Ohio University

Updated June 17, 2025

Mike Cifliku joined the Ohio men's basketball staff full time in September 2022 as a video coordinator before being elevated to assistant coach in September 2024. As a graduate assistant with the Bobcats during the 2020-21 season, Cifliku was apart of a staff that won the MAC Tournament in the 2020-21 season and knocking off Virginia, the defending national champions, in the first round. 

As video coordinator, Cifliku handled video breakdown and video exchange. He recorded, coded and broke down all practice and game film for the Bobcats, distributing cuts to players and coaches to review. He also helped in the exchange of game film with other teams during the season. 

In 2024-25, he helped coach four Bobcats to All-MAC honors. AJ Clayton and Jackson Paveletzke earned Third Team nods, Shereef Mitchell was tabbed Honorable Mention and Elijah Ellott was named to the All-Freshman squad. Clayton was also named the Lou Henson National Player of the Week and Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week throughout the season. Mitchell and AJ Brown were also named Academic All-MAC, while Paveletzke earned a spot on the Academic All-District squad.

During the 2023-24 season, the Bobcats finished third in the MAC in the regular season and advanced to the MAC Semifinals for the fourth-straight year and his second 20-win season. He helped Jaylin Hunter and Clayton to All-MAC honors, while Hunter also earned NABC All-District, Academic All-MAC and NABC Honors Court Recognition. The entire Bobcats squad also earned the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award. He also coached Hunter, Elmore James and Mitchell to MAC Player of the Week honors. 

During the 2022-2023 season, he helped coached Dwight Wilson III to All-MAC and NABC honors and Jaylin Hunter earned All-MAC Honorable Mention. A.J. Brown and Elmore James were named to the All-Freshman Team. Wilson and Ben Roderick were named Academic All-MAC, while Roderick earned a spot on the CSC Academic All-District Team.

Mike has been a long-time student worker, dedicating his time to the men's basketball team for 6+ years.

Mike has been with the Ohio men's basketball organization since September of 2016 where he started as a student manager. His job entailed facilitating equipment, aiding in scouting reports, developing player skills, and working with operations on a daily basis to ensure athlete success. After four seasons and one NCAA tournament run, Mike continued with the team as a graduate assistant as he pursued his Masters in Coaching Education. As a graduate assistant Mike organized recruiting visits, maintained databases, operated several different softwares, managed film collection, and worked directly with the team's defensive coordinator. Overall, Cifliku has made Athens his home since 2016 and has helped build a history in the men's basketball program.