Gameli Ahelegbe (pronounced ga-ma-LEE ah-hel-LEG-buh) joined South Dakota’s staff before the 2014-15 season after spending three years as an assistant coach at North Dakota along with stops at Concordia (Minn.) and Minnesota State. He also had a playing career that began at Neosho County Community College, continued at Minnesota State and culminated with a season playing professionally for the Toledo Ice of the American Basketball Association (ABA).
USD head coach Todd Lee retained Ahelegbe after spending his first four seasons under Craig Smith.
In the 2019-20 season, Ahelegbe saw the first Coyote in Stanley Umude to be voted preseason all-Summit League Player of the Year. Additionally, he saw Tyler Hagedorn earn first-team all-Summit League while Umude earned second-team all-Summit League honors. Hagedorn also earned NABC all-District 12 first-team honors. As a team, he saw the Coyotes earn 20 wins while recording a 13-2 home record. The Yotes also recorded their longest win streak at eight overall and seven in conference since joining the Summit League.
In 2018-19, Ahelegbe saw sophomore Stanley Umude earn first-team all-Summit League honors after averaging 14.4 points per game, a mark that increased to 17.1 during Summit League action. He also helped senior Trey Burch-Manning and junior Triston Simpson earn an honorable mention while junior Cody Kelley garnered all-newcomer team accolades.
The 2017-18 season saw the Coyotes set a Division I-era record with 26 victories while going 11-3 in the Summit League for runner-up honors. The Coyotes moved as high as No. 3 in the Mid-Major Top-25 poll, the highest a Summit League team has reached in the poll. Matt Mooney earned his second-straight first team all-Summit League accolade with Tyler Hagedorn and Trey Burch-Manning earning second team honors.
The 2016-17 season was a historic one as South Dakota claimed the program’s first Summit League Regular Season Championship, going 12-4 in league play and 22-12 overall. The Coyotes advanced to the National Invitation Tournament for the first time in program history.
South Dakota defeated Minnesota in the 2015-16 season to snap the Gopher’s 47-game nonconference home winning streak. The previous season, the Coyotes tallied 17 victories while tying for fourth in the Summit League standings, then a best in the Division I era. He coached Tyler Larson, who became the first Coyote to earn first team all-Summit League honors.
Prior to USD, Ahelegbe helped North Dakota to back-to-back Great West Conference Tournament Championships and three consecutive trips to the postseason.
Ahelegbe was primarily responsible for the guards and wings at UND with the 2013-14 team featuring senior Troy Huff, who averaged better than 19 points per game and scored more than 2,000 points during his time in Grand Forks. Huff earned first team all-Big Sky accolades during Ahelegbe’s time with UND.
As the recruiting coordinator, Ahelegbe recruited Quinton Hooker who earned a pair of first team all-Big Sky accolades along with Geno Crandall who earned a second-team honor.
He spent the 2010-11 season with Concordia College (Minn.) where the Cobbers received a pair of first team all-MIAC selections.
During the 2009-10 season, Ahelegbe was an assistant coach at Minnesota State, helping the Mavericks to a 25-5 overall record and the No. 1 seed in the Central Region of the NCAA Tournament after claiming the NSIC Championship. Four members were named all-conference with Travis Nelson earning all-America honors.
From 2007-10, Ahelegbe served as the club director and trainer for 43Hoops Basketball Academy in Hopkins, Minnesota, which was founded by former NBA player Chris Carr. In that role, he designed personalized training protocols for clients and provided individual basketball instruction to athletes throughout the Twin Cities.
In all, Ahelegbe trained over 20 Division I players and over 40 players that earned a college scholarship.
Ahelegbe was a standout performer at Minnesota State where he served as team captain in 2005 and was a member of the top-ranked team in NCAA Division II. He earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Minnesota State in 2007 and went on to earn his master’s degree from Saint Thomas in 2010.
Ahelegbe and his wife, Syreeta, have three daughters: Aniah, Azalyn and Ariella along with a son, Amawuli (AJ).
