EMORY, Va. – Emory & Henry University Director of Athletics Kyle Sensabaugh is pleased to announce that Ali Al-Gashamy has joined the Department as Head Men's Soccer Coach. Al-Gashamy comes to E&H after leading the men's soccer program at Limestone University.
During his time as head coach of the Saints, Al-Gashamy and his staff amassed a 37-11-10 record, with a .724 winning percentage. Over the last two seasons, the team posted a 31-5-5 record, ranking top-five in all of Division II. Under his leadership, Limestone achieved the program's first-ever Elite Eight appearance in 2023 and consecutive Sweet Sixteen appearances.
"I am super excited to be able to welcome Ali to the E&H family," said Sensabaugh. "After Didier accepted a promotion on campus, we knew we would have a big void to fill. We could not have found a better person for the job that embodies the level of care, respect, and passion for student-athletes. From the moment we spoke on the phone, I knew we had to have this guy here at exit 26. His attention to detail, his drive, and his track record for success is super impressive. I can't wait to get to work and see the special things in store for our men's soccer program!"
Al-Gashamy coached seven players to eight All-American selections in the last two seasons, and guided the team to three conference titles: two tournaments and one regular season championship. His teams led the conference in scoring every year and were top-15 in scoring offense and top-10 in scoring defense in Division II for both 2023 and 2024, for a goal difference of 110-25 over the last two seasons.
"I am truly honored to be named the Head Men's Soccer Coach at Emory & Henry University," commented Al-Gashamy. "I want to express my sincere gratitude to Athletic Director Kyle Sensabaugh and President Lou Fincher for this incredible opportunity and for placing their trust in me to lead this program. Emory & Henry has a strong foundation, and I'm excited to build on that as we work toward taking the program to new heights. Our goal will be to compete at the highest level and pursue a South Atlantic Conference Championship with passion, discipline, and unity. I look forward to developing a culture of excellence on and off the field and representing this great institution with pride."
Al-Gashamy, a native of Kristiansand, Norway, began his soccer career playing professionally for IK Start Club Team in Norway's top division. He later moved to FC Flora Tallinn in Estonia and FK Jerv in Norway's second and third divisions. His playing career continued in the United States with Detroit City FC in the USL.
He attended Gardner-Webb University, where he was a standout player. He was a four-time All-Big South selection, twice earning first-team honors. He posted 64 career points on 23 goals and 18 assists, with his best year in 2016, leading the team with nine goals and three game-winners. After his playing career, Al-Gashamy transitioned into coaching. He served as a graduate assistant coach and then as the first assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at GWU. During his tenure, he helped guide the team to a 9-8-2 record in 2019, earning the third seed in the Big South Conference Tournament.
Al-Gashamy graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and International Business in 2016 and later earned an International Master of Business Administration and a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Gardner-Webb.
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