UConn forward Mamadou Diarra will become a student assistant coach for the Huskies, according to a release from the school. Diarra made the difficult decision to end his playing career, at least at the college level, and has been granted a medical disqualification after multiple knee injuries sidelined him for the majority of his career since arriving in Storrs as a member of the Class of 2016 from Putnam Science Academy by way of New York.
“Unfortunately, Mamadou has endured some difficult circumstances physically since he arrived at UConn,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “We cannot, in good conscience, ask him to continue attempts to rehab to the point where he could compete at this level, knowing it could severely impact him later in life.