first in rebounding margin (+7.8). UBC men's basketball also won their regular season series over rivals UVic – the number one ranked team in the country, for the first time since 2018-19.

"This past year reinforced my belief in the direction of this program and what it can continue to become," continued Jalalpoor. "I believe in collective basketball, where we find solutions together and trust our players to play with confidence, aggression, and freedom. My approach is centered on helping players become the best version of themselves through habits, accountability, and daily work. Going forward, our goal is to keep shaping a team and culture built on togetherness, growth, and competing for excellence in everything we do."



Before trading in the sneakers for the coach's polo, Jalalpoor spent three productive seasons with the T-Birds as the starting point guard from 2015-16 to 2017-18 and was recognized with several awards before graduating with a Bachelor of Kinesiology degree. Upon graduation, Jalalpoor moved back to Europe to begin a decorated professional career on the international stage that started in Spain but also included stops in Austria, Iceland and Germany, where he announced his retirement at the end of the 2023-24 campaign with Medi Bayreuth of the German Pro A league. 

Even though Jalalpoor is just 32 years old he's already spent a lifetime soaking up all things basketball, beginning at the age of six in Germany, where he rose through the ranks and was developed in the European system before setting his sights across the Atlantic. After completing his high school education in Germany, Jalalpoor moved to the United States where he played one season in Washington state, before transferring to Olds College (ACAC) in Alberta, for the 2014-2015 campaign.
 
His dynamic early basketball resume more than adequately set him up for success to be an impact player throughout his time with the T-Birds from 2015 to 2018. During his three seasons at UBC, the team enjoyed a conference record of 52-8 and an overall record of 87-25.



Jalalpoor was recognized with many honours while sporting the blue and gold, earning Academic All Canadian status in each of his three years at UBC (2016, 2017, 2018), winning the Canada West Ken Shields Student-Athlete Community Award in 2016-17 and selected as a Canada West Second Team All-Star in 2017-18.
 
In his final U SPORTS season Jalalpoor finished second on the 'Birds only to Conor Morgan in points per game with 17.7 while also being recognized for his tremendous career at the 2018 Big Block awards, earning the Bobby Gaul trophy as UBC's outstanding graduating male athlete.



After making a name for himself at the collegiate level, Jalalpoor set his sights on the professional circuit, moving back to Europe where he signed for CB Clavijo in the LEB Gold, the second division of the Spanish basketball league. Following one season in Spain he joined SKN St. Pölten in Austria, where the floor general averaged 18.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and led the league in assists with an average of 6.9 per game in 2019-20.



Jalalpoor's basketball tour came full circle when he returned to his homeland and signed for Medi Bayreuth in the prestigious German Basketball League (BBL), where he played from 2020 to 2022. His time with Bayreuth included a season in the continental FIBA Europe Cup competition. Jalalpoor then spent the 2022-23 season at two separate stops in Iceland, beginning with KR Reykjavik followed by some time with UMFN Njardvik, before returning to Germany for a final campaign in 2023-24.



Jalalpoor has enjoyed a plethora of significant experiences throughout his basketball life, but the undoubted pinnacle of his career to date was his selection to represent the Iranian national team at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. There, he often found himself matched up one-on-one with some of the best players in the world, including NBA superstars Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard when Iran took on Team USA.



Of all the life-altering experiences during Jalalpoor's time at UBC beyond the education, competition and camaraderie with teammates, perhaps the most significant outcome while on the Point Grey campus was the T-Birds love story that blossomed between him and fellow standout Kinesiology student-athlete Mackenzie Siddall. Siddall is an alumna of the Thunderbirds Softball team where she was a pitcher and outfielder along with being a team captain during her four seasons with the program from 2015 to 2018. Siddall and Jalalpoor married in 2020 and have enjoyed the return to Vancouver where they're raising their two young daughters.

Jalalpoor is already on the recruiting trail in advance of the 2026-27 season and looks forward to doing his part in continuing the winning tradition of T-Birds basketball at UBC.